Album of the Day 3/18/11

A global emergency that monopolizes media attention provides the cover to do horrible things – like Saudi Arabia’s invasion of Bahrain. It’s like shooting someone on the Fourth of July. We’re going to capitalize on it in a more benign way, by paying some long-overdue attention to stuff that we missed the first time around. In the meantime, as we do every day, our 1000 best albums of all time countdown continues all the way to #1. Friday’s album is #683:

Death – For the Whole World to See

Signed to Arista Records in 1975 but dropped when they refused to change their name, this Detroit trio are remembered for being the first black punk band. That’s a bit of a stretch, but David, Bobby and Dennis Hackney took the raw power of the Stooges to new and unexpected places with this brief but intense proto-punk album, never officially released until 24 years later. Rock N Roll Victim foreshadows the Damned; Keep on Knocking is a delicious, shuffling rocker with some sweet Ron Asheton-style lead guitar from guitarist David Hackney, who sadly didn’t live to see this reissue see the light of day. You’re a Prisoner wouldn’t have been out of place on Fun House; Freaking Out, true to its title, is scorching, fast riff-metal. The best songs here are the most original ones; the psychedelic mini-site Let the World Turn and the ferocious, epic antiwar anthem Politicians in My Eyes. The rhythm section would continue later in the excellent roots reggae outfit Lambsbread. Recently reunited with a new guitarist, there’s supposedly more unreleased stuff out that’s due out at some point. Here’s a random torrent.

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