Antiseen-The Evil Ones (1992)
Artist: Antiseen
Catalog Number: SE 012
Year of Release: 1992
Country and Year of Edition: US 1992 2,000 pressing
Sell Price: $6.20
Sell Date: 4/21/24
Condition: NM/VG+
Discogs Last Sold 2/5/24 NM/NM $7.50
Low: $4.19
Median: $8.00
Average: $8.91
High: $15.00
Current low price: $9.99
Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 7
Have/Want: 150/55
Where Sold: Clayton, DE
Time It Took To Sell: 9 years
Where and When Bought: Kim's Underground NYC $3.99 sticker still on it
Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B+
Sad To See It Go: No
Antiseen are a bit of the Rock 'n Wrestling of hardcore, getting some well placed forehead bleeding cuts into their performances before they backed GG Allin on one of his later records. This "southern bumpkin" approach was heavily favored by Maximum Rock 'n Roll in it's day and these guys have been doing it since at least 1983 touring out of Charlotte, North Carolina, so they always had credibility.
Paying tribute to Roky Erickson on this three cover single adds another dimension. The focus is the period in the 80's where Roky became increasingly more active and widely distributed. There is a note on the back of the record that the band knows the world doesn't need another cover record and they don't really care whether you like it or you don't. They wanted to pay tribute to an important influence and use the photo they took with Roky on the back cover. There was a major label tribute at the time and Antiseen were left out. Well why the hell not add a Roky tribute single to a catalog now dozens deep?
"Bloody Hammer" was always a go-to Roky song for me. I always knew it as the 1980 B-side of his import 7" "Mine Mine Mind" which also came out the next year on The Evil Ones with his band The Aliens on CBS in the UK. Antiseen do a good job with it. It sounds like you would expect Antiseen to do it if you ever heard Antiseen before. Less weird and more straight gruff punk if that makes sense.
I didn't really know "The Singing Grandfather" or The Holiday Inn Tapes that came out in 1987 as a French import, so Antiseen got one on me for knowing about those 1986 recordings. The grandfather is murderous. He cuts off your head! So kudos for Antiseen for being real fan deep divers and not sticking with obvious 13th Floor Elevators. They make records for collectors and they clearly go record shopping themselves. It is the punk rock way.
"I Have Always Been Here Before" from Gremlins Have Pictures came out on the Enigma subsidiary Pink Dust which was distributed by Capitol and got around in 1986, so that was a little easier to be exposed to in it's day. I remembered the album more than this song but it rang a bell of familiarity. Of the three covers, this was the one I thought Antiseen did the best job of making it their own.
Nice concept, I'll make a mental note to go listen to some more Roky and catch Antiseen live while I still can. I seem to remember going to a show that was earlier than expected and seeing Clayton already bleeding and unexpectedly finished in the early 90's (Middle East Cambridge?). Somehow I also missed local show guy Frank Wood's presentation at the closed and missed Hank's in Brooklyn.
Keep an eye open.
Comments
Post a Comment