Pure Punk Picks
Better Off Dead – La Peste
La Peste is French for “The Plague”, which is one of the books by the famous French writer Albert Camus. He was a pretty good writer but then, not as good as me. But then, who is? And I guess it’s kinda
appropriate for me writing about a band named “The Plague” right now?
In the very early days of Boston punk rock, I think the two best bands around were Nervous Eaters and La Peste.
But I never got to see the original La Peste live as their singer/guitarist/songwriter Peter Dayton left to form another great band- The Peter Dayton Band, that created a more synth/new wave group that was quite good and had an EP produced by Ric Ocasek of The Cars.
But if you check out La Peste’s 25 song compilation released years after, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, more likely, you’ll be as amazed as I was.
“Better Off Dead” is Andy Bang’s all-time favorite Boston punk song.
But even though that is, by far, La Peste’s most well-known song, it’s number three on my list, actually.
Number two would be “Spymaster” which has a killer surf beat backing a gnarly, garage guitar riff, like a riff surfing a wave.
Then three chords crash in before the title that is repeated three times and great lyrics. “He wants power. Well, he’s the man of the hour. He wants complete control…I’ve got a direct line to the Pope. I’ve got the highest grade dope.” This song rocks and punks and surfs to infinite ecstasy.
“(Don’t Want To) Die In My Sleep Tonight” is my favorite song by La Peste.
How appropriate when the denizens of The Rat in those early days were passing out in front of the enormous speakers. And looking about at the faces around you, you could well imagine not seeing them next weekend or maybe ever again.
“Now you’re running babe, now you’re running far. See you coming babe, see you coming hard. See you got me baby, you got me on the wire.”
With a chuggin’ rhythm guitar that slashes sharp as a knife with some cool harmonics ringing after- that builds up to a fuzz, blaring walloping chorus-
“Don’t wanna die, die, die in my sleep tonight…Well, all right.”
“Better Off Dead” kicks off with some excellent drum accents then a minor key chord change barges in resembling Black Sabbath cranked up on speed.
“Well she started to grin so I slipped it right in. She said, “It feels so good,” and she dragged me off to bed. You’d be better off dead.”
Can’t relay too much of the lyrics but I can say that her father and later, mother “come in they were stinking of gin” and disapproved. Let me just say add that this was recorded in a different era!
There’s a short musical interlude that sounds a bit like “Beat On The Brat” by The Ramones.
In fact, I think this song sounds like a collaboration between Black Sabbath and The Ramones. Which sounds like a great idea to me, though the song sounds even better.
The early, Boston punk scene and elsewhere was very nihilistic with lots of substance abuse. To be “Better Off Dead” or to “Die In My Sleep Tonight” was not shunned or looked down upon, but flirted with, courted with and even welcomed and happened often.
I know that’s how it was for the most part, with me. Why I’m still here? I’m not really sure. I do know that I’m glad about the fact and that I do know Andy (my Guardian Angel) had more than a little to do with that.
Life is always about choices. I think that’s my favorite part about writing, where I always get the chance to choose the next word that I write.
And that for me, is the greatest feeling. The feeling of choice, the feeling of expression is a feeling of freedom to me.
Life can throw at me whatever it decides, but in my realm of writing- Well, that’s where I get to choose what happens next.
And yes! Sometimes it feels like I’d be “Better Off Dead, as I’m sure it does for everyone. But to be given another chance is what everyone should aim for.
When you play a pinball machine- Okay, sorry, video game- the goal is to do your best to keep the game going before you see, the fatal words- “GAME OVER.” That’s what you need to aim to do in life, too.
It pains me to see so many of my young friends in the punk scene suffering from depression and anxiety. But then it’s not surprising given this life we’re forced to live in.
Let me say that my life is better knowing you and sharing life with you and you are definitely better off alive. Not only are you better off but I am better off, too!
And music like La Peste created is just one great reason to be alive for. As well as all the still great Boston punk music being created now.
Boston had a lot of great punk bands from the late seventies and eighties that didn’t become as famous as the ones in London, New York and the West Coast.
But that doesn’t mean they weren’t any less deserving.
La Peste was one of them.
(Slimedog)
