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Against All Authority

Destroy What Destroys You
1996
Far Out

Against All Authority - Destroy What Destroys You (Cover Artwork)

Review by: el_matt
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Published on June 16th 2006

To tell you the truth, I was surprised to see there wasn't any review of Destroy What Destroys You, which is, without a doubt, a fan favorite. I'm sure a lot of people have heard this album already and what I write probably won't change their opinion about it, but this review will be more for the people that haven't heard this album or the band. So bear with me while i put this album into context.

I wish i could tell you that i've been listening to AAA since this record came out, but around that time, i was too busy thinking girls had cooties and how awesome Cartoon Network was. It was released in 1996, the heyday of ska revival. While most ska bands were enjoying the popularity, here comes one that is not only angry at the world and the people that are in charge of it, but are also willing to stay true to their DIY ethos. Enter Against All Authority from Miami, Florida.

Yes, the perfect word to describe this band is angry. You know this the moment you see the cover, which depicts a gun in someone's mouth (and if you want a general idea of whose mouth it is, you'll have to check the back cover). The angst, however, is kind of...well, teenage. The politics of this album aren't as intelligent or as specific as their later albums. The songs are all pretty much sing-along, catchy anthems played at a speed worthy of `80s punk mixed with the horn section, creating a great ska-punk album. To give you a general sense, it is more along the lines of Operation Ivy and Suicide Machines than Less Than Jake and Mustard Plug.

The album starts very strong with "Lifestyle of Rebellion," which is a manifesto of what this band is about. "No Reason" is another of the standout tracks, about growing up with racist parents, which features a really catchy guitar riff. "Freedom" is a great ska song but also a call to arms under the cry of (obviously) "freedom!" "Bloodclot" is an a nice, almost-instrumental (save for a few words) song which is by comparison, slower than the rest of the album.

"Another Fuck You Song" is the band's collective middle finger to corrupt businessmen that couldn't care less about other people. "30 Sec Song," which is actually 35 seconds long, seems to me as the only song that could have been left out and no one would have noticed. "Osuchosky's on the Loose" is another instrumental, and has a great bass-line. "Walking Revolution" is probably their most popular song among fans, and while a line like "I never do what i'm told, I'm a fucking timebomb waiting to explode" may not seem mature, the way Danny (lead singer) spits it out makes it great.

As if to show that not everything's about politics, "Corporate Takeover" talks about the scene and bands that are in it for the money and "Hard as Fuck" (one of the fastest and more "punk" songs) is about religion. "Centerfold" is a cover song, originally by J Geils Band, with one of the catchiest horn-lines of all time. The album closes after 22 tracks with the aptly titled "Court 22."

Overall, it is a great album that kicks in and never slows down enough to let you go. The songs may blend it at times, but once the vocals kick in, it creates enough distinction between them. It loses a point because of that and the fact that not all the songs are in the lyrics sheet (weird, I know). It is still an awesome album that stands the test of time.

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 19, 2006 at 10:53 PM (EDT)

"There's a breakdown that's taken from 'a message to you, Rudy' by the Specials which is from the late seventies, for one thing, but even if you aren't a ska dork, you should be able to put together that the 'ska revival' that they refer to in the song didn't happen in the fucking sixties when the first wave of ska was in its fucking infancy. Even reggae was in a pretty evolutionary stage in the sixties. Anyhow, don't be stupid. That song is from the 90's and written by Propaghandi."

Oh Gosh! You sure owned me there, for daring to mention something that I overheard from a friend in like 10th grade. While your point may have a tiny bit of merit, you have totally outed yourself as a fucking ska dork. Pick THAT up.

-Ken

Posted by maverick on 2006-06-19 22:52:16

Angry, eh? Is there any growling on this record? If so, I hope it's in the appropriate place...

-Scott

Posted by Showtyme on 2006-06-19 11:36:02

"the song didn't happen in the fucking sixties when the first wave of ska was in its fucking infancy. Even reggae was in a pretty evolutionary stage in the sixties."

Not sure if you know this, but ska is a precursor to reggae. Ska roots can be traced all the way back to the 30's.

Posted by feeeding5000 on 2006-06-18 21:42:51

It's great to see that the American Automobile Association finally has their own punk band.

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 18, 2006 at 8:26 PM (EDT)

Cartoon Network had "Two Stupid Dogs" back then, remember how sweet that was?

-OzmanX

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 18, 2006 at 1:13 PM (EDT)
My Score:

what a great album. the production is total shit but it works with this band (and i don't mean that in an insulting way)

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 18, 2006 at 2:42 AM (EDT)

What a poor and misguided response.

"Hey genius, sometimes bands only partially cover songs, and sometimes even throw in a breakdown from another song and change lyrics. I know this may be shocking to you, but its true. And ska has certainly been around long enough to encourage ire in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Obviously there wasn't a band with lyrics about ska "revivals" and calling people "fucks" in the 1960's, but there may have been a song along those lines from back then, you self-righteous dickhead. So fuck off."

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, June 18, 2006 at 2:38 AM (EDT)

That sure is one big Kit Kat bar buddy is about to chomp on there.

Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-06-17 14:36:03

This dude failed to mention a few of my favorite songs. "Chelsea Baby" and "Destroy what Destroys You" are probably the best two songs on this album.

Posted by Autosuggestion on 2006-06-17 05:36:26

Hello. I'm having some trouble with HTML and submitting a record review. I know how to do italics, bold, and underline. But it won't seem to recognize hyperlinked words OR returns (for new paragraphs like the review above, not a problem for posting comments, but it is for reviews). Any help anyone could give would be greatly appreciated.

I like this record. I got it in April '99, after I bought All Fall Down in July '98. I listened to All Fall Down more, but this was pretty fun.

Posted by GreenVandal on 2006-06-16 22:13:06
My Score:

Fuck yes. This is AAA's best. It is repetitive sometimes, but their best songs are on here. The dude who said the trumpets sound like they are played by buttholes is absolutely right. Production on this thing sucks and the trumpets sound like the band members made them themselves out of tin cans, but I love it anyway.

You turn your back on me, so I turn my back on you, fuck your system and fuck you too!

Posted by el_matt on 2006-06-16 21:31:31
My Score:

This album is a fan favorite. I've been to at least 6 or 7 of their shows, and songs from this album always get the most reaction.

And while i think this album is great, All Fall Down is their best.

Posted by Nick_V on 2006-06-16 18:54:09

Great album, great band. Albums like this got me through high school.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 5:54 PM (EDT)

"Okay, usually I can't stand when people call each other stupid on these review forums, but SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Ska Sucks is from the sixties? Fucking pull it together. There's a breakdown that's taken from 'a message to you, Rudy' by the Specials which is from the late seventies, for one thing, but even if you aren't a ska dork, you should be able to put together that the 'ska revival' that they refer to in the song didn't happen in the fucking sixties when the first wave of ska was in its fucking infancy. Even reggae was in a pretty evolutionary stage in the sixties. Anyhow, don't be stupid. That song is from the 90's and written by Propaghandi. Also, the horns on this record sound like they were played by buttholes rather than mouths (ie, shitty and out of tune).
That is all."

Hey genius, sometimes bands only partially cover songs, and sometimes even throw in a breakdown from another song and change lyrics. I know this may be shocking to you, but its true. And ska has certainly been around long enough to encourage ire in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Obviously there wasn't a band with lyrics about ska "revivals" and calling people "fucks" in the 1960's, but there may have been a song along those lines from back then, you self-righteous dickhead. So fuck off.

Posted by FreddieFreeloader on 2006-06-16 17:31:52

To continue what i was saying before about "It really sucks when", I believe some of the lyrics from that song go "...Junkie's running dry, now you're on MTV and I can see it was just a lie". Thats what i hear, but it is rather incoherent.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 4:29 PM (EDT)

As if to show that not everything's about politics, "Corporate Takeover" talks about the scene and bands that are in it for the money and "Hard as Fuck" (one of the fastest and more "punk" songs) is about religion.

how are those things not political?

Posted by skaboom on 2006-06-16 14:26:13

Some kids will say a band's debut album is their best arbitrarily, no matter how bad it is. I think most people consider All Fall Down to be AAA's best.

Either way, I'm seeing them tonight. Hot damn!

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 2:17 PM (EDT)

"Rudy (a message to you)" is not by the specials. it is, in fact, a cover song. by a man named dandi livingstone. do your research before you try and rip people apart.

kill whitey

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 12:30 PM (EDT)

Okay, usually I can't stand when people call each other stupid on these review forums, but SERIOUSLY?!?!?! Ska Sucks is from the sixties? Fucking pull it together. There's a breakdown that's taken from 'a message to you, Rudy' by the Specials which is from the late seventies, for one thing, but even if you aren't a ska dork, you should be able to put together that the 'ska revival' that they refer to in the song didn't happen in the fucking sixties when the first wave of ska was in its fucking infancy. Even reggae was in a pretty evolutionary stage in the sixties. Anyhow, don't be stupid. That song is from the 90's and written by Propaghandi. Also, the horns on this record sound like they were played by buttholes rather than mouths (ie, shitty and out of tune).
That is all.

Posted by rkl on 2006-06-16 11:42:14
My Score:

yes way is this a fan favorite.

no one will really know unless they run a harris poll of 1000 aaa fans.
and im lazy
and poor
but mostly just lazy, so im gonna leave that up to you (s)kaboom.

Posted by skaboom on 2006-06-16 11:33:15

No way is this a fan favorite. I wish modern day AAA would incorporate more ska into their sound, but they are a better punk band than a ska band.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 10:54 AM (EDT)
My Score:

This album is almost up there with Energy and Destruction By Definition.

- APK

Posted by skankin_in_the_pit on 2006-06-16 09:46:22
My Score:

I like All Fall Down a little more, but this still gets a 10.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 9:36 AM (EDT)

Well, the propagandhi album came out like 4 years before this, so I would say that prop played that version first. Someone did tell me though that Ska Sucks is actually from the 1960's, though, so who knows.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 9:27 AM (EDT)

I prefer the All Fall Down record to this. This album had potential, but it all ends up sounding the same.

Question, did Propaghandi cover their "Ska Sucks", or was it the other way around? I can't be bothered to dig out either CD to check.

Posted by el_matt on 2006-06-16 09:03:12
My Score:

Hey, they finally posted this. Sweet.

I didn't know that song was about Rancid, or else i would have included it on the review.

Posted by almostpunkenough on 2006-06-16 04:26:39
My Score:

dam near classic.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 2:59 AM (EDT)
My Score:

This album is a little repetitive, but still fucking awesome.

Not quite as good as some of their work, but better than alot of it, also.

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 16, 2006 at 2:06 AM (EDT)
My Score:

I've never really dug this album too much. A lot of great songs and then a lot of other songs. There's 22 songs and after 12 or so they just start repeating the exact same songs with different lyrics.

Posted by FreddieFreeloader on 2006-06-16 01:51:03

It should be mentioned that the song "It really sucks when" is a stab at Rancid... or so I think /heard.