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Various

Before You Were Punk (1999)
Vagrant Records

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: KirbyPuckett
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on December 23rd 2003

Before Saves the Day, before the Get up Kids, before Dashboard Confessional, there was a little Punk Rock record label trying to become established in the scene. The best way to jumpstart a record label is with a compilation featuring all the popular bands at the time (bonus points if you can come up with a themed album).

Vagrant Records did just that in March of 1999 with the first of a two part series titled “Before you were Punk.” The compilation featured all the big names Good Riddance, Face to Face, Blink 182, Mr. T Experience, and many others performing songs from the 80’s. It sounds like a great idea, but does it work?

Most of the time…

Modern English’s “I Melt With You” rehashed by Good Riddance is a solid opener. Following is an excellent rendition of “Turning Japanese” by another Fat Wreck band No Use for a Name. Face to Face’s take on the Cure’s “In Between Days” is rather bland. “Happy Loving Couples” by Guttermouth is a fun song to jam to. While Automatic 7 follows the path of Face to Face and bores us with the classic “Pretty in Pink.” Unwritten Law throws some Ska into the mix thanks to the boys from Buck-O-Nine spicing up Adam Ant’s unforgettable tune “Goody Two Shoes.” Once Blink 182 takes a mediocre stab at “Dancing With Myself” the Mr. T Experience delivers their wonderful pop-punk sound to “Crash.” Down by Law and Jughead’s Revenge disappoint with their contributions “Peace, Love, and Understanding” and “Young Turks” respectively. However, Hagfish’s “Walking in LA” and “867-5309, Jenny” by Bracket finish off the collection with two solid covers.

Is the compilation worth your money? If you want to hear your favorite bands trying their best to cover your parents' favorite songs, then go ahead and pick this up. But if you’re just looking to buy a record you might want to pick something else up. While some of the songs are good, they’re not complete standouts and the songs that are bad are really dreadful.

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Anonymous (December 29, 2003)

I'm listening to the Jerry's Kids LP "Is this My World?" right now. It's fucking great. Boston thrash from like '82.

Which makes this album great, unlike the lame comp being reviewed here.

the Jerry's Kids LP came out before you were punk. Probably before you were born.

-wang

Anonymous (December 29, 2003)

"If you want to hear your favorite bands trying their best to cover your parents' favorite songs..."

Damn, I feel fuckin old. These were some of MY favorite songs. I think I'm just getting too old for this shit anymore.

Anonymous (December 28, 2003)

Dude I wanna hump that person on the front cover

Romeo (December 28, 2003)

Yeah the earring makes it so punk that I think im going to go find that earring on EBay and parade around school singing some good ol Modern English tunes

Anonymous (December 28, 2003)

Good question. I can't tell if that is a female or a male on the cover of this CD. way punk, way punk.

Anonymous (December 26, 2003)

Yup another flaming dog molester with shit in parenthesis

Anonymous (December 26, 2003)

Is that a guy or a girl on the cover?

werty

Anonymous (December 26, 2003)

err, wasnt new wave not cool in the punk world? I dont really care, but i seem to remember watching a DeadKennedys Dvd and Biafra was dissin new wave, isnt DK more like 'before you were punk' and not new wave? Led Zeppelin is punk too, they beat girls with sharks.

Anonymous (December 26, 2003)

Scott (numero uno) hearts the cover of 867-5309.

-sickboi

Anonymous (December 25, 2003)

If I had a chance, I'd teach the world to DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!

Anonymous (December 24, 2003)

Vagrant really likes to reuse the songs they put on compilations, don't they. I know five years on the streets has Dancing With Myself on it...and I think it's great so fuck off!

fakesmile (December 24, 2003)

This score is for the Mr T Experience

at_the_drive_in_21 (December 24, 2003)

Also, parent's music? What the fark?
I grew up with some of these songs... and only 22.

at_the_drive_in_21 (December 24, 2003)

Hippos are on the 2nd one, aptly titled, Before You Were Punk 2
Rocket from the Crypt's song on the second one rules. MxPx's cover is surprisingly good too. ALL's Rebel Yell I remember being good too... that's all I remember from it. Man, I should review the second one.

Anonymous (December 24, 2003)

seriously, never write a review again. a fucking paragraph that had 1/2 a sentence on each band. what the hell was the point of that?

Anonymous (December 24, 2003)

aren't the hippos on here too? i thought i remembered that. they cover what i like about you if i remember correctly.

boba_fett (December 23, 2003)

"my mom digs the beatles. thats pre-80's."

yeah. pre-80's. like really pre-80's. like 60's.

boba_fett (December 23, 2003)

yeah i think that line was a wee bit off. my mom digs the beatles. thats pre-80's.

lets see now, if your parents were listening to music in the 80's in a big way, they may not have been married, or they were a young couple. maybe even just in high school. so lets say your parents got married in 85. give them 5 to i dunno how many years before they have you, and voila! youre about 12 years old.