Exploited
Totally Exploited
Label: Taang! Records
Released: 2001

Wattie Buchan – Vocals
Gav – Guitar
Irish Rob – Bass
Willie Buchan – drums

1. Punks Not Dead
2. Army Life
3. Fuck the Mods
4. Barmy Army
5. Dogs of War
6. Dead Cities
7. Sex and Violence
8. YOP – The Exploited, Duncan
9. Daily News
10. Dole Q
11. I Still Believe in Anarchy
12. God Save the Queen – The Exploited, Cook, Paul
13. Psycho
14. Blown to Bits
15. Insanity
16. S.P.G.
17. Jimmy Boyle
18. Fuck the USA
19. Attack
20. Rival Leaders
21. Crashed Out
22. What You Gonna Do
23. Class War
24. Alternative – The Exploited, Duncan
25. Computers Don’t Blunder
26. Addiction
27. Hitler’s in the Charts Again

Back in 1982, I met a handful of guys that would turn out to be my best friends for the next few years, Mike R., Wes I., Tim and Evan K. Mike, Tim and Evan were into the whole Mod thing that was happening at the time, whereas Wes had a more rockabilly thing going on, and I, of course, was deep into my punk and Oi.

I met Mike in shop class, and we hit it off, he had just moved here from New York, and had a real outgoing, brash attitude. He liked me, but didn’t think that I would hang out with him and his friends because they weren’t punk. So, for the next six months or so they would hire me to be security at their parties. They would pay a few bucks or they’d pay me in beer.

Over time all five of us would be inseparable. We’d stay over each others house, and one crazy weekend Wes and I would steal his parents sail boat and go to Catalina for the weekend, more on that in another column.

Anyway, at our high school every click (preps, stoners, etc) had an official school club. So, Mike started one for us, with an official teacher sponsorship, we were known as the Time Square Boys. Named for Mike’s favorite stomping grounds.

One night we all took the bus up to the movies on Van Nuys and Magnolia (I think), and the Mod guys had their parkas filled with weed and beer. So, by the end of the movie everybody, but me was tipsy – so I assumed the role of bodyguard. We now had to walk back to Wes’ place – from Van Nuys and Ventura to Louise and Ventura, one long ass walk. We didn’t bring enough bus money for the return trip. So here we are walking down Ventura at midnight during one of the worst winds that had ever hit the Valley, there are trees in the windows of every other office building we pass, including a few banks.

Midway through our trip Mike and Wes have wandered ahead of us by a block or so when a car-full of Taft High football players pull up along side if us and yell “What’s up, Fags?!” as they pop out of their Mustang in an attempt to jump us, I reacted faster than I ever had in a situation like this in my life. I pushed Tim and Evan back, reached into my pocket and placed my keys between my fingers and started throwing haymakers. Two of the guys were on the ground when another yelled “bone out he’s got brass-knuckles!”

So, we compose ourselves, and figure it’s over. We watch the car, and see that it’s creeping up on Wes and Mike, so I yell ahead to warn them, but they’re too twisted to understand. So, Evan finds a shard of glass on the ground, and Tim picks up a 2 by 4 out of the gutter, and I go for my “brass-knuckles.” We catch these guys right as they are opening their car door. Evan kicks the door closed, Tim is jumping on the roof, and I start pulling the driver out of the window.

Wes and Mike are laughing; they have no idea what’s going on. Tim jumps down, and six guys in the car are all yelling to leave. They peel out, and spin into a donut on Ventura and Petit just as a cop car turns the corner, lights come on and they get pulled over. All five of us make it into Page’s coffee shop before the Taft guys can rat us out.

I guess once in a while a cop can come in handy.

On to the review . . .

Originally released in 1984, this was re-released in 2001 by Taang.

I was never an Exploited fan, and unfortunately . . . I’m still not.

Wattie was definitely the face and voice of punk during the second wave of British punk, but like they say, not my cup of tea.

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

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, it’s worth a listen.

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

Currently:
Reading: Shop Girl by Steve Martin
Listening: Henry Rollins – Get In The Van
Watching: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back directed by Kevin Smith