Punk Rock (album)

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Punk Rock
Studio album by
the Mekons
Released2004
StudioWestern Sound Labs
LabelQuarterstick
ProducerThe Mekons, Kenneth Sluiter
The Mekons chronology
OOOH! (Out of Our Heads)
(2002) 		Punk Rock
(2004) 		Heaven & Hell: The Very Best of the Mekons
(2004)

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]

Production[edit]

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]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Robert ChristgauA−[13]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[14]
Rolling Stone[15]
The Tampa TribuneB+[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]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleLength
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" 

References[edit]

  1. ^ Terrell, Steve (6 Feb 2004). "The Mekons sweat to their own oldies". The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. P23.
  2. ^ Gilbertson, Jon M. (15 Apr 2004). "Artist better known for his music". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. p. 4E.
  3. ^ Aloi, Daniel (10 Mar 2004). "The Mekons rock 'n' roll". Star-Gazette. p. D1.
  4. ^ "CMJ Radio 150". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 122. 2004. p. 49.
  5. ^ Guarino, Mark (23 Jan 2004). "Mekons, 'Punk Rock'". Time Out!. Daily Herald. Arlington Heights. p. 6.
  6. ^ Pareles, Jon (11 Jan 2004). "Mekons". The New York Times. p. 2.30.
  7. ^ Eells, Josh (22 Jan 2004). "Political Passion Powers the Mekons' 'Punk Rock'". Austin American-Statesman. p. 18.
  8. ^ Sullivan, Jim (11 Mar 2004). "From Punk to Twang and Back to Punk". The Boston Globe. p. CAL13.
  9. ^ Glennon, Sean (18 Mar 2004). "The curse of the Mekons". The Journal News. p. G29.
  10. ^ Jenkins, Mark (12 Mar 2004). "The Mekons 'Punk Rock'". The Washington Post. p. T7.
  11. ^ Hermes, Will (Feb 2004). "Reissues". Spin. Vol. 20, no. 2. p. 100.
  12. ^ a b "Punk Rock Review by Thom Jurek". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b "The Mekons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  14. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press.
  15. ^ a b Hoard, Christian (Jan 22, 2004). "Also Released". Rolling Stone. No. 940. p. 70.
  16. ^ Ross, Curtis (13 Feb 2004). "Mekons Revisit Their 'Punk Rock' Origins". Friday Extra. The Tampa Tribune. p. 21.
  17. ^ Righi, Len (7 Feb 2004). "The Mekons 'Punk Rock'". The Morning Call. p. D6.
  18. ^ "Mekons Punk Rock". Chicago Tribune. 9 Feb 2004. p. 20.
  19. ^ Eddy, Chuck (3 Mar 2004). "Leeds punk inventors drive drunk in reverse". The Village Voice. Vol. 49, no. 9. p. C98.
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