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The Blue Meanies, hailing from Chicago, have always been very observant about life and the conditions around them. Their career, which commenced in 1991, has always had the important aspect of being entertaining yet socially conscious. Punk is often defined (rightly or wrongly) as being angry music. Angry at everything or everyone. The Blue Meanies are angry but angry at the right things. Their CD, The Post Wave is full of hard edged music that is a combination of social satire and observations about the often hypocritical state of society. Frontman Billy Spunke calls it, "bizarro punk".
The Blue Meanies formed in 1991 and established a reputation for being a fast paced punk group that included elements of ska, rock and even thrash. It also developed a reputation for rotating members in and out of it faster than supermarkets gain or lose people. Usually a seven member group, they have added or subtracted a total of twelve people since the group's inception. Intense live shows along with strong performances have developed a loyal fan base. The release of The Post Wave, produced by Phil Nicolo of Cypress Hill fame, should do one of two things. It could increase their fan base due to the added elements of more genres within this release. It could disappoint traditional fans of their music since they might argue that they have betrayed their roots and sold out to big industry. Ammunition for this accusation is the fact that this is their first release by a non-indie label, MCA.
One thing that sets the Blue Meanies apart in this release is their use of other genres and non-traditional punk instruments. This is the first time that I have heard a trumpet solo in the midst of a punk album. Listen to "Creepy" and you will see what I mean. The Blue Meanies also continue in their use of the organ that again is not a traditional punk medium but it works here. "When We Were Queens" has, believe it or not, a saxophone. Pretty neat huh?
The most impressive and noticeable thing about this CD is the quality of the lyrics.
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In this case, all but three songs were totally written by the Blue Meanies. Punk has had the mis-deserved reputation of being just words often repeated ad nauseum in an angry voice set to machine-gun rate tempos. Although the musicality of it is at a very rapid level and the lyrics are often refrains, if one listens to them, the repetition is actually a benefit and drives home the thought or image that is trying to be expressed. The lyrics themselves are very insightful. This reviewer, who tends to give short shrift to punk, found himself enjoying the lyrics immensely. Inserts beside the liner notes give the inspiration behind each tune, giving a glimpse into the slices of life that the Blue Meanies sing about.
One such slice includes "Getting High on Chardonnay" that exposes the loneliness of those housewives that have nothing to do and drink to flee loneliness. Lyrics such as, "Lets all toast to the housewifes plight. Suburban wifes. Suburban wifes. Escapees to the perfect life" may appear simple but do get the correct impression of what these women are suffering through. Another hard hitting track is "All the Same" which is a scorching indictment of racism. Wayne Cramer of The MC5 joins in on this one. There are more gems in there but I do not want to ruin it for you.
The Blue Meanies continue their ground breaking advance as a performing entity on The Post Wave. They push the boundaries of the punk genre with their use of non-traditional punk genres and rhythms. The Post Wave is a remarkable release by a unique group and one that is well worth listening to. Isn't punk about pushing barriers anyway?
By Dan Sanford, CanEHdian.com 2001
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