One of the more interesting times in popular music was the addition of punk and new wave to the scene. This was one of the last true revolutions in rock music. With the release of "History in Three Chords", it's obvious that the local Milwaukee music scene was no exception. The majority of artists on here I don't even recognize. This two cd set is packed with a broad range of music that ranges from hard-core punk to light radio-ready new wave. Most of it is fun music that brings me back to a more simpler time in the world. Assembling this collection could not have been and easy task. In fact, some of the earlier works are taken directly off vinyl simply because that is the only known version that exists ("I Don't Wanna Be Young" by the RPM's is a good example). "History..." captures a time in Milwaukee music when the ultimate goal for these acts was to become the next Flock of Seagulls, Ramones, or even The Clash.
Disc One is the "harsher" example of what the underground scene was like during the late 70's/early 80's. "Miss Veg-O-Matic" by The Police (not Sting and company) is typical punk rock in sound and attitude. Quirky saxophone adds more chaos to the whole mix. Sex Pistols come to mind while listening to this. A popular band during this period, and that I never even heard of until this release, was The Haskels. Sounding more disciplined than their alt-rock counterparts on this cd, their sound featured tight driving guitars and vocals that remind me of Jello Biafra from Dead Kennedys. A nice surprise for me, as well as any fan of Pat McCurdy, is the inclusion of "Me and My Face" from McCurdy's band at the time: Yipes!. Recorded live in 1978, the song exibits plenty of raw energy that would rival any local band at this time. McCurdy displays his classic sense of humor by writing about all "the big dudes at the disco, are going dance all over me and my face!". After disco "died" around 1980, quirky pop sung by young female voices were widely heard on radio. Trying to capitalize on Blondie and The Go-Go's were Milwaukee's own The Shivvers. "Please Stand By" sounds like the perfect missing pop song for "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"!
Disc Two is the more consistent example of this release. "Security Girl" by the Acetones is a nice cross between punk attitude and new wave cheeriness. "Four Chord Sh*t" by the popular X-Cleavers is a tightly played tune that represents the "back to basic" attitude of the music scene during this time. The bright organ sound blending with fuzzy guitars is simlar to Elvis Costello or Squeeze. This particular song is one of the funnier numbers on the release; "I got a four chord guitar, with only 3 strings. I got a grapefruit for a brain, and it's not even ripe!". It's interesting to compare the sound of popular bands that were around at the time to these local acts. "The Suicide's House" by Tense Experts features the spacey guitar sound that's reminiscient of Duran Duran or The Cure where as the deep bass and dark nature of "Samizdot" by the Ama-Dots reminds me of the underground/goth sound of The Stranglers. It's great to hear all these influences from bands that I grew up listening to in the early 80's. Too bad I wasn't old enough to see a few of these bands live during this period.
I could easily write another two pages about all the different bands featured here. Believe me, not all of it is enjoyable to listen to! But, even these lesser songs are still interesting to an extent in that they show off a simpler and more dedicated period of popular music. The toughest part about the music that is worthwhile is knowing how hard it will be to try and find more recorded instances of their music. Anyone who wants to jump back 20+ years in time will enjoy "History in 3 Chords".
