Various Artists-S.F. Underground (1979)

 

Artist: Various Artists (No Alternative, Flipper, Tools, VKTMS)

Title: S. F. Underground

Label: Subterranean

Format: 7"

Cat #: SUB 1

Year of Release: 1979 

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US, third version (mail ordered 1985) Valencia address on insert Matrix 8204y64A/8204y64B

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+

Sell Date: 6/30/21

Sell Price: $19.99

Discogs Last Sold: 3/24/21 VG+/VG+ $16.00

Low: $15.00 

Median: $21.21

Average: $21.28

High: $29.41 NM/VG+

Current low price: $16.66 this agrees with "third version" description

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 9

Have/Want: 337/201

Where Sold: San Rafael, CA

Time it took to sell: 6 years

Where and When Bought: Subterranean mail order 1985

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A-

Sad To See It Go: No

For me, Subterranean was part of the West coast label triad with SST and Alternative Tentacles that got me up to speed on underground punk rock with their mail order and extensive catalogues when I was 14/15 in the mid-80's.  There was a whole world to discover while I was blissfully unaware, content with used records from the 60's and 70's and metal from the 80's.  I'd get a 50's or Blues album to spice it up.  Until I rolled the dice on the Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation in January 1985, I knew not of "hardcore" music.  I barely knew of punk outside of The Clash self titled US version of their first album and some Pistols and Ramones made their way into my collection the year before.   But, hearing "Ha Ha Ha" by Flipper and the rest of that compilation changed my brain and my life.

The first order of business was to own everything by Flipper.  I found Gone Fishin' used at That's Entertainment for $3.99  and Album new at Al Bums for I think $6.99 maybe 50 cents more plus 5% state tax.  Inside Album was a Subterranean mail order sheet.  This enabled me to get the Live at Target comp I wrote about the other day, as well as this 7".  My mind was open to anything, and everybody was equal until the actual music sorted out what I loved, what I liked, what I didn't care about and what I despised.

This single fell in my netherworld between like and indifference.  I had to listen a few times via streaming since the obligatory turntable pass before it went out to get a better handle on the songs.  Since all punk rock was new and crucial to me, I didn't judge it lower than something necessary.  "Johnny's Got A Gun" a standard anti-war number.   It sounds pretty fresh considering it is from 1979 and many many bands have that sound from the decades to come.  Flipper's contribution "Earthworm" was a hit for me, and as usual whenever they are involved they dominate everything else.  Man as worm, first person.  Tools were enjoyable, with a bit of male Patti Smith meets the earlier generations punk rock that this was the tail end of.  The theme and title, "Asexuality in the 80's," was standard commentary for the Underground, although the Rock corporations and media were a bit behind in their thought process despite Bowie, Smith, Glam, etc. making the 70's mainstream before the younger generation had their take on the subject.     VKTMS closes with with female fronted punk rock that again seems a precursor of many many bands to follow.  I bumped the grade of this up a notch for the bands being ahead of their time vs the impact and general start to finish listening of the product at hand.

A credible time capsule compared to what the corporate world was doing to music.