Classic Day – Sonic Death

1977 was a historic year for music, it was the first waves of an incoming tsunami of sound. Punk music was moving in, replacing the written rules of style and becoming something that was never imagined. Bringing new life to an entire population, the Dead Boys were among the first to adapt to a nihilistic and heavily destructive sound that would influence generations years after.

With the birth of CBGB in New York, punk was able to thrive in a tight knit community of artists like the Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, and Cro-Mags with that authentic New York attitude. While coming from D.C., Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Idle Hands, and Youth Brigade stretched across the Eastern Seaboard as the standing kings of punk. Stemming from Cleveland, there was a group that help originate that sound however, establishing themselves as the Dead Boys.

Their 1977 release, Young, Loud and Snottywas a message to music and the populations that surrounded it. With a standout front track, wild antics for the stages, and a destroy-it-all attitude; the Dead Boys fit right in with the right crowd. Forming seamlessly into CGBG, becoming regulars at the venue for both performance and crowd support. With their first opening track, “Sonic Reducer” there is this call to action behind the low tuned percussion and headstrong guitar work. Stiv Bators leads the vocal assault while Cheetah Chrome holds down on the lead guitar. Jimmy Zero uses the rhythm guitar and follows Johnny Blitz on percussion. Finally, there is Jeff Magnum on the bass guitar that works to cut and slice through the backbone of the track, forming uneven notches.

The Dead Boys move together as a group of somewhat aggressive, but more movement influenced than anything. The group does not attack so much as they direct and start the giant swirl of hordes of people. “Sonic Reducer” was a gentle introduction to the rest of Young, Loud and Snottywhere the Dead Boys become a cult classic among the punk community. Using “What Love Is”, “Ain’t Nothing To Do”, and “High Tension Wire” the Dead Boys captures some of the youthful sounds of being able to have radio play, but not caring whether or not it happens. They had total control of the direction behind their debut album, which is why it has such power behind it.

From their memorable stints of comedic lyricism, the moving instrumentation, and the influence that came behind them. The Dead Boys continues to influence music even after 40-years of their first debut release.

Listen To Young, Loud and Snotty Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes