The Boys
The Collection
Label: Taang! Records
Released: 2003

Matt Dangerfield – guitar, vocals
Duncan ‘Kid’ Reid – bass, vocals
Casino Steel (Stein Groven) – organ, piano, vocals
Honest John Plain – guitar, vocals
Vom Ritchie – drums

Disk One

1. Sick on You
2. I Call Your Name
3. Tumble with Me
4. Tonight
5. I Don’t Care
6. Soda Pressing
7. No Money
8. First Time
9. Box Number
10. Kiss like a Nun
11. Cop Cars
12. Keep Running
13. Tenement Kids
14. Living in the City

Bonus Tracks

15. Watcha Gonna Do
16. Turning Grey
17. First Time
18. Lonely School Days
19. I Don’t Care
20. Take a Heart
21. Run Rudolph Run
22. Worm Song

Disk Two

1. Brickfield Nights
2. U.S.I.
3. Taking on the World
4. Sway (Quien Sera)
5. Do the Contract Hustle
6. Heroine
7. Not Ready
8. Classified Susie
9. T.C.P.
10. Neighbourhood Brat
11. Stop Stop Stop
12. Backstage Pass
13. Talking
14. Cast of Thousands

Bonus Tracks

15. Teachers Pet
16. School Days
17. Lies
18. She’s No Angel
19. You’re the Other Man
20. Silent Night

In 1977, I was in sixth grade, my Mom sat me down and told me the story of my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandmother (that’s six greats) Betty Zane.

During the colonial war, the fortress she was in with her father was about to run out of ammunition, her father and everyone else was either injured or engaged in battle, so Zane ran out of the fort a few miles to retrieve ammo that was hidden in the floorboards of a home of one of the soldiers.

Along the way Zane was shot with arrows from the Indians they were battling, but still ran and brought back the ammo, and they won that battle.

The book was written by my Great-Uncle, on my Mom’s side, Zane Grey. The copy of the book that my Mom was showing me was signed by Grey, and had an old news clipping, with a picture of him, talking about his former career as a dentist. It was interesting to me.

I took the book to school as a show and tell project; the teacher was in awe, she started rambling about all his great western novels, asking me if I had read Riders of The Purple Sage, or several others. I answered “not yet.” I hadn’t read any of his books. When I showed her the autograph, her eyes bugged out and she said I should take the book home, as it was probably worth 100’s of dollars.

I recently found out that Zane Grey gave a fictionalized version of Betty Zane’s life; for years fables and rumors swirled around what happened at the fortress, one account was Betty Zane walked out of the fortress, and the Indians saw that it was a woman and let her go by, but the version we always heard was that she was shot with arrows and still went on. I guess Zane took bits and pieces of these wife’s tales, and made his own story. Like anything else . . . unless you were there who knows what happened.

It wasn’t until I got older that it sunk in how difficult it is to write something worth reading, and even harder to make a living at it. I guess you have to fake it sometimes.

On to the review . . .

What can I say about this album?? It’s a hybrid of the best ‘60’s rock band with a blending of short fast songs of early British punk – then you have the Boys.

Nice clean production, and overall fun and enjoyable set.

The Collection is The Boys’ first two albums plus their b-sides and a bunch of unreleased tracks. It’s a two disk set, so it’ll keep you busy for a while.

Thanks again to Curtis over at TAANG for passing this one to me!

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, check them out.

Rating: *** ** Three 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: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemmingway
Listening: Wasted Youth – Regan’s In
Watching: The Number 23 directed by Joel Schumacher