During my mid-teens I was turned on to 70’s punk rock by a
teacher at my high school and had a musical epiphany that was
akin to a religious experience. That teacher (who had been in
some punk bands in Vancouver in the 70's) made me and my 2 other
friends each a mixed tape of music from his youth.
I remember slipping the cassette into my little black ghetto
blaster and hearing X-Ray Spex, Dead Boys, the Adverts and the
Avengers. As I was listening to the music, a primal force rose
up from inside of me, and I felt a feeling that's hard to
describe, but in that instant something big shifted inside of me
and tore through all of my insecurities and self pity; and left
me feeling strong, free and with an unshakable will.
I was really struggling at the time and had been dealing with
bullying since the first days of grade school. I had often
fought back, sending girls home crying and bleeding, and I even
got the nickname "kitty claws" for a while; but it was wearing
me down inside, and after a certain point I couldn't take it
anymore, and I started to cave into myself.
I ended up saving up $1000 of babysitting money (which seemed
like a huge sum of money to me at the time), dropping out of
high school, and leaving my home town for the big city of
Vancouver.
--
Many years later, I was in Audiophile on Commercial Drive in
Vancouver and I saw a unique looking album resting on the
display shelves above the record bins. The words ‘DEATH’ in
perspective lettering were shooting out from the top of a
cityscape in retro reds, oranges and yellows on stark black. I
asked the guy working there if he’d heard the LP, and he told me
the story of how an old recording was discovered in the attic of
one of the members, and this pre-punk gem was released 35 years
after the fact. I was like, woa, I gotta check this out.
I brought the record home and unsealed it from it’s shiny
wrapping; something I didn’t do very often, as I usually bought
used records. I ran my hands along it’s glossy cover and
carefully took out the pristine slice of vinyl.
As the first track 'Keep on Knocking' started pulsing through my
speakers, I was like this is fucking amazing!. Then
‘Rock and Roll Victim’ started to play and I was like holy
shit what is this?? I felt the same electric jolt I did as
I hovered over my boom box in the mid-90’s.
I listened to the entirety of the album, and then listened to
the entire album again immediately following. It cut through my
bones, into my soul, and set it on fire!
It turns out that one of the first ever ‘punk’ bands comprised
of three “black blood brothers playing rock and roll” from
Detroit who never had their record released, as after they were
signed to a label they were requested to change the band name,
and they refused.
Death's music is in a bit of a category of it's own - similar to
artists like the Skids, Lora Logic or Wayne County, who got
lumped into the 70’s punk genre and embodied the spirit, yet
stand out as totally unique musical entities. They're also
unique in that they were deeply religious, coming from a
Jehovah's Witness background; and although there aren't overt
biblical references in Death's music, the concept of the band
was meant to elevate one to a higher spiritual plane, and was
"spinning death from the negative to the positive".
I had a chance to see the reformed Death play live; and even
though the main founder, David Hackney, had passed away, I felt
the same essence of the album during the show and went berserk
dancing along to the tracks that I grew to love so dearly
through prolific overplaying. I managed to pick up the last of
the 70’s style t-shirts they had, which was XXL, though I
eventually altered it to fit me. I found it today when I was
going through a random box.
This music is
best listened to on vinyl at maximum volume!!
If your
dream is shattered
Pick up the glass
Don't let your head keep running
Whatever is behind you
Leave it past
Can't you see what's coming
Let the world turn
Let the world turn around
Let the world turn
Let the world turn around
On a wild trip
On a wild trip around
Let the world turn
Let the world turn around
On a wild trip
On a wild trip around
Will you be glad when they let you off
Oh but you don't know really where you've been
Make believing what they think is real
Just tell me what exactly have they seen
Can't hold on to their established mold
Because the greed will stop their ways
Could have been just like them years ago
But then I wouldn't be livin' life this day
If breakthroughs keep occurring
Let them in
You know that time is all we're made of
The world will keep on spinning
Let it spin
You know that time will all be made up
Sent the world on it' wild wild trip
It's to far gone to even stop it now
Got your life you better live it now
Before someone will have to show you how
Will you be glad when they let you off
Oh but you won't know really where you've been
Make believe in what they think is real
Just tell me what exactly have they seen
Let the world turn
Let the world turn around
Let the world turn
Let the world turn around
On a wild trip
On a wild trip around
Let the world turn
Let the world turn around
On a wild trip
On a wild trip around
