toolhead's Full Review: Complete Discography by Minor Threat
Allow me begin the review by stating both a fact and opinion (something we're encouraged to do in order to make our reviews more helpful overall): I don't like to give compilation albums five stars. As a rule, I generally find greatest hits records, even the best ones, to have general imperfections (usually dealing with song choice and the presentation of the material) that might make them great records in their own right, but that also ensures that they fall short of that coveted, immaculate five-star rating. In fact, I just got done reviewing an Allman Brothers greatest hits record (...and now for something completely different...), and although it's a must-have album, I just couldn't give it five stars. However, of all the compilation LPs out there in the world, I feel it's a pretty safe bet that a mere handful of them are as stellar as this one, released by the 1980's Washington D.C.-based hardcore group, Minor Threat. Much more than a mere 'greatest hits' record (the band was far too underground to have any real 'hits', after all), Minor Threat's Complete Discography is exactly that...the recorded versions of every song they ever wrote, previously released on three short but intense LPs on the infamously independent record label, Dischord. Because all three of these records are now very difficult to find in most parts of the country, Complete Discography is nothing less than a sheer blessing, and any fan of either punk or hardcore needs to own this album. Unlike so many compilation records before or since, this one is nothing less than essential, both to fans of the genre and more casual, open-minded music fans.
Let me tell you a little about my own musical taste in order to help convince you why this record is more than a mere legendary punk album, but should be viewed as necessary listening to a much broader audience. I am not a punk. Not at all, in fact. Don't get me wrong, I can stomach most punk, but as far as my own listening preferences, you'd typically catch me listening to bands like Tool, Pink Floyd, or Pearl Jam over the likes of Black Flag and The Sex Pistols (the latter of which, admittedly, I cannot stand in the least). Until a couple of years ago, the furthest extent of my punk credibility was the fact that I had every Green Day record, which really, isn't very 'punk' at all. In short, I don't consider myself a punk, and only a handful of the genre's bands gather my interest very heavily. However, in the limited amount of exceptions to that rule, Minor Threat is easily my favorite group, and their Complete Discography is the best way to introduce yourself to this band if you haven't previously heard (of) them (hey, it worked on me). Keep in mind, there aren't very many punk records out there that have appeal to a wide audience and maintain their respectability--even fewer hardcore albums--but Complete Discography is a glaring exception to this rule.
Containing no less than 26 songs, and lasting a mere 47 minutes in length, this Minor Threat compilation is furious, driven, and frenetic, just like every song on here. Though a few of the songs do begin to assume a more gradual, sane pace towards the end of the album, the vast majority of them are nothing but pure, unfiltered hardcore bliss. Proving once and for all that chaos can provide a successful recipe for songwriting (and doing with ample more style and ability than their predecessors The Sex Pistols or The Damned), Minor Threat were one of the premier hardcore bands in the United States, establishing a name for both themselves, and their notoriously underground label, Dischord that still maintains a near-legendary amount of respect and notoriety today, twenty years after the group disbanded (Dischord, however, is still going strong). The pillar on which the band and their label still remain is not ill-deserved. Though their career lasted a meager three years, they were three glorious ones in which Minor Threat converted a mass amount of young fans to the world of hardcore punk all over the East coast. Today, they are still recognized as not only one of the most innovative hardcore bands in the world, but also as one of the most determined and respectable punk groups of their time.
Minor Threat was revolutionary for numerous reasons. They introduced a more precise, technical approach to the numbingly simple songwriting recipe of hardcore without ever sacrificing their punk rock ethos. Their live performances are now legendary for their intensity and passion. The relatively miniscule amount of material they released forever changed the face of both punk and hardcore, inspiring countless bands of either genre. Most well-known is the fact that band leader and vocalist Ian McKaye (virtually) single-handedly started the straight-edge social movement that includes abstinence from alcohol, drug abuse, and other detrimental health risks. It would be an understatement of the highest degree to say that Minor Threat has had an influence on American sub-culture. Not only has their signature Washington D.C. sound had a massive hand to play in the evolution of punk/hardcore music all over the world, but Ian's start of the 'straight-edge revolution' has paved the way for countless conscious-minded indviduals to feel more accepting of their own choices (me included).
Nevertheless, unless the music's good, why would any record deserve the coveted five-star rating? Well, fortunately, not only have Minor Threat had an immense amount of influence in the world of hardcore, but they also created some of the best music in the genre. The fact that the band was only in action for three short years and released such a high amount of meaningful, poignant music is merely another testament to their importance. Like the songs themselves, Complete Discography is a brief but intense expose into the world of what first-wave hardcore was all about, with each song somehow carving its own personal sound and feel, typically in two minutes or less. Each song has the trademark Minor Threat intensity, rage, and energy that gave the band a legendary live appeal as well as a cult following that's still going strong today, twenty years after their break-up.
Another important note in the career of Minor Threat is the fact that they were not afraid to introduce, subtly, more technical mastery and progressive songwriting elements into their music, without sacrificing their spirit in the process. Especially towards the end of the album, it becomes quite clear that the band was willing to integrate stronger, more grown-up songwriting foundations in their music, which only makes the songs more enjoyable, and no less blistering and powerful. Because the compilation runs in straight chronological order, the songs slowly unfold to embrace a more educated know-how as the cd progresses, and it's interesting to listen to how the band evolved over time. Songs like "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone", "In My Eyes", and "Look Back and Laugh" show the band growing on their hardcore foundation and beginning to implement some slightly more advanced techniques in their playing. By the time the Meat Puppets-style cowpunk of "Good Guys (Don't Wear White)" rolls around, you realize you've just witnessed a gradual but great evolution of a band, and it only leaves you wanting more. Luckily, this experimentation was only continued (ten-fold) in Ian McKaye's future band, the legendary Fugazi, which I would encourage all Minor Threat fans to discover.
Although my typical review fashion is to go through the album's songs, one-by-one, at a whopping 27 tracks, Complete Discography is clearly too massive for this sort of detailed treatment. However, let me reassure you that this album has enough songs, both in diversity and quantity, to make nearly everyone happy. Straight-edge anthems like "In My Eyes", "Out of Step", and "Seeing Red" are here (but do not inundate the album), as well as blistering, enraged rants such as "Bottled Violence" and "12XU". In the latter half of the record, more inventive tunes such as "Sob Story" and "Stumped" enter the fold, and intentionally ironic/humorous songs like "Cashing In", "Salad Days", which demonstrates impressive growth in the band's repitoire. Although the vast majority of the songs are caustic (though empowering), tracks like "Look Back and Laugh" give the over-heated album a more light-hearted tone. Throughout, there is enough diversity to make Complete Discography worth listening to repeatedly (in my own case, endlessly at some periods in life), which is vital, because hardcore isn't what I would call the most 'diverse' musical genre on the planet. However, this album offers up enough flow and eccentric musical stylings to make it fresh to virtually anyone's ears.
I would recommend Complete Discography to fans of the following bands: Black Flag, Fugazi, Husker Du, Bad Brains, Quicksand, Unsane, The Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, Descendents, Poison the Well, Sick of it All, and Nailbomb. I would also recommend these bands to Minor Threat fans, the lovable hardcore crowd that you are.
Conclusion. Although Minor Threat are by and large neglected or completely unknown to the masses (for better or worse, probably better), even the black sheep of the clan has their claim to fame, and Complete Discography shows up on all sorts of 'must-have' album lists, including Blender magazine's recent '500 cds You MUST Own Before You Die!' write-off (for better or worse, probably worse), and it's earned its recognition justly. Minor Threat are a band that never let up with their fierce integrity and musical independence, while never letting their politics get in the way of their music, something that has seperated them from their peers since their inception. For being nearly 20 years old, this group still sounds as intense, passionate, and magical as they ever did, and Complete Discography gives you everything you need to know about Minor Threat (well, musically, anyway). Although this band/record are certainly not for everyone, it is worth at least giving a listen and then deciding for yourself whether you'd be willing to give such a 'grating' sound a try, and then proceeding from there. However, if you've taken the time to read this great big review, chances are you're at least mildly interested in the album anyway, so all you have left to do now is stop by the band's label's website, www.dischord.com, and buy the record. It's just $10, and easily worth twice the price. Don't be afraid to expose yourself to the world of Minor Threat, because in doing so, you'd be passing up one of the most important/influential/relevant bands in hard rock history.
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