Dear Friends,
It is bittersweet to get on the road. It is always so nice to be in Illinois with my brothers. I’m really lucky.
I wasn’t able to articulate this yesterday, but it is so great to just pick right up like we haven’t been apart due to time and distance and life. When we got to the farm on Sunday afternoon, Matt was working away and we just fell right into conversation.
When friendship is effortless while remaining worthwhile, it’s an amazing thing. You don’t fall into it without effort, obviously, but when you get there, it’s amazing. It’s also refreshing. Matt is a world class ball buster, but it is his love language. That sounds odd, but it just is what it is.
It was good for my soul to spend a couple of days here, but as you read this, we are speeding away. Heading east to my loves and hopefully not stuck in the traffic of Chicago. It is going to be a long day, that’s for sure, but worth it. It’s kind of like the second to last episode in a TV season. It’s the big set up.
*****
One of the refreshing things about the drive so far is that we haven’t seen any political stuff on the road. I have seen zero Trump 24 signs. I’m guessing I will see some today, but across the top of Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and into Illinois, there has been nothing and I’ve only seen a few cars with the bumper stickers.
I’d like to think this is telling of his waning popularity, but maybe they are going underground. Things are about to get a little crazy, I think. Batten down the hatches, friends, and please remember that what’s best for a few is not always best for all. We should be ready to support and fight for each other, not against each other.
*****
As stated in yesterday’s post, Decline of Western Civilization had quite the impact on my musical taste. As I sit here getting ready to write about Fear’s The Record, I can’t help but wonder if my early path into punk rock would have been different had heard a different compilation first. My early affinity for Southern California bands had to be because of hearing Decline.
While all of the bands who are featured on Decline come off as subversive and, to my 13-year-old self, thrilling and scary, I have to admit that I was taken with Fear mostly due to the blatant attack on humanity featured in songs like “I Love Livin’ In The City” and “I Don’t Care About You.” Just the cussing alone was enough to pique my interest in those days.
Luckily, both of those songs graced The Record. I’m trying to remember how and when I first got a copy of it. When I look into my brain for answers (scary as it is), I see a handwritten cassette tape, so someone must’ve taped it for me or loaned it to me to tape. Usually, I’m better about this but admittedly, I’ve had a tempestuous relationship with The Record.
There were times, for example, that I would have told you that beyond the two songs I mentioned a couple of paragraphs ago and “Let’s Have A War,” there were no good songs on The Record. There were also fleeting moments, early on, where I might have professed that Fear was my favorite band. When I examine this now, I see it from such a different angle.
As a teenager, I didn’t understand this record.
I’m not sure I quite understand it now, either, but life and experience have helped me to view it in different ways. I love that Fear do their own thing. Lee Ving is a unique dude and a hell of a nice guy, too. I’ve been fortunate enough to play a couple of shows with him over the years, as well as share a few beers and have some pretty good conversations.
Fear, live, is a great thing. They also sound great on the recordings. When I was younger, though, some of the songs didn’t really resonate with me. I didn’t understand how a band could do a song like “I Love Livin’ In The City” and then do “New York’s Alright If You Like Saxophones.” They seemed so alien from each other.
Now I know that Fear was adventurous and willing to follow their whims because they could play. Ving was also older than a lot of the other bands, too, and had a little experience in the music world before getting into punk rock. I didn’t realize this until later on, but that perspective helped me embraced The Record fully.
There is a lot of irony in Ving’s lyrics and some of that was lost on me at first. Fear was offensive, which I loved. As I look back on those days, if a band could offend my parents, I was down for it. There is a lot about The Record that will make you think and that’s a good thing.
“Disconnected” was one that confounded me as a 15-year-old, but now I think it’s pretty brilliant. I have to believe that Nomeansno were Fear fans. I hear a lot of similarities. Especially on that particular song.
The other thing that I have really grown to appreciate is the drumming of Spit Stix. As much as Derf Scratch and Philo Cramer added to the lineup, the drums are spectacular. Fear’s music just drives along like a fucking muscle car and that’s because of Stix.
Sadly, none of the times that I got to play with Fear included Stix on drums. Nothing against the dudes who played those shows, but it would have been rad to watch him up close. I don’t know how many more opportunities I might get to see them, but I’d like to see the band again and say “Hi” to Lee.
One thing, though, is that I will listen to The Record more often, I’m sure. It’s pretty fucking great. When I get my time machine, I’ll go back and leave myself a note and let 15-year-old me know that it’s okay to embrace things that don’t seem to fit in the box.
*****
See you tomorrow.
AI is a fan of 70s TV.