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Screeching Weasel

Kill the Musicians
1995
Lookout!

Screeching Weasel - Kill the Musicians (Cover Artwork)


Review by: sallyjesse
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Published on November 20th 2005

Honestly, I'm quite disturbed by a Screeching Weasel "greatest hits" record.

While I revere nearly everything they released as quality, independent PUNK ROCK, the idea of this band having a greatest hits record is somewhat disheartening. To me, all their songs were hits. There is the all-too-familiar feeling of knowing that this record will probably sell very well, every kid who buys it will spend all their paper route money on old Weasel albums, and it will eventually incite a reunion tour.

Kill the Musicians is a compilation album featuring 31 SW songs, all taken from comps, 7"s, outtakes, live performances, etc. Ranging from an alternate version of "Hey Suburbia" to covers of "I Fall to Pieces" and "I Think We're Alone Now," KTM is a must own of any fan. Certain songs such as "I Wanna Be a Homosexual" and "Mary Was an Anarchist" will most definitely be at the top of Weasel fans' lists, while sleepers like "Six A.M." and "Radio Blast" continuously haunt mix tapes around the world. Four Ramones covers, four live versions of great songs ("Veronica Hates Me," "I Can See Clearly Now," "Supermarket Fantasy," "Science of a Myth") and tons of rarely heard, out-of-print songs are spread out over nearly 70 minutes of tape. The early, faster SW is here ("This Bud's for Me") along with the poppy, Ramones-esque style they are known for ("Goodbye to You)".

The CD booklet is another piece of treasure, detailing much of the up and downs of Screeching Weasel in their early days by Ben Weasel himself, in traditional, long-winded fashion. Plenty of tour photos from the early `90s are also present, some of which are hilarious.

Kill the Musicians was the original Screeching Weasel greatest hits album. A simple, PUNK ROCK band at their best. Scruffy, scratching sound quality only adds to the flavor of this band. This is Screeching Weasel pre-Fat Wreck Chords, pre-Emo, pre-Weasel Mania.



People who liked this also liked:
NOFX - Punk In DrublicRancid - ... And Out Come The WolvesScreeching Weasel - Anthem For A New TomorrowAdolescents - AdolescentsMillencolin - Home from HomeMillencolin - Pennybridge PioneersOperation Ivy - Operation IvyNOFX - White Trash, Two Heebs and a BeanDead to Me - Cuban BallerinaBrand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me



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    Posted by Anonymous on Friday, March 17, 2006 at 1:03 PM (EST)

    yeah, weasel's the shit, I don't have much to say right now though. I'm in the computer lab in school...stoned. I think I'm gonna fall asleep soon.

    Posted by SilentStorms on 2005-11-22 19:26:48
    My Score:

    I bought this around 7 years ago, and sold it 2 weeks later. I hear that I'm an asshole cuz I think Television City Dream is better - but guess what? It is. Although I did enjoy some of the tracks on this album - apparetly I just liked the New School stuff better. I'm gay.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 6:58 PM (EST)

    lie i said, iwas drunk.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 6:54 PM (EST)

    "Douchebags, the reviewer never said this was a greatest hits album"

    Depends how you interpret "Kill the Musicians was the original Screeching Weasel greatest hits album".

    anyhow, its confusing anyway since there is no transition from greatest hits paragraph 1 to "Kill the Musicians is a compilation album....", so lighten up, its a confusing review.

    wyzo

    Posted by TheCaptain on 2005-11-21 15:38:38

    Ha....my fault. I wrote "My Head Hurts."

    My BRAIN Hurts

    Posted by TheCaptain on 2005-11-21 15:37:26

    Anthem, My Head Hurts, and How To Make Enemies are the only Weasel albums that truly matter.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 1:04 PM (EST)

    boogadax3 is my favorite weasel album, but in terms of their poppy stuff, my brain hurts is far and away the king

    Posted by MrStabone on 2005-11-21 12:31:08

    no way sickboi

    i actually don't own thing after Bark Like a Dog, so maybe i need to check some of that out.

    But I love the old stuff

    Posted by sickboi on 2005-11-21 11:53:34

    "This is Screeching Weasel pre-Fat Wreck Chords, pre-Emo, pre-Weasel Mania. "

    Funny, because aside from "My Brain Hurts", their best work came during and after the Fat days....

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, November 21, 2005 at 12:00 AM (EST)

    Douchebags, the reviewer never said this was a greatest hits album, he/she only said that she/he was disturbed by the fact that SW had released a greatest hits album (Weaselmania). Clean the cum out your eyes before you read this site.

    P.S. The "he/she" and "she/he" weren't meant to be politically correct; I'm just convinced the reviewer is a hermaphrodite.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 9:56 PM (EST)

    one of the best bands EVER

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 8:52 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Punknews.org needs to do a better job screening reviews. This is not a greatest hits CD, its a collection of various comp songs, 7"s, and b sides.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 8:23 PM (EST)

    I didn't think that this was a greatest hits album. I thought it was a collection of odds and ends and different versions of songs. I'm almost positive that this was never intended to be thought of as a greatest hits.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 6:43 PM (EST)

    i was reviewing the original version. why did ya put the new cover art on the side? oh well, still 4 stars.

    oh, and i like all of their stuff, including emo, and all the fat stuff is great.

    oh, and i was plastered when i wrote this. sorry

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 6:10 PM (EST)

    "Celena" is the worst song in the history of music.

    You're gay.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 5:40 PM (EST)

    Anyone else think its kinda weird that, from where the two bands were in 1993, Green Day went to become the biggest band in the world whereas Screeching Weasel broke up (for the third time) amidst relative obscurity. Screeching Weasel were clearer a much better band than Green Day in 1993, yet no one wanted to sign Weasel apparently. Fucked up world.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 5:26 PM (EST)

    "Celena" is the worst song in the history of music.

    Posted by steveman on 2005-11-20 14:40:29
    My Score:

    I have the older version of this. For me it was an eye opener to a completly different kind of music. I got this cd and my first Dead Milkmen cd the same day. Both were fucking amazing.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 2:03 PM (EST)

    sally jesse raphael?

    Posted by Jesse on 2005-11-20 13:44:23

    Whoa. Someone took my name and sally_field's name, and put 'em together. I take it as a compliment that screennames are now being fashioned after mine.

    Shut up, I know it's probably not but it makes me feel better.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 1:33 PM (EST)

    why are you insinuating that there was something wrong with fat wreck SW? or SW on "emo" (which is one of their absolute best records)? if the new "greatest hits" gets kids to buy weasel records, that's great. i'd much rather see kids spend their money on an actual band that worked hard and wrote great songs instead of the new fall out boy or whatever other bullshit is hip right now. and a reunion tour would be my dream come true.

    Posted by superdude on 2005-11-20 13:01:29

    Oh yeah, mine was by me.

    Posted by MrStabone on 2005-11-20 12:08:38

    yeah, i don't know if this review is for the new one (asian man 2005) or the old one, but this is a good starting point for people that don't know the band.

    id say the same about the new weasel mania as well and the most glaring ommission on that for me is Guest List.

    i can't recall what the new liner notes were like for this, but I think i remember them being not nearly as detailed as from the original pressing which had tons of info in it

    Posted by gypsymazzurco on 2005-11-20 11:33:31
    My Score:

    Wow the cover looks totally different from the old one. It's nice that you can see the drawing better now but I prefered the old typeface. Whatever. Great album!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 10:41 AM (EST)

    This review was pretty good, but here's how I would make it better:

    1. A perfect example of how self-destructive punk it. HELLO. You are a musician.

    2. Nice move!

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 10:22 AM (EST)

    Featuring the most blatant overlook on Weasel Mania, Girl Next Door.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 9:42 AM (EST)

    By Lookout! you mean Asian Man.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 7:41 AM (EST)

    For the best book on the Ramones read,
    "On The Road With The Ramones"
    http://hometown.aol.com/ramonesontheroad/myhomepage/boo ks.html

    This is a MUST-HAVE book for all Ramones fans. It's an inside look from the people who were actually there witnessing and experiencing all the extreme highs and lows one of rock's greatest bands. The Ramones' music has influenced nearly every power pop, punk, alternative, and metal band. Monte A. Melnick served as The Ramones tour manager from their early New York club days at CBGB's in the '70s to their farewell gigs in 1996. Filled with memorabilia including photographs and interviews collected along the way, this is his view of life on the road with the band as "baby-sitter to psychiatrist, booking agent to travel agent, paymaster to van driver." It's such a fascinating read, you'll have a hard time putting it down. Buy it, read it, and then revisit their albums. You'll never look at the Ramones in the same light.

    Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2005-11-20 04:11:58

    Are there new liner notes in the reissue?

    I was listening to Weasel today. I don't think I could ever get sick of them. Unless you play the self titled album more than once.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 2:53 AM (EST)

    this is the only one where the reissue cover looks better than the original.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 2:18 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    you know you like it

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, November 20, 2005 at 2:00 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    I love this album. The best song on here is Celena!!!!