DEAD BOYS - YOUNG, LOUD AND SNOTTY

Released: 28/06/2024

There’s a good chance that this is the first time you’re hearing about Cleveland punks The Dead Boys. Unlike the glorified boy band that was The Sex Pistols, the Stiv Bators-led quintet really did meant it, man, to the extent that when, following the release of sophomore LP We Have Come for Your Children, their record label insisted the group go in a more mainstream direction, they split up in response – such a short-lived existence undoubtedly playing a huge part in why peers such as The Stooges, The Ramones and The New York Dolls get all the plaudits.

Born from the ashes of the important proto-punk outfit Rocket from the Tombs (some of whose members went on to form the equally seminal art-punks Pere Ubu), Dead Boys moved to New York with encouragement from Joey Ramone, and quickly gained notoriety for their electric sets at CBGBs; and so not only is 1977 debut LP Young, Loud and Snotty notable for the brilliance of the songs, with tracks like ‘Ain’t Nothing to Do’, ‘What Love Is’ and ‘Sonic Reducer’ being easily as great as anything by Iggy Pop and Co, but the way it captures the ferociously anarchic energy of the live shows. This first-ever reissue of the band’s first record should hopefully go some way to bringing Dead Boys to the larger audience it deserves, because it really is incredible.