The Godfathers "Birth, School, Work, Death" 1988*****

I know that dissing the 80's is a kind of automatic reflex - only last week I wrote about how bad it was: the music, the clothes, the haircuts. I should have known better, though, 'cause I've been there. Do I cringe when I look at my teenage self in those old photo's? (you know which...the paper ones. We used to stick them in albums?) Why, is there anything cringeable about a nice mullet? I won't even mention the clothes - or, rather, I'll just mention one item: I used to have a one-button single-breasted faded denim blazer... with shoulder pads! I wasn't crazy about the pads, but have you ever tried to find a blazer without shoulder pads in the 80's? Try to remove them, believe me it only makes things worse. As for the rest of my wardrobe, thankfully I discovered at some point that you can match black with black: problem solved - from that moment on, I looked cool as fuck. Or rather I would have, if it wasn't for the mullet. But when nostalgia takes me back to my LP racks, I find evidence that the 80's weren't half as bad as they are supposed to have been: My record collection of the late 80's consisted of albums by The Ramones, Wipers, Violent Femmes, Cramps, Sunnyboys, Godfathers etc. I pull one record out, place it on the stereo, drop the needle and...

Boom! I just can't resist turning the volume up and shouting together with Peter Coyne: Birth! School! Work! Death! Birth! School! Work! Death! over and over again... because there was some awesome rock'n'roll going on in the 80's, which no-one's ever told you about. And if you think these youtube videos are good, let me tell you they're shit compared to seeing the Godfathers live at the Rodon Club, looking cool in their mobster suits, swinging their guitars while a throbbing sweaty crowd sings the chorus back to them. I've seen lots and lots of bands play live, and they were second to none. I mean, sure, The Rolling Stones can rock a stadium, but you'd have to see them at the Marquee Club in 1965 to get the same vibe The Godfathers were emanating during the late 80's to early 90's. Radio Birdman or Dr. Feelgood would probably be a better comparison: No-nonsense R&B coupled with punk's defiant sneer, irreverent lyrics, razor sharp riffs, short guitar solos and loud drums. The clean production tempers the attack, making it just easy enough on the ears to ensure radio play - the album is, after all, full of catchy tunes. Each side starts with a high energy dynamite ("Birth, School, Work, Death", "Cause I Said So") and the singer shouting rather than singing, while the chorus sounding like a slogan in a demonstration. "If I Only Had Time" is another strong rocker with melodic backing vocals, "Tell Me Why" a fast new wave number with energetic drumming, and "It's So Hard" a folk rocker reminiscent of Tom Petty. Side 1 closes with the druggy Velvets-like "When Am I Coming Down", while side 2 is slightly less impressive: no instant classics, with the exception of thuggish opener "Cause I Said So". "Obsession" is a similarly aggressive number but lacks hooks, while there are some nods to rock's past (60's Who in "The Strangest Boy", rockabilly in "S.T.B.") and present: "Just Like You" and "Love is Dead" are closer to the kind of indie pop one might hear at 80's college radio stations. They even show the band's romantic streak to counteract the nihilistic politics and drug references of the faster songs. Special mention goes to the album cover, depicting the 4 stages of existence according to the bleak Godfathers worldview. This LP should convince you it's time for you to re-discover the 80's, too. I mean, look! even my old denim jacket has made a comeback - except for the shoulder pads, that is. Shoulder pads and dinosaurs are two things that must never ever be resurrected, haven't you seen Jurassic Park?

***** for Birth School Work Death, If I Only Had Time, When Am I Coming Down, Cause I Said So

**** for Tell Me Why, It's So Hard, The Strangest Boy, S.T.B., Just Like You, Love is Dead

*** for Obsession

"And I don't need no PhD cause I'm ten times smarter than you'll ever be! Cause I said so! Cause I said so! Cause I said so! Cause I said so!"

"I cut myself but I don't bleed /'Cause I don't get what I need/Doesn't matter what I say/Tomorrow's still another day/Birth! school! work! death!"