Sunday, May 18, 2008

Child Molesters - So Fucked Up

(Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1989)

SFTRI blesses us with a blue-vinyl double-set of four (count ’em) hotfuzz Child Molester recordings from 1978, plus a chained nudie on the cover as an extra bonus. It’s extreme anti-social goofing across the board on danceable punk-bop hits like “I’m So (Fucked Up)” and “13 is My Lucky Number,” the latter probably taking the crown for being r-n-r’s all-time catchiest and least-subtle ode to statutory get-down. Disc two was actually released as the second CM single in 1979, and despite its lyrical focus on violence (songs: “I’m Gonna Punch You (in the Face)” and “(I Wanna See Some) Wholesale Murder”), there’s surprisingly less musical muscle here – especially on “Punch” – as the lyrics and melodies carry the songs to a greater extent than usual; heavy rhythms and weird guitar queasiness aren’t lugging the load they normally do. The songwriting is thumbs-up strong, though, so don’t fret (& the solos are nice). All four sides are crazed, hooky, distorted, funny, and inappropriate, just as they should be… The aim is to shock and piss off, but these swastika-wearing perverts make music that’s just too doggone lovably entertaining to cold-shoulder, like a rougher, artier Ramones that couldn’t care less about the charts. Won’t you invite this record into your home today, and set a place of honor for it at your ear-table? Please?

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