Gang Green
Another Wasted Night
Label: Taang! Records
Released: 1986, Re-released 1991
Produced: AC Peters & Gang Green

Chris Doherty – vocals, guitar
Chuck Stilphen - guitar
Glen Stilphen – bass
Walter Gustafson – drums

1. 19th Hole
2. Alcohol
3. Another Wasted Night
4. Voices Carry
5. Protect And Serve
6. Eight Ball
7. Evil
8. Last Chance
9. Fuck In A
10. Tonight We Rock
11. Sold Out Alabama
12. Have Fun
13. Crocodile Rock
14. Hate
15. Skate To Hell
16. Voices Scary
17. 17 Studio Outtake Gang Green

This is my 80th column for Strange Reaction. After writing the initial 79 pieces you start to wonder “Do I have enough to say,” or better yet “Does anyone give a shit about what I have to say?”

Well, maybe they don’t, but the reason I add these little antidotes is because a lot of you have had the same experience (though this is hard to tell by the lack of comments).

Anyway, I started thinking about my old leather jacket, the one I wrote about a few weeks back. In 1981 or 1982, everybody I knew had ties to some punk “gang” out here in L.A. Whether it was L.A.D.S, FFF, The Family or the Suicidal Tendencies boys, everybody had a “gang” they favored. My Uncle Rick hung out with some of the guys from L.A.D.S (Los Angeles Death Squad) and went to school with some of the guys from Bad Religion, so I leaned towards them a bit.

Well, one day when I was about 15 I decided I wanted to join the L.A.D.S. and paint their logo on the base of my jacket. My Uncle was busy with work and school (he went to CSUN for a while with Derf Scratch), so I started to ask this guy Rob at school about the L.A.D.S. Rob was real tight-lipped about the whole thing. I was asking because I didn’t understand the gang process, did I get jumped-in? Do I get recruited? Am I a prospect, until they approve me? Rob, pretty much, answered nothing – he just said I needed to get to know them. Whatever. So, I asked him about this little guy named Jeff that always hung him. Jeff was a preppie kid who started hanging out with Rob, and took to calling himself Gonzo. Anyway, I ask Rob if Gonzo was a LAD? I had seen Gonzo walking around with a jacket with L.A.D.S. on the back. Rob said he couldn’t answer that, what a dick.

At the end of the school day I’m sitting on a planter in the parking lot at school waiting to see if I could score a ride home when, from behind, Jeff/Gonzo jumps up onto the planter (I’m assuming to appear taller) and starts to drill me about my questions about the LADS. He says “I hear you’ve been asking about the LADS!” I reply “yeah, I asked Rob a few things.” He says “Yeah, well, you better fuckin’ stop!” I say “Or what?” He says “Or this may be your last day at school!” I say “No shit? Huh. Well, have a good one” He says “I’m serious don’t ask about the LADS!”

I got home, and buzzed my Uncle at work, and relayed Jeff’s threats. Rick laughed and told me to tell “Gonzo” to fuck-off. He said Jeff hangs out with the guys from L.A.D.S., but he was pretty much just a mascot, and they’d get money from him for beer.

So, from then on when I’d see Jeff, he’d be scowling, I’d laugh, and a week or so later it stopped altogether – turns out Rick introduced himself to Jeff.

On to the review . . .

This is a really good album, a definite punk meets garage rock feel to it.

The covers are great. Voices Carry, yes that one is cool, and the second reworking of this called Voices Scary; their version of Sweet Home Alabama, Sold Out Alabama fun track, and Elton John’s Crocodile Rock is also good.

Some of this material is stuff that you would’ve expected The Joneses to record.

This is the best Gang Green album I have ever heard, thanks again to Curtis over at TAANG! for passing this one to me!

Read more about Gang Green on the TAANG! site: http://www.taang.com/bands_ganggreen_body.html

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: **** * four out of five stars.

On a separate note, I’m going to be putting on the Los Angeles Punk Con next June 6, 2009. I am looking for vendors, and sponsors. I have contacted some of the biggest names from the world of American Punk to be guests, Henry Rollins (Thanks to Henry for responding within an hour of our request) and Jello Biafra are a maybe until the beginning of the year. We have Lisa Fancher founder of Frontier Records, and Dr. Strange Records coming out, so make sure to browse their great selection of merchandise. Danny of Warning Label Records is trying to bring a couple of bands from his label. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

Currently:
Reading: Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger
Listening: Fugazi - 13
Watching: This Is Elvis directed by Andrew Solt