Dischord 3 - Minor Threat - 'Filler'

Recorded April 1981 - Inner Ear Studios, Arlington, VA
Released June 1981

Ian MacKaye - vocals
Lyle Preslar - guitar
Brian Baker - bass
Jeff Nelson - drums

SIDE A:

Filler
I Don't Want To Hear It
Seeing Red
Straight Edge

SIDE B:

Small Man, Big Mouth
Screaming At A Wall
Bottled Violence
Minor Threat

I'm not even sure I know where to begin when talking about records like these. I'm talking about records that have gone into the history books, have been hailed as all-time classics, and have been written about endlessly.

There has probably been more written about Minor Threat than any other band on Dischord, with the possible exception of Fugazi. I can point you to Michael Azerrad's essential "Our Band Could Be Your Life", which devotes about 40 pages to the history of Minor Threat. There is Scott Crawford's 'Salad Days' documentary from 2014, and Paul Rachman's 'American Hardcore' from 2006, based on Steven Blush's book. All of these are recommended and will give you far more insight into the history of Minor Threat than I could ever hope or want to.

From my point of view, Minor Threat are in the upper echelon of the most important American hardcore bands, joining the ranks of Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains and The Misfits.

Among those bands, Minor Threat formed the latest (1980) and broke up the earliest (1983). They had the fewest amount of releases, in fact, their entire body of studio work can probably be listened to in about an hour. They are also the only band in that list who do not have a modern day presence in the live arena, even if in some totally bastardized form.

But Minor Threat weren't a band that needed to hang around too long, or put out record after record, or engage in reunion shows that would have earned its members a small fortune.

What Minor Threat brought to the table was a higher level of musicianship (even if we're not exactly talking about the most complex of musical styles), songwriting chops, the ability to write incredibly hooky, yet ferocious songs, and lyrics which showed a deeper introspection than before.

This first Minor Threat record, which I've titled 'Filler' because that's the title that I've always grown up with, although I've also heard it titled 'Bottled Violence' and simply, 'Minor Threat', stays mostly true to the simple songwriting conventions we've seen before: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, end. Although, "Screaming At A Wall" does insert a breakdown part and the song "Minor Threat" even includes a pre-chorus. Baby steps in songwriting advancement, but steps nonetheless.

Every song on the record features hooks and anyone who knows this record simply needs to scan the song titles for the song to immediately pop into their head. "I Don't Want To Hear It" is both incredibly melodic AND filled with piss and vinegar.

Lyrically, we also seeing a reach inward rather than a punch outward.

Although "Filler" might be directed at Teen Idles guitarist Geordie Grindle, it's not specifically stated and can be interpreted as being towards anyone who has been twisted around by manipulative forces.

"Bottled Violence" is a continuation of S.O.A.'s "Lost In Space", punishing commentary on tough guy drunks just looking to fight.

But "Straight Edge" is something different. Rather than being a direct critique on inebriation, it is a promotion of a lifestyle not involving intoxicants. Rather than screaming at you to not do something, it's screaming at you to perhaps try something different. "I'm a person just like you / but I've got better things to do."......"Always gonna keep in touch / Never want to use a crutch."

What "Straight Edge" does that "Lost In Space" and "Bottled Violence" didn't do is create a term for the lifestyle - "I've got the straight edge", and so, singlehandedly, the song created a classification - a subset of hardcore that still exists. A branch of hardcore that promotes clean and healthy living, but, unfortunately, also has the stigma of violence attached to it.

MacKaye has spoken about this song and the movement it generated. In an interview I heard recently (not sure when it was recorded), MacKaye makes it clear that he never intended to start any type of movement with the song. In fact, the song was about individual choice, which is antithetical to the entire idea of a "movement". It's clear he's uncomfortable with the idea that people used this song to start something which often resulted in violence....stories of straight-edge hardcore kids knocking beers out people's hands and much worse.

I can't close out the discussion without a mention of the cover - also iconic in hardcore history and which has been aped by so many others. The photo is not of Ian MacKaye, as I think many probably believe, at least at first, but rather of his younger brother, Alec, who will we meet up with as he also fronted some great bands whose records would be released on Dischord.

Unlike the first two Dischord releases, we do not need to have a sense of history to fully appreciate this first Minor Threat record. It is the first record in the Dischord catalog that only needs to look upon itself for its legendary status.

BANDCAMP - Minor Threat - 'First Two 7"'s' (this first Minor Threat 7" are tracks 1-8)

Dischord 2 - State of Alert - 'No Policy'

Recorded Dec. 1980-Jan. 1981, Inner Ear Studios
Released Mar. 1981

Henry Garfield - vocals
Michael Hampton - guitar
Wendel Blow - bass
Simon Jacobsen - drums

SIDE A:

Lost In Space
Draw Blank
Girl Problems
Blackout
Gate Crashers

SIDE B:

Warzone
Riot
Gang Fight
Public Defender
Gonna Have To Fight


With their second release, Dischord moves from being a vehicle to document the Teen Idles' brief existence, to becoming a label with the intent to document the D.C. hardcore scene. There is a big difference between a label that releases just one record, and a label that releases two.

That second release is the one and only release from Washington D.C.'s State of Alert, probably better known by their initials, S.O.A., the No Policy 7". To be more specific, this is the only S.O.A. release during their time together as a band, as Dischord will, 34 years later, release a pre-7" demo. We won't be getting to that one anytime soon.

S.O.A., similar to Teen Idles, were a short-lived band, formed out of the ashes of an earlier band (The Extorts, whose vocalist, Lyle Preslar, we'll be meeting up with shortly), and is far better known for what the members of this band would go on to, rather than what the band itself produced.

Jacobsen and Hampton will go onto The Snakes, Hampton will also go onto The Faith and Embrace, and Blow onto Iron Cross. We'll be visiting all of these bands in the future.

But, first and foremost, S.O.A. features the recorded debut of Henry Rollins, at the time still going by his birth name, Henry Garfield. Like Ian MacKaye from the Teen Idles, Rollins would go onto become one of the iconic figures in American hardcore. Unlike MacKaye, however, Rollins' fame would eventually transcend hardcore, or even music in general.

Since this blog is about personal reflection, this seems like the ideal time for my punk rock origin story.

I was aware of the Ramones and the Clash via MTV growing up. While still in elementary school, I had bought the first Ramones album and "Combat Rock". I never associated either album with being "punk rock". I didn't know what punk rock was back then. As a young kid, my cousins had played for me a Sex Pistols song, and I entirely rejected it.

My local record store was Island Sound in Merrick, New York. From the time I was in 5th grade, I used to bike up there every weekend and spent pretty much all of my paper route money on records. Hard rock and metal, the heavier and more extreme, the better.

But one day, probably a bit before my 13th birthday back in 1986, a new t-shirt for sale caught my eye. It was the image of a smiling puppet holding a knife. Above the image in big, block letters - "BLACK FLAG". Underneath the image, "My War". I remember staring at it. I was captivated and I absolutely had to hear whatever this band was offering.



Ron, the owner of the store, who had watched me grow through my early musical evolution, and had guided me towards many of my favorite records, led me to the only two Black Flag cassettes he had behind the counter - 'Family Man' and 'Slip It In'. I bought both of them. Ron, not thinking I'd like them, offered to refund my money the following week if they turned out not to be my thing.

When I got home, I immediately put on 'Family Man', and out through the speakers came the voice of Henry Rollins, "Do you want the family man or do you want the swingin' man? You choose."

And that was it, I was as captivated by the poetry coming through my speakers as I had been that 'My War' t-shirt image, as I had been by the 'Family Man' and 'Slip It In' album covers too.

This was something very different, something far darker, more realistic, raw and visceral than anything I had listened to before.

After a few poetry selections, "Armageddon Man" came roaring out of the speakers. I loved it. 'Family Man' is a bit of an odd gateway into hardcore, it's even odd for a latter day Black Flag record, since it's half spoken-word and half instrumental, and even "Armageddon Man", the only song on the album that has both words and music, is essentially a spoken word piece over top an instrumental piece, if that makes any sense (and it will if you listen to it).

'Slip It In' is the more traditional album of the two, and I loved it just as much. It fulfilled my need for heavy and aggressive music, but with a certain emotional depth that I just wasn't getting from my metal records.

The following week, back to Island Sound. No - I don't need my money back - what I need is more of this - whatever "this" is. I was pointed to the "Punk/Hardcore" section. Huh? This is punk rock? It's somehow not what I had envisioned. But after that, there was no turning back.

I am, without apology, a Henry Rollins fan. As much as I love early Black Flag, Rollins brought a delivery, a heft, a certain psychological darkness and heaviness that the early singers just didn't capture. He even brought it to the material in which he had no writing involvement. I put the 'Damaged' versions of those songs up against anything recorded by the earlier singers that you can hear on 'Everything Went Black'. There's just no comparison between the Rollins version of "Damaged I" and Dez Cadena's version. One is a noisy punk rock song that quickly wears out its welcome. The other is a statement of purpose - "My name's Henry - and you're with me now."

Rollins Band was the first band I ever saw at CBGB (well, technically I guess that would go to Tool who opened) - June 1992. I've also seen him do several of his spoken word performances, and have always found him to be thought provoking. I'm also currently watching Season 2 of 'Sons of Anarchy' (SoA?), and as an actor, Rollins has also played interesting roles and delivered.

In the end, I think that's what Rollins excels at if nothing else. He never had the greatest voice, but he has the gift of delivery - he makes you believe it - whatever "it" may be. I'm a fan - and that is why.

The 'No Policy' EP itself opens with a crash, all hands on deck, all at once, with "Lost In Space", an early no-frills, in your face anti-drug statement.

The record continues on, 10 songs in total, only two of which go past the minute mark, and only just barely. Each song blazing along at a similar fast tempo, similar simple chords, and similar, simplistic rhyming lyrics: "War goin' on / Inside my head / Can't get to sleep / I'd rather be dead" ("Blackout"); "There's a war on the street, whatcha gonna do? / There's no choice, they've turned on you" ("Riot").

The EP is repetitive, but I appreciate the all guns blazing from beginning to end feel of the record. But I've listened to this about a dozen times this week, and the only songs I ever truly remember are the opening track, "Lost In Space", and "Public Defender" on side two.

What these two songs have, that the rest don't, are hooks. I love hardcore, I love metal, I love dark, heavy and aggressive music. But for me, I still need hooks. Something that wakes up my ear - an interesting combination of chords, a soaring melody, an interesting rhythmic change, etc.

What 'No Policy' has in aggressive spirit, it lacks in songwriting. "Lost in Space" and "Public Defender" both have hooks in different places. In "Lost in Space", it's the verses that are memorable. In "Public Defender", it's the chorus ("Man in blue, coming for you / Siren's red, you're gonna be dead").

But the rest of it just blends a little bit too much together for me. Perhaps the one other exception being the final song, "Gonna Have To Fight", which I think continues to demonstrate an English punk influence that I know a lot of the early Dischord bands drew from.

Hampton's guitar solos often out atonal even Greg Ginn, although without any of the musicality (check out the solo, if you can call it that, in "Draw Blank").

Additionally, Jacobsen's drumming is often clumsy to the point of distraction. What S.O.A. went for was fast, tight, 45-second-long songs, and Jacobsen just doesn't keep up most of the time. Ivor Hanson, also later of The Faith and Embrace, would replace Jacobsen, but I'm not sure there's any recorded documentation of that final line-up. Hanson's drumming may have been a great improvement had he been in the band when they recorded this.

The cover is a treated version of a live photograph, with Rollins in a pose I don't normally associate with him: singing upwards rather than in a crouch.

Let's not be too hard, though, this is a pretty fine slice of fast, aggressive, simple hardcore for its time, even if it is a bit unmemorable. Rollins delivers the words, even if he's not capable of the poetry that would later come to him, in the convincing fashion that I've always known him for.

The story from here is a famous one. Rollins driving up to New York City to see Black Flag during the Dez era and joining the band onstage for "Clocked In" before driving back to D.C. in time to open up the local Haagen Dazs. Rollins was later given an invitation to try out for the band, an invitation he accepted and an audition he passed, followed by his move to the west coast. Where on the timelime this is in relation to the end of S.O.A., I'm not so sure about. But what I am pretty sure about is that, with or without the Black Flag intrusion, the band members each needed a change of scenery to take it the next level.

BANDCAMP - State of Alert - 'No Policy'

Dischord 1 - The Teen Idles - 'Minor Disturbance E.P.'

Recorded Sept. 1980 - Inner Ear Studios
Released Dec. 1980

Nathan Strejcek − lead vocals
Geordie Grindle − guitar
Ian MacKaye − bass
Jeff Nelson − drums

SIDE A:

Teen Idles
Sneakers
Get Up And Go
Deadhead

SIDE B:

Fleeting Fury
Fiorucci Nightmare
Getting In My Way
Too Young To Rock



We start at Dischord 1, the answer to dozens of trivia questions. The first, but not quite only, release by The Teen Idles, although the only release by the band during its existence, but, wait, even that isn't quite true.

This first release for Dischord Records is certainly not its greatest release, but arguably, it's the most important, not because it was first, but because it was the singularity - the Big Bang - the impetus for Dischord coming into existence.

There's a lot to say, so let's back up, or, rather, let's zoom out and then zoom in as we get further along.

They say that history is written by the winners. When it comes to American hardcore, I'd say that history is written by those who were able to document it. Even the best band in the world will eventually be forgotten if they're never documented aurally. Live experiences can only be passed down through stories, but you can throw on a record and enter a time machine.

The book 'American Hardcore: A Tribal History' by Steven Blush is, appropriately, segmented by region. A trained ear can, blindfolded, identify the difference between hardcore bands from New York, Boston, D.C., Texas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Even scenes close in geography, such as Orange County and Los Angeles, or New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut, had their stylistic differences.

The historically better-known scenes had the benefit of record labels that primarily were there to document what was happening in that specific region. If I say "In-Effect", you might shout back "New York". If I say "Xclaim!" or "Taang", you say "Boston". If I say "SST", you say "Los Angeles". If I say "Alternative Tentacles", you say "San Francisco". If I say "Touch and Go", you say "midwest" (Ohio/Michigan/Milwaukee/Chicago).

If I say "Dischord", you say, "Washington D.C."

Those who ran these labels no doubt loved music from other regions, but they found a purpose in documenting THEIR scene, THEIR hometown - because major labels certainly weren't going to do it. This was creating a product for sale where the product was more important than the profit, and the profit only necessary so that the label could turn around and release even more records.

The Teen Idles were four kids from Washington, D.C. who formed in 1979. All four members were teenagers when the band formed, and still teenagers when the band broke up only one year later.

The name of the band is a clever play on "Teen Idols", and while the "Teen" part is true, these teens were anything but "idle". In fact, with the benefit of knowing history and all that transpired in the decades since the band existed, one of its members did, in fact become an "idol" for many thousands, if not millions, of punk rock kids, even if that idolatry was the last thing he wanted.

Of course, I am speaking of Ian MacKaye, who, along with Jeff Nelson, had already done some time in a band called The Slinkees, a band not too well documented, although I seem to remember a practice tape circulating in my (brief) tape-trading days in the early '90s. Some Slinkees songs would go on to become Teen Idles songs and one of those songs, "Sneakers", appears on this E.P.

Aside from some band experience, and massive inherent talent, in Nelson and, especially, MacKaye, the band also had the good fortune to grow in a scene that had already been set into motion, and featured one of the most important hardcore bands, Bad Brains, before they would make the move up I-95 to New York City. Bad Brains being a band who blasted out the fastest, most aggressive hardcore for its time, while easily switching gears into reggae and dub, all with the musical ability of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. What that must have been like for a young band such as the Teen Idles to watch and take inspiration from, I can't imagine. They didn't try to emulate the Bad Brains, and that's probably a good thing. Know your limits. Even today, very few punk bands have the level of musicianship that the Bad Brains did.

This band of teenagers, again, hardly idle, made their way to the West Coast, in a time when booking DIY tours was still in its infancy, no doubt following a path blazed by Black Flag.

Shortly after returning home, the band broke up, and found themselves with $600 in the piggy bank. The decision of what to do with that $600 changed everything.

Sure, an easy decision could have been for each band member to take $150 and move on. Probably a decision many bands would have made. But instead, the band chose to spend that $600 to document their band's existence, even though the band itself would cease to exist. Hence, the birth of Dischord Records. Profits from the sale of their E.P. would simply be reinvested to make even more records. Sales were certainly made, and 180+ records and 38 years later, Dischord still exists. As I said at the start, this is an important record.

It's an impressive piece of entrepreneurship and also is demonstrative of what our relationship with records was in 1980 compared to now. It seems hard to imagine a band breaking up in 2018 and only then going to record music for people to own going forward. Records are no longer the important vehicle for a band - the live show is where it's at these days. Music in its recorded form, has become a worthless commodity, if we're talking commercially.

In the pre-internet age, everything was about the record. Records grew and lived their own lives. Tours were there to support the purchase of records. Now, records have become an afterthought, and are there to sell tours. The entire business model of the music industry has reversed upon itself, and the DIY punk community hasn't been immune to that. We have eschewed art, and records are where the art lives and breathes, in favor of being content to simply see our favorite bands in a live environment, and leave them there on the stage as we hit the exits for home. I still feel like the live show is my reward, my payoff, for knowing these bands through their records. I'm not sure that's how most people view the live experience now, but who knows.

I have yet to discuss the music itself, even if its importance pales in comparison to everything else that can be said. But since the music exists, let's deal with it.

This record was made at a time when the rules of hardcore were still being developed, but there were certainly blueprints in place, and the Teen Idles record doesn't venture too far from those boundaries.

As I've listened to this record several times across the week, I began to feel a real difference between the two sides of this record. Side One feels more accessible and somehow less mature. In the band's theme song, the lead off track, you can squint and feel a Ramones influence, musically and lyrically. Of course, "Teen Idles" ends with one future icon thanking another, the "Thanks Henry" that Ian gives the shout out to (first studio shout out on a record? maybe) is, of course, their roadie Henry Garfield, who the world knows better as Henry Rollins. We'll be seeing him real soon.

"Sneakers" and "Get Up and Go" continue with the speedy and upbeat feel, with Nathan barking a quick "1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8" in the middle of "Get Up and Go", another reminder that the Ramones were probably a major influence.

I've always felt that "Deadhead" was a bit of a misstep and I've never felt the "Casey Jones" butchering was all that funny or clever. Punks and hippies, I've always felt, had a certain common bond in their subcultures.

Side B, however, is what began to grow on me as the week went on. Whereas the first side was upbeat and controlled, the songs on Side B felt darker, a sense of chaos underneath. In "Fleeting Fury" we hear the first appearance of the Jeff Nelson drumbeat we would become more familiar with in Minor Threat. "Fiorucci Nightmare" and "Getting In My Way" feel like two parts of a whole, the transition between the songs being almost completely imperceptible.

All of the songs are commentaries from the perspective of teenage kids, but whereas the songs on side one celebrate, in a sense, being a teenager (which of course includes giving a middle finger to the older generations), the songs on side two seem to display a more pessimistic attitude, a looking forward that isn't idyllic.

There's a big difference between "Put on your sneakers and be a kid / Why don't you try and have some fun / Put on your sneakers and be a kid / You're not fooling anyone" ("Sneakers") and "My vision's clouded, the sun is dark / I've lost my way, I've lost my mark / Chased by something in another way / Hoping to see the light or another day" ("Getting In My Way").

The record closes out with an incomprehensible live song, "Too Young To Rock". This wasn't Kiss 'Alive'....this was someone holding a boombox in the back of the club. You couldn't come up with a starker contrast between this and mainstream corporate rock.

The song opens with an audience chant that reminds me of the beginning of the first Exploited record, before the band blasts away at chords that are entirely illegible. But this song is what gave the 7" it's title, like the band name, a play on words - 'A Minor Disturbance' ("Minor disturbance, stopped at the door / Not new to you, 'cause it's happened before"). Lyrically, a reflection of the E.P.'s cover, another iconic image, the "X"'s on the hand that clubs would draw on underage kids, a symbol that those kids would own and take for themselves.

The record is a snapshot of youth and all of its frustrations. Feeling idle, as if those older view you as having nothing to contribute, seems to a major theme. The record itself destroys that entire notion.

The record is legendary and it's valuable (like REALLY valuable, you may need to refinance your home to purchase one if you're fortunate to ever come across an original copy), but only because we know what the record means symbolically, and what some of the members of the band would go onto in future years - from teenagers, to young men, to, now, middle-aged men on the brink of their 60s.

Strejcek and Grindle will soon fade into the background as we continue down this journey, while Nelson and MacKaye will remain focal points, the two of them being the owners of Dischord Records and playing together in one of the most legendary and influential hardcore bands ever. MacKaye, specifically, will be a partner through this entire ride.

Dischord has been kind enough to share their entire catalog on Bandcamp, so at the end of these things, I'll be providing the link since after all this discussion, it'll be nice to relax and actually listen to these things.

As always, my grand hope is to generate discussions - so please feel free to use the comments to add your own thoughts, add to the history, tell me where I'm going wrong, etc.

BANDCAMP LINK - TEEN IDLES - 'A MINOR DISTURBANCE'

Blogging Dischord - the head of the trail

I need to get this out of the way now. I appreciate the English language and the rules that go along with it (i.e., grammar). It kills me every time I look at this blog and see that in some depleted mental state, I called it "12 Notes Is Enough" rather than "12 Notes Are Enough". It bothers me - it'll always bother me - but what's done is done.

So here we stand at the head of a long trail. The pathway is laid out as we go chronologically, or, more accurately, numerically, through the Dischord Records catalog. Some of the path will be very familiar, some vaguely familiar, but like all hikes - the most fun will be on those parts that aren't familiar at all. We'll find some tasty berries along the way, and probably some poison ones too.

What I hope this can be, on a personal level, is a feeling of accomplishment and development of writing. I'm not a professional writer and I'm in awe of those who are. Being a musician, it might be odd that I find it exceedingly difficult to write about music, and those that have that particular gift, I salute you.

I certainly hope to discover records not before heard or revisit those I've listened to a couple of times and filed away - for better or for worse. I will give each record more than a fair listen. The only way I know how to truly absorb music is to sit with it for awhile. I've never quite understood how those who write for monthly music magazine can somehow review dozens and dozens of records in that short time span. I'm sure all of us have learned to absolutely love records that just didn't connect on first listen...or second....or even third.

I have no time table for these posts, but I hope not to work on a geological timescale.

In a broader sense, I'm hoping this blog will act as a repository of sorts...a reference. A place that people will eventually find as they look to the internet for discussions about these records. My hope is that this is interactive, where conversations and reflections can be aired in the comments section - and I will certainly do my best to respond there. I will touch upon records that mean far more to you than they do to me - records that you're more knowledgeable about than to me - and I want this to be a place where you can feed your inner record geek and let loose about the records you love and those you hate.

What this isn't going to be is a Wiki for Dischord. As I mentioned in the intro post, I haven't read the books or seen the documentaries (yet). I don't want to feel like I need to hunt down every last historical detail about the bands or the records or how many pressings and blah-blah-blah. That exists already and it's easily found by opening up a new tab on your browser and doing the Google thing.

With that said, I certainly welcome those details. I welcome being corrected. I'd certainly more than welcome if anyone actually involved in these records found this and used it as an opportunity to tell their story. I mean, how great would THAT be?

But for now - it's us....so let's get started on the journey.

Blogging the Dischord Records catalog

It was never my intention to abandon this blog. It's not like I don't have the time to write a thing or two once in awhile. I like writing about music, I like discussing it, I like putting my thoughts out into the world, whether it be to generate a conversation or just to reflect upon later on down the road.

What I realized I needed was a project. Something to keep me focused. So this is the homework assignment I've given to myself.

Dischord Records is, deservedly so, one of the great independent record labels of all time. They have become synonymous with hardcore punk from Washington, D.C. and since 1980 have put out close to 200 records, many of which have become all-time staples in any record collection where independent, underground rock is of importance.

It probably would have been smart to have read any of the handful of books that have come out in recent years which have documented the D.C. scene, but I haven't read any of them. The only book I own that documents that period is 'Banned in D.C.' by Cynthia Connolly, Leslie Clague, and Sharon Cheslow. It's a wonderful book filled with quotes, photos and show flyers from a time that must have been incredibly exciting.

There are those who love these records more than me and those who have much more knowledge about these records. My hope - my ideal scenario - is for the comments sections to become a crucial part of this project. I would love for these posts to evolve into a conversation about these records. What they mean. What they're about. What they're about to you.

My guess is that I will not need to revisit many of the records in the earlier part of the catalog more than once before finding some words for them. A big part of this for me isn't to reflect on records I've grown up with, but rather discover all the bands that Dischord thought worthy that never came across my radar. I'm not sure how deep into the discography we'll get before I find a record I'm utterly unfamiliar with, but there will come a point where I'm utterly unfamiliar with most everything that follows.

Since I'm also a bit of a math guy, and love stats, there are some things I want to keep track of - if just for curiosity sake. I want to know how many releases these bands appear on, I want to know how many releases the people in these bands appear on, I want to know the length of the records (I've always been weirdly obsessed with things like that....like - how long would it take to listen to every Beatles record back-to-back?).

I hope you enjoy this....and please chime in....get the conversation started or continue one.