The first time I came across Skafish it was with their live contribution on soundtrack LP URGH! A Music War The Album, which I reviewed for this blog 8 years ago (wow, time flies when you're having fun - and even when you're not!). This is what I wrote about them back then: "Sign of the Cross*** The only band I hadn't heard before. Based on their name I would have guessed they played ska music, but they surprised me with their hardcore punk, almost metal, attack and anti-religious lyrics. They obviously weren't trying to make any friends. Gotta respect them for that!". When I recently found a whole album by them in the bargain bin, I decided to delve further into this band. What did I learn? First off they have indeed no connection to ska music: the band's frontman/singer/songwriter is called Jim Skafish, hence the name. They come from Chicago, and their 1976 stage debut is considered to be the Windy City's introduction to punk. This album, though, is hardly recognizable as punk. If you want to know how they sound, you have to imagine an equal mix of Frank Zappa, The Ramones, Devo, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Jim himself was a real character: tall and weird looking, if not outright ugly, often wearing old ladies' clothes, he impersonated all those outcasts he was singing about. This LP doesn't contain "Sign of the Cross"; it starts off with a spoken "introduction" by backing vocalist Barbie Goodrich in the guise of a former cheerleader wasting her life waiting for Mr. Right. "Joan Fan Club" is another high school story, a realistic depiction of the hellish daily life of a girl constantly picked on by bullies. The theatrical, darkly comic, delivery and fast tempo reminds me of certain tracks by the Dead Kennedys. Next up, there's a surprisingly moving ballad called "Maybe One Time". New wavey "Obsessions Of You" features a "big" chorus and multitracked vocals reminiscent of a musical revue number. "We’ll See A Psychiatrist" is a noisy piece with heavy guitar, "Romantic Lessons" an old timey 60's pop ballad, and "Guardian Angel" a semi-ironic Doo Wop pastiche similar to certain Frank Zappa songs. "No Liberation Here" is a heavy grunge-rocker, while the noisy closer "Take It Out On You", Buzzcocks-like "Work Song" and -especially- album highlight "Disgracing The Family Name" are the probably the only numbers that justify the punk rock label; the latter also reminds me of Danny Elfman's contemporary band, Oingo Boingo. This is, in my opinion, a great -albeit very unconventional- album: you have, above all, the theatrical aspect, punky rage, and dark comedy, vocals ranging from operatic to angry rants, you get some nice melodies and catchy choruses punctuated by moments of cacophony exacerbated by heavy guitar and Jerry-Lee-like clanging piano in the least appropriate moments. Now that I think of it, maybe "great" isn't the right word. But "interesting" and "original", most definitely are. According to discogs, the album was recently reissued on CD and LP, though original vinyl copies may be easier to come by.
**** for Joan Fan Club, Maybe One Time, Obsessions Of You, No Liberation Here, Disgracing The Family Name
*** for Romantic Lessons, Work Song, Guardian Angel, Take It Out On You
** for Introduction, We’ll See A Psychiatrist
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