The Devil Dogs
Big Beef Bonanza!
Before I begin to go into detail about this one, I’d like to say one thing...THIS is punk rock. I’m not saying this to scold anyone who has incorrectly defined a band as being “punk rock,” but simply just to give everyone my personal opinion of a *true* punk rock album. It’s albums like this that make me wish to hell that I could relive my punk rock days. Big Beef Bonanza! is one that shows exactly why punk rock music gets the reception it does. It’s most definitely not the musical ability of the players or the history that follows the band, and with lines like:
Do a little boozin’ and have a toke
I take my baby down and give her a poke.
it’s definitely not the lyrical selections that pull people into the genre. The reason people like me love this elusive punk rock music is because it is simply fun as all hell.
The Devil Dogs were a group that formed out of New York in 1989 but were never really appreciated in the U.S.. This isn’t really all that surprising considering the punk rock movement in the States had already hit its mainstream peak in the late 70s with bands like The Ramones, The Sex Pistols and The Clash. Despite this fact of ignorance in the U.S., The Devil Dogs hit it BIG in Europe and Japan, touring both places many times during their short-lived career (1989-1994). Europe held a great respect for punk through the 80s and 90s (because admit it, we all know they have a better respect for music than the majority of America), which was exactly the leg up The Devil Dogs needed to expand as far as they did. Big Beef Bonanza! (their second full length album) was a great success for the band in Europe, and was the album that truly got them their respect and recognition. After the release of this album they began their many tours of Europe and went on to release two more full length LPs.
The reason I bring to attention Big Beef Bonanza! is because of how well it drives the listener to enjoyment. It’s not cluttered with the anti-establishment basis of a lot of fine punk music, but instead is packed with perfectly established punk-beat tempos worked through a catchy and acceptable verse-chorus form. There isn’t a single song on the album that you couldn’t find yourself dancing to in an enthralled stammer. Whether it’s the clap lines in “Time Enough for Love,” the vocal driven power chords in “North Shore Bitch” and “Go On Girl,” or the ever so excellently placed 16-bar whamified guitar solo/bridge combinations in “Stay Out All Night” and “One That Got Away,” this album has something for virtually every punk listener out there.
Another excellent concept behind the album is that the band isn’t afraid to show their musical influences with the fans. Three of the eight songs on the album are covers of other band’s music (“Time Enough for Love [by The Fun Things],” “I’m Gonna Make You Mine [by The Shadow Knights],” and “Palisades Park [by Freddy Cannon]”). This is a defining nuance for The Devil Dogs, showing their love for the art of punk. They aren’t afraid to tell their audience that they’re okay with filling a third of their album with unoriginal material. They see it as a true punk band should: as an opportunity to spread their personal opinions of respect. Saying “It’s okay if we don’t sell many records, as long as the ones we do sell drive the audience to more.”
As I said, Big Beef Bonanza! is not a product of great musical ability, but as far as the exploration of the punk genre goes, it is one of the first recommendations on my list. Big Beef Bonanza! paints a perfect picture of what I believe punk rock truly is. So if you feel you need to delve in TRUE punkdom, take a dive into The Devil Dogs, a gem of musical integrity and punk rock basis.
