Chron Gen: Nowhere to Run

Chron Gen: Nowhere to Run

1984

Picasso Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Too Much Talk  2. Misadventure  3. Breakdown  4. Pretend  5. Fiasco  6. Pictures Paint Minds


Chron Gen didn't release much in their time...Just one full-length, a live album, a few singles and "Nowhere to Run," which was their final EP. Now, I have no idea what the fan reaction to this record was back in the day, but my guess would be that it was wildly, mohawk-twistingly unfavorable... 

 "OI! PLAY THE OLD STUFF, YE FECKIN' SCRUBBAH!!!" 

 Because the album kicks off with "Too Much Talk" which is fluffy, chugging, metal-flavored pop-punk...Lots of handclaps...Sorta reminds me of The Vibrators' "Disco in Moscow"..Pretty cool, actually...I can imagine a punk with a metal sweet tooth and a sorta open-mind enjoying this somewhat while his mates take the piss  but then "Misadventure" queues up next and features...gulp....POPPIN' FUNK BASS!!!

"WHY?!!...sob...Why the poppin' funk bass, ye olde tarts?!?!"

 And "Pretend" features a lovelorn Glynn Barber moaning and sobbing over some girl!?! Cripes! What's a punk to do?! 

Shut up and enjoy it that's what...I'm not particularly concerned over what is and isn't punk... All I know is  those above-mentioned songs are pretty cool and the entire second half of the album consists of nothing but absolute knockouts. The punky reggae "Fiasco" has some great dub effects for you to get lost in... The track can go on all day for all I care. Fucking love it. And "Breakdown" is QUITE POSSIBLY CHRON GEN'S ALL TIME BEST SONG! There, I said it! One of the catchiest pop-punk tracks I've ever heard. Glorious stuff if you're into fizzy headrushes...

This is the sort of album that could have only come out between 1980-1986. Back when punk bands were still expected to evolve and grow rather than put out the same album album forever. There's a lot of pitfalls when you're talking punk growth, but Chron Gen handles it beautifully. Is it "London Calling"? No. But it's a solid, melodic, energetic album full of memorable tunes. More than anything, this album makes me sad they called in a day after this. I would have loved to hear where else they were willing to go...

Here, I'll shut up so we can listen to some music...Here's "Breakdown" by Chron Gen. I highly recommend you check it out....Enjoy...

Chron Gen: Chronic Generation

Chron Gen: Chronic Generation

1982

Secret Records

Format I Own it on: Vinyl

Track Listing: 1. Lies  2. Jet Boy Jet Girl  3. Hounds Of The Night  4. LSD  5. You Make Me Spew  6. Chronic Generation  7. Mindless  8. You'll Never Change Me  9. Rocka'Bill  10. Friends Tell Me Lies  11. Reality  12. Living Next Door to Alice


This is why early punk is one of my favorite genres...Even when you start digging thru the C and D-list artists, you'll still find lots of good stuff...Like this record! I doubt it'll change your life or anything (unless it's the first punk album you ever heard...then it might), but it's pretty solid...They seem to alternate between stomping oi and melodic Gen X-style punk, which are two subsets I like...

The first 3/4ths of the album spends most of its time in solid oi territory, "Chronic Generation" being the anthemic highlight. That's one thing I always have to give early 80's punk bands...They always wrote themselves great theme songs...The real highlight of the first section of the album is a cleaned up version of  "Jet Boy Jet Girl" (the "he gives me head" line sounds like it's been changed to "'e gives me 'ell..."), which is the English counterpart to the ever-popular "Ça plane pour moi"...Just try to get this shit out of your head once you hear it...

But suddenly around track ten the whole thing softens a bit with "Friends Tell Me Lies"...Then there's the song "Reality" which seems like another chunk of yobbish ponk until suddenly the most unexpectedly great chorus comes out of nowhere...Again, I can only explain it as oi Gen X...Then comes an awesomely ripping version of "Living Next Door to Alice," which was apparently some weepy 70's pop tune I had never heard...I had to look it up and found out the song has a very convoluted history, eventually becoming a popular profane novelty tune due to some incident where a DJ cursed over a playing of the record...Huh? Well, here's a moment where Chron Gen pulls ahead of the pack because their version of "Living Next Door to Alice" starts with all kinds of cursing...

All in all, good fun stuff if you're into early punk. If you can overlook a groaner or two ("You Make Me Spew") there's much to love and side two is golden...Probably one of my favorite punk records to listen to when I'm piss-ass drunk...