Crashdog - "The Pursuit of Happiness!"

Crashdog- The Pursuit of Happiness!

1992, Grrr

1. Election Year
2. The Pursuit of Happiness
3. It's a Boy's Life
4. Foreign Policy
5. Life to Right
6. Dream So Vain
7. Mommy's Little Anarchist
8. Stop and Think
9. Who?
10. Kirsten
11. See the Unseen
12. 3 is a Magic Number
13. Untitled

I somehow missed The Pursuit of Happiness when it first came out. I had the debut and then later got Mud Angels but never showed any interest in getting this one. I have no idea why. I had a friend that owned a copy but I never listened to it. It's along the same lines as Human Society - old school punk with a serious message and serious music. I'm not sure I dig this one as much as the other two though. I don't think the guitar work is quite as dynamic here. They may have been going for a more old school vibe but I miss the leads and stuff. There are a few here and there, but not as many. What I do like is the fact that the band can take time off from being serious to pen songs like "It's a Boy's Life" which just about being a kid. I also really dig the cover of "3 is a Magic Number." The other thing I like about this album is Spike Nard. Once he left the band didn't hold my attention as much. If you like Crashdog, you'll like this, but it's definitely the weakest of the Nard discs. Awesome, comic-inspired cover art, I might add.

Oh... one thing I need to also applaud them for is the song "Life to Right." It's an abortion song with a little spin. It stresses the need for Christians to care about the mothers and the children so that they have a reason to have the child instead of abort. If you're against abortion, the best thing you can do is help a pregnant girl who is lost and scared. Give her support and love so that abortion won't be such an attractive option.

Crashdog - "Cashists, Fascists, and Other Fungus"

Crashdog - Cashists, Fascists, and Other Fungus

1994, REX/Grrr

1. G.O.P.

2. ?School

3. My God

4. Family Tree

5. George's Poem

6. Option

7. Hateedge

8. Same Old Pain

9. Helpless

10. The Tale of Two Parties

11. Five

12. Intolerance

13. Cradle

14. Monster

15. Sept. 1994

16. Eve of Destruction

I got this recently because I'm trying to fill out my Crashdog collection and I remember enjoying this back in the day. Unfortunately, this didn't turn out as good as my memories would have me believe. Despite the fact that I said the band changed their sound in my Mud Angels review it really hasn't changed. It's still old school punk albeit without Spike Nard's trademark feux-British timbre. He gave the band a distinct sound and I don't think former guitarist Andrew Mandell is really up to the challenge. His voice got on my nerves after awhile he almost sounds like Gene from Lust Control only Andrew sounds like he's seconds away from passing out. The other problem with Andrew in front of the mike is that it takes him away from the guitar. Crashdog's guitar parts have, to me, always been far more technical, vibrant, and alive than most bands of this ilk. How many punk bands do you know that had honest-to-goodness leads in their songs? Not many I would wager. Sadly, on Cashists you won't hear anything like that - it's just standard punk power chords. Though the album isn't without it's bright spots. I think it starts off strong with "G.O.P." and "?School" and ends strong with the phenomenal "Sept. 1994" (featuring Bones Krogh back on bagpipes!) and cover tune "Eve of Destruction." I kind of wish the whole album sounded like those last two tracks as they are by far the most interesting thing this platter has to offer. Maybe that's why Andrew went on to form Ballydowse later on... hey... maybe I'll like Ballydowse. Gotta check them out at some point.

I'd also like to bring up one little nitpicky issue about the lyrics. They're a lot more political this time around (not that Crashdog ever shied away from politics). That' doesn't bother me but what I thought was funny was when in "My God" Andrew sings, "My God/ Doesn't hand out disease as punishment." To which I said, "Um... yes he does... and has! Read the Old Testament!" Now I know what he's saying - that H.I.V. isn't specifically designed by God to punish people, but the statement he makes is false. God has done that and may still do that. That doesn't mean he doesn't love us. I know I just sounded like I contradicted myself, but I didn't.

Useless Fact: Crashdog did one more album called Outer Crust and a "greatest hits" CD called 7 Years to Nowhere before calling it a day. As stated before, Andrew went on to form Ballydowse.

Crashdog - "Mud Angels"

Crashdog - Mud Angels
1994, Grrr Records

1. Vent
2. Question Stupidity
3. Voice of Defiance
4. Degeneration
5. Opposite
6. Without You
7. Pressure
8. Reactionary Fear
9. History Lesson #1
10. Assumption
11. Ichthyology
12. Burned

Okay a lot of people LOVE this disc. A lot of people say that this is their best album. I'm not sure I can agree with that. Granted, there are plenty of good punk songs on here. "Vent," "Question Stupidity," and "History Lesson #1" for example, but by the time I got to "Ichthyology" (a punk song about fishing! Cool!) I felt like the band was running out of ideas. "Ichthyology" could have appeared on Humane Society and I was wondering if I maybe hadn't heard the song before because I felt so much deja vu. I'm actually kind of glad that Spike Nard left the band and forced them to change their sound because I don't know where they would have gone after this. Though, a lot of people love it, so your milage may vary.

Useless Fact: Guitarist Andrew Mandell took over lead vocals after Nard's departure.

Crashdog - "Humane Society"

Crashdog - Humane Society
1990, Grrr Records

1. Progress
2. Brainfill
3. Numbered By Color
4. Electric Drug
5. Distorted View
6. Never Again
7. Bloody Lane
8. End of the Rope
9. American Dream
10. Your Ugly Face
11. Injustice
12. The Cold Within
13. Midnight Ride

How do I love this disc? Let me count the ways: 1. The crazy boat poem from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory kicks off the album. 2. "Bloody Lane" features bagpipes. 3. "The Cold Within" features harmonica. 3. The whole album features actual guitar work with leads and fills and everything! 4. Yet it somehow manages to remain completely old school punk like the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and the like. 5. The lead singer is named Spike Nard. Yeah... I loves me some Crashdog.

Useless Fact: Glenn Kaiser (Rez/Resurrection Band) actually wrote "Bloody Lane."