The Blasting Concept, Volume 1: An SST Compilation

Once upon a time, compilations mattered. Probably because they didn't get released at the rate of five per week like they seemingly did in the mid-90s. Some held lasting influence, cracked the ground open, spawned dozens of derivative and unique rock groups, made us hate our parents more, huff spray paint, stick safety pins through our parts and give voice to a reservoir of black and brown exurb anger which was previously expressed via habitual masturbation, self-loathing or slasher films (this author excepted).

This did that, and more. It and its next gen pal comps (See: The Wailing Ultimate) stuck a blockbuster up our asses, thank God. I saved my dishwasher gig money and bought each of these records.

SST changed our lives.
Allmusic: SST was one of the most important indie labels to emerge out of the punk rubble. Based in L.A., the company would soon list such seminal '80s bands as the Minutemen, Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, and Sonic Youth as part of its roster. This early roundup from 1983 spotlights tracks from all of these bands, save for Sonic Youth. San Pedro's finest, the Minutemen, get the lion's share with four songs from their debut release. Black Flag follows suit with three fine sides from its Jealous Again album (plus some singles), while the Meat Puppets contribute two from their own maiden release and Hüsker Dü is tapped for "Real World" from the Metal Circus EP. And rounding things out are solo shots from Saccharine Trust, Stains, Overkill, and Wurm. A must for the historically minded punk fan.

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Meat Puppets - Out My Way EP

Hot. High. Hairy. Head. the Pups emerge from their noodling psyche weirdo shock and engage in blistering power chord Topisms. Always reminds me of the humidity of Midwestern summers, cool waters, smokiness and rarely wearing a t-shirt.

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Allmusic.com: When originally released in 1986, the six-track Out My Way EP was supposed to be a stop-gap release -- guitarist/singer Curt Kirkwood had broken his finger, and needed time to recover. Musically, the EP showed that the Puppets were moving on from their early punk sound to a more traditional rock direction. But the band's originality was still offered in abundance; for example, the album-opening "She's Hot" sounds like a jam session between ZZ Top and the Talking Heads. Also included was the spacious sounds of the title track, the carefree "Not Swimming Ground," and an explosive reading of Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly." The 1999 Rykodisc reissue more than doubled the original's track listing, containing such standout rarities as a Black Sabbath-esque reading of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (from 1982), a fragile cover of the country classic "Burn the Honky Tonk Down" (originally popularized by George Jones), plus the experimental "Backwards Drums."



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