| Punk Rock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2004 | |||
| Studio | Western Sound Labs | |||
| Label | Quarterstick | |||
| Producer | The Mekons, Kenneth Sluiter | |||
| The Mekons chronology | ||||
| ||||
Punk Rock is an album by the band the Mekons, released in 2004. [1] [2] The Mekons supported the album with a North American tour. [3] Punk Rock was a success on college radio. [4]
The songs, written by the Mekons between 1977 and 1981, were recorded during the band's 25th anniversary tour. [5] [6] The band chose to record them live or live in the studio. [7] Founding bandmember Jon Langford did not like the band's debut album, which he thought was incapably sung; he also lamented that it was released by Richard Branson's Virgin Records. [8] Langford also thought that the songs still had meaning and were fun to play. [9] The Mekons used a Canadian Mekons tribute band, Eaglebauer, on "Fight the Cuts". [10] "The Building" was sung a cappella. [11]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| Robert Christgau | A− [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
| The Tampa Tribune | B+ [16] |
The Morning Call wrote that "the Mekons raise the right questions with the proper amount of skepticism, idealism and rude humor, without seeming to follow a formula." [17] The Chicago Tribune determined that, "if the higher fidelity, better playing and technically anachronistic presence of later-addition Sally Timms' beautiful vocals belie (in the best possible way) the passage of time, the band does a great job capturing the rage and chaos of that important time." [18]
Chuck Eddy, in The Village Voice , concluded that "Punk Rock salvages plenty of odes to failure/disgrace/infidelity/life-during-wartime plus drunken rants about bowing to republic and employer from rare imports long sold to used-vinyl stores, updating them with a pint-glass accordion-and-fiddle two-step jigginess Jon Langford's merry men and women didn't perfect till 1983's English Dancing Master EP." [19] Rolling Stone noted that "the memorable, politically minded tunes are a testament to the band's bighearted collective spirit." [15] Robert Christgau determined that "one comparison is the eponymous hardcore album Rancid dropped in 2000 when ska felt played out, but this is sharper and more varied." [13]
AllMusic wrote that "there is a certain ramshackle grace in them that offers the ghostly hint of 1977's chaotic joy, but being played by people who no longer have the comfort of naivete as a cushion against the outside world." [12]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Teeth" | |
| 2. | "Corporal Chalkie" | |
| 3. | "I'm So Happy" | |
| 4. | "What" | |
| 5. | "32 Weeks" | |
| 6. | "Work All Week" | |
| 7. | "The Building" | |
| 8. | "Rosanne" | |
| 9. | "Trevira Trousers" | |
| 10. | "This Sporting Life" | |
| 11. | "Never Been in a Riot" | |
| 12. | "Lonely and Wet" | |
| 13. | "Fight the Cuts" | |
| 14. | "Chopper Squad" | |
| 15. | "Dan Dare" |
Jonathan Denis Langford is a Welsh musician and artist based in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Fear and Whiskey is the fourth studio album by English rock band the Mekons. It was released in 1985 and marked a dramatic shift in their sound following a short hiatus. It has been credited as being one of the first alternative country albums, as it blends the band's previously-established punk rock style with a country music sound. Due to the limited production and distribution capabilities of parent label Sin Records, the initial album release was met with only modest commercial success but with broad critical praise. It remained largely unavailable until it was re-released in 2002 by Quarterstick Records, a subsidiary of Touch and Go Records.
The Mekons Rock 'n Roll is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Mekons, released in 1989.
Sally Ann Timms is an English singer and lyricist. Timms is best known for her long involvement with The Mekons whom she joined in 1985.
While You Were Out is an album by the American band Soul Asylum, released in 1986. It was produced by Chris Osgood. While You Were Out was the band's third release of 1986.
We Care is the debut album by Swedish alternative rock group Whale. The album was produced by Whale; several tracks were produced in cooperation with Falcon or Tricky.
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Natural is an album by the Mekons. It was released on 21 August 2007 by Quarterstick Records.
The Mekons are a British band formed in the late 1970s as an art collective. They are one of the longest-running and most prolific of the first-wave British punk rock bands.
The Blow-Up is a live album by the American band Television, released as The Blow Up on cassette in 1982. It was reissued in 1990 and again in 1999. The songs first appeared on a bootleg titled Arrow.
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Me is a studio album by the British-American experimental rock group the Mekons, released on May 19, 1998, on Quarterstick Records. It is noted for featuring greater use of electronic musical instruments than their previous work.
I Love Mekons is an album by the British-American punk rock band the Mekons, released in 1993 on the Quarterstick and Touch and Go labels. It is a concept album consisting of twelve love songs.
Wacoworld is an album by the Chicago-based band the Waco Brothers, released in 1999.
The Curse of the Mekons is the ninth studio album by English rock band the Mekons, released in 1991. Due to a disagreement with A&M Records, the album was not released in the U.S. until a decade later, being available only as an import from their British label Blast First. It has been hailed by critics as one of the best of the Mekons' career.
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The Mekons Honky Tonkin' is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1987. It was their first album to be released in the United States and the band's third country music-influenced album. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
The Edge of the World is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1986. The album is dedicated to Richard Manuel. The band supported the album with a North American tour.
So Good It Hurts is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 1988. "Ghosts of American Astronauts" was released as a single. The band supported the album with a North American tour, as well as shows in England.
OOOH! is an album by the British band the Mekons, released in 2002. It was inspired by a collaborative visual arts project sponsored by East Street Arts. The album marked the band's 25th anniversary. "Thee Olde Trip to Jerusalem" was released as a single. The Mekons supported the album with a North American tour.