In 2003, Dischord Records released Minor Threat’s First Demo Tape. It was recorded in 1981 at Inner Ear studios a few months after the band’s formation. While it’s jarring to hear some of the most perfect hardcore songs of all time in their most inessential form, it serves as a fascinating snapshot of the band shortly before they defined the genre.

It’s pretty striking to hear how young the band sounds on these recordings. Ian MacKaye’s vocal delivery is still a bit underdeveloped here, lacking the confidence that would become his trademark. If you’re already familiar with these songs (and you damn well should be by now), you’ll notice tracks like “Seeing Red” and “Guilty of Being White” aren’t as pointed or cutting as they would go on to be. Ian’s voice cracks with conviction, but his words don’t always land where they should. All of the fury without much of the control. Nowhere is this more evident than on “Minor Threat.” As urgent and hopeful as the lyrics are, Ian’s voice is a bit too weak to really drive the point home. Still, his passion is present from the onset.

Uneven instrumentation is another indicator of the band’s inexperience. To be sure, few punk bands ever played in lockstep the way Brian, Lyle, and Jeff did. It’s clear that that symbiotic relationship isn’t fully formed here, however, as inconsistent tempos and the absence of precision make for less immediacy. As the liner notes indicate, the songs are too slow and they lack the tightness that would eventually make them so effective. What you get here are only modest signs of the self-assured attack they would adopt only a month later during the recording sessions for their iconic first EP.

So what makes First Demo Tape so sonically reserved when compared to later recordings? TOO MUCH FUN. This is evidenced by the double-sided insert depicting the band (along with friend Henry Rollins) having a blast playing dress-up in the playroom belonging to the children of Inner Ear Studios founder Don Zientara. There are more photos of the members wearing wigs and plastic ears than playing instruments and singing. While the band may have been too busy making each other laugh to worry about capturing more nuanced performances, it’s pretty endearing to see them just goofing off.

While being overly critical of a punk band’s first demo might be missing the point, it’s interesting to study the blueprint for some of the greatest hardcore songs ever written. The fact that Minor Threat would improve upon every single aspect of this recording pretty much makes this inessential. Still, for a band so synonymous with youth, it’s only right to hear them in their most adolescent state.