The McGunks – “Going Out Early”
I was so engrossed with the local Boston punk scene, along with Andy Bang, in the late seventies and throughout the eighties, but then-
We had both lost touch with it in the nineties. Marriages, relationships, careers got us off course. So something that was so important to us at one time drifted away.
I really was unaware, after that, of a local punk scene still even existing.
But in the early naughts I happened across a message board called “The Noiseboard” which was connected with The Noise magazine. And that fanzine was very important to the Boston punk scene.
To have a punk scene I feel you needed four components. In the early Boston punk scene that would be a club for bands to play- The Rat. A college radio station to play the music- WMBR Cambridge. A record store to sell the music- Newbury Comics (only one store on Newbury Street originally). And a nod to Discount Records in Harvard Square that stocked import records. And a fanzine to list shows and get the word out- and that was The Noise.
So The Noise made me aware, once again, of a thriving punk scene that I thought was long gone and forgotten.
My favorite bands when I reemerged like a radiant, gleaming butterfly onto the scene were: The Dimwits, The Spoilers, Zippo Raid, Over The Edge and the one band still surviving- The McGunks.
And while Thrash N Bang is still surviving, too- thought, legally brain-dead, more importantly, punk and rock’n’roll is surviving, as well.
And something that The McGunks play, too- punk’n’roll, which is music that combines punk and real rock’n’roll not that lame classic rock stuff. Which, I feel, has nothing to do with rock’n’roll.
So let’s check out some true punk, some true rock’n’roll, some truly great punk’n’roll:
“Tire Fire” begins with a killer bass intro that explodes into a song that sounds like you’re opening the door of a punk club while a band is wailing inside. Buzzsaw guitars, gargling on glass vocals and a rhythm section
that grabs you by the balls and won’t let go.
“Yeah, you never meant that much to me. Yeah, I tend to lie a lot.” Such a great line when you realize how it can be taken either way. There’s a terrific chorus, “Razor blades and overdose. Fucked up, holy ghost. Yeah, it don’t look good to me.”
Well, this song sounds fucking great to me, favorite song on this release.
“Think about you all the time, remember when you were mine. ‘Cause I still want you.” So starts “Radio”. There are references to a couple of Ramones songs while the music is majestically rockin’ and punkin’. “I don’t want to let you know. I don’t want to tell you so.”
But this song explicitly tells you, in words and sounds, that it’s about heartbreak and love lost, regrets and bitter feelings. This song really breaks my heart, ’cause it’s not about the fucking radio. It’s about how painful living can be, but those feeling can be turned into great art, such as in this song.
“Get down and pick up the pieces and start all over again, with another nail in my heart.” “Wake Me ” is another churnin’, burnin’- No! Not like Elvis sang, “A hunk, a hunk of burning love! But a powerful steamroller of passion, power and guts camouflaged as a song.
This song has the melodic punch of Poison, along with the rhythmic pulse of The Rolling Stones, with all the best parts of glam, rock’n’roll and punk to make me glad I’m awake and aware enough to notice it.
After a blast and bash of rhythm, served up with what sounds like a floodgate breaking of sound. “Talk Is Cheap” puts its money where its mouth is. Another great chorus, “Talk is cheap, you know, and so is you.”
This song is a blaring, brash explosion of energy, excitement and exasperation. It wallops you mightily, where it hurts most, with its awesome words and sounds. “All you are is what I wanna be. I wanna be what you are.” I wanna be what this song is.
I believe and enjoy early rock’n’roll as much as I like punk.
I feel most rock music has little to do with rock’n’roll, it’s stylistically different and often condescends towards it.
But I feel the early punk bands contained the spirit of rock’n’roll in their music, here in Boston and New York and also by bands such as The Clash and X.
So I believe that punk is the true extension of rock’n’roll not rock. Maybe I should call punk “post rock’n’roll” to keep up with all the trendy definitions.
But I believe The McGunks are the best example I know of this music I write about.
And I believe this is one of the best releases I’ve heard all year. Which comes as no surprise to me, as I know of Bob McGunk as one of the best songwriters I write about.
And perhaps you’ll see where I’m coming from- which, BTW, is a land of noise, booze and broken dreams, much like many of you-
When I describe this band as The Ramones with Lemmy sitting in on vocals and Johnny Thunders contributing songs- all of them far beyond the grave.
And that sounds, just like this release, really great to me.
(Slimedog)
