Bosstones break up

[Marky Dread]

I would also put this Rancid track above that Bosstones track.

I wouldn't but another Ska Rancid track I love is Life Won't Wait. Hooligans ain't too shabby either.

"Hooligans" is excellent.

Hello,

All the Moonstompers is a really great collection - best Rancid album/compilation available for me.

Yeah superb.

[revbob]

I would also put this Rancid track above that Bosstones track.

I wouldn't but another Ska Rancid track I love is Life Won't Wait. Hooligans ain't too shabby either.

"Hooligans" is excellent.

Hello,

All the Moonstompers is a really great collection - best Rancid album/compilation available for me.

Yeah superb.

Im not familiar with this one, will investigate.

[matedog]

Flex made me a tasty Bosstones come back in 2010 and one tube subsequently made that Summer mix.

[Olaf]

I'd like to think it was their awful cover of Detroit City that broke the camel's back.

every single one of you that voted against the bosstones in that poll are back at the top of my kill list, btw

Kill away...

http://www.clashcity.com/boards/viewtop ... =bosstones

Ratty makes an appearance.

Wally pulling Heston's leg is hilarious.

[Mark^Bastard]

Best 90's ska has to be Hepcat

[revbob]

I'd like to think it was their awful cover of Detroit City that broke the camel's back.

every single one of you that voted against the bosstones in that poll are back at the top of my kill list, btw

Kill away...

http://www.clashcity.com/boards/viewtop ... =bosstones

Ratty makes an appearance.

Wally pulling Heston's leg is hilarious.

That was a fun one to revisit.

[Flex]

Per Matey's reference, I remember sharing some Bosstones mixes a while back, I may update those and re-share since we have what is now (apparently) their final, full discography laid out before us. As I start thinking through that, here's my power ranking of all Bosstones albums (and their two main EPs, one live album, and one comp with unique songs on it). I should say, I don't think a single one of these albums as genuinely bad in a Cut the Crap kind of way or whatever, the records really just range from "classics full of bangers" to "kind of generic":

15. Pin Points & Gin Joints (2009): Their first post-hiatus (2002-2007) full-length new studio LP was probably the most disappointing record in their catalog. Relatively weak songs and let down by very dull production. It was exciting to have the band back, but only the opening track "Graffiti Worth Reading" has stuck around in their setlist 10+ years since. Still, there were a handful of good tracks and I think with better production I'd be fonder of this record. Recommended tracks: Graffiti Worth Reading, The Route That I Took, The Death Valley Vipers, A Pretty Sad Excuse

14. Medium Rare (2007): The formal end of the band's hiatus came with the release of the Don't Worry Desmond Dekker single and this rarities comp that collected the new single (the a-side, anyways) and some other b-sides and unreleased tunes (and a couple other new tunes that were recorded in '07). Now, to be clear, Demond Dekker is an AWESOME track. It's one of the best songs they ever wrote. Let me say it again: IT IS ONE OF THEIR BEST SONGS. Go check it out. It's a cornerstone of their live set and it fuckin' owns. But, it's better on the (very rare) vinyl single. The mastering on this CD is garbage (a problem with their post-hiatus material, generally). The b-sides are fine but again suffer from not sounding as good as they did on their original releases. It's also... extremely not comprehensive. The band still needs a comprehensive "rarities and b-sides" set to round out their catalog. I rated this higher than PP&GJ really because Desmond Dekker is so strong. Recommended tracks: Don't Worry Desmond Dekker, Chocolate Pudding, A Reason To Toast (my band covered this for our high school graduation!), The One With The Woes All Over It

13. While We're At It (2018): The most damning thing to say about this record, I suppose, is that I sort of forgot about it when I was starting to think through this list in my head. I was pretty high on it as it was coming out, I think the production is particularly sympathetic which is a complaint in my other bottom-of-the-list rankings. It does keep the tradition of pretty much all Bosstones records of having really strong opening tracks anyways. Not much to say about this one, I think only "Wonderful Day For The Race" really made it into their regular sets. A more enjoyable record to listen to end-to-end than PP&GJ but fewer individually standout cuts, imho. Recommended tracks: Wonderful Day for the Race, Green Bay Wisconsin, The West Ends, The Mad Dash

12. When God Was Great (2021): What turned out to be their final release. Same complaint as their 2009 effort really: some decent songwriting (better than PP&GJ imho) is let down bad production. This time, it's "turn everything into the red, and brickwall the shit out of it" Tim Armstrong/Hellcat Records contemporary house style (unfortunately). That said, the first single they put out from this "The Final Parade" is legit one of the most fun songs they ever released (and in retrospect quite prophetic) and the songwriting has some more diversity than usual. The detours on this record are the most fun. Recommended tracks: The Final Parade, Lonely Boy, The Killing of Georgie (Part III), Certain Things

11. Live From The Middle East (1998): This was the classic "hey, we have a hit on our hands we need some more product STAT" release. It's a fine live album, although like with The Clash, for a band that has built so much of its reputation on their live shows the official live releases really don't capture that magic (I'm hoping there are some pro-shot Bosstones concerts that will eventually see release on video, particularly their Hometown Throwdowns, that would be a blast). That said, it's a fun listen and a few of the tracks on this are my preferred versions, particularly an EXCELLENT "Holy Smoke" which sounds moderately re-arranged from the studio version. All their older songs are played with fervor here, and the crowd obviously loves all the classic material even as they're charting with the new stuff. Recommended tracks: Holy Smoke, Doves and Civilians, Lights Out, Hell of a Hat, Dr. D

10. Where'd You Go (1991): The band's first EP. The title track is an all-time classic and its rounded out with some fun but inessential covers. I like 'em but this is a slight entry into the canon. Recommended tracks: I mean, just listen to the whole thing, it'll take like 12 minutes. Where'd You Go is one of their best songs, tho.

9. Pay Attention (2000): Ahh, here's where I enter the story. I'd become a fan of the band on the popularity of Let's Face It and this was their first release I anticipated and was ready to buy on release day. I'd read the magazine articles and interviews leading up to its release, bought the CD sampler with an advance promo track on it, and on release day I insisted my parents take me to the record store right right after school so I could hopefully get a copy of the CD (in my mind, there would have been a line up at the door when the store opened that morning with everyone waiting to get their copy and I was worried the intense demand on the album would leave me without by the time school let out). Well, I got to the store and the clerk looked at me like I had grown an extra head when I asked if there were "still any copies left" of Pay Attenton. Sure enough, it was there on the CD rack waiting for me, and I expect I was the only person to come into the store that day to buy it. Ah, well. The excitement of youthful exhuberance.

In any case, we're definitely in "all the albums from here on out are fuckin' rad" territory for me at this point. This one hits the bottom of that zone because it was the second of two attempts to minimize the ska sound of the band (probably sort of wisely, given ska was commercially dead again by this point - even if not for me). For that, this ends up being a bit of a black sheep by fan's reckoning but there are some really catchy songs here and a little more sonic diversity than you often see from the band. And it would be their final big label release, and the band really always did benefit from the extra money being spent on production and so forth. This is an album that people of a more pop bent, maybe even someone like Heston, woudl dig. Recommended tracks: All Things Considered, Riot on Broad Street, She Just Happened, So Say to Say

8. Don't Know How to Party (1993): The second on the list of the the Bosstones "lets try toning down the ska a bit" records, although the first chronologically. Their first big label full length, this has a bit of a "what do we do with these guys" vibe, but it being the early 90s rather than the turn of the Willenium, when they're not being ska the bosstones are more inclined to be heavy and loud rather than poppier, which more fits my taste. And this album is full of bangers than have become fan favorites. Someday I Suppose is on here, but it sounds better on their Ska-Core EP. From here, it may be easier to just list tracks I DON'T recommend, but I'll still try to just mention a few cream of the crop. Recommended tracks: Last Dead Mouse (an all time Flex Fave), Don't Know How To Party, Seven Thirty Seven/Shoe Glue, Almost Anything Goes

7. A Jackknife to a Swan (2002): Their first post-major label release and the only one on SideOneDummy and the last album before their early aughts hiatus, along with Pay Attention this feels like a major overlooked record to me. Sonically, it's odd that it would be so, this is great ska-core in their classic style, with some really hooky songs and strong lyrics. I think it's more because they went on pause shortly after its release and 2002 was pretty much the bottom of interest in ska in the broader culture. Still, I love a lot of these songs, and a good number stuck around in the band's regular setlist so I think they agree with me. Recommended tracks: Everybody's Better, Chasing The Sun Away, You Gotta Go!, The Old School Off The Bright

6. The Magic of Youth (2011): While I think the post-hiatus albums are perfectly cromulent for the most part, this is the one record that really and truly captures the magic of the old days, in my opinion. Nice production, great hooks, and memorably lyrics make this one of the stronger efforts in their catalog. Like any truly great Bosstones album, the topics range from the glorification of ska to incisive social commentary to goofily provincial New England topicality. The band has other fine moments throughout their post-hiatus catalog that justify them continuing on as a creative force, but this is the one that sounds like they never stopped hitting those highs to begin with. Is is, er, magical. Recommended tracks: They Will Need Music, The Magic of Youth, The Ballad of Candlepin Paul, Sunday Afternoons on Wisdom Ave.

5. Let's Face It (1997): I mean, what else can you say about this record? It's the huge one. The fusion of ska-core that they helped invent with a pop sensibility that finally broke them, at long last, into the charts. What's interesting is, after all these years, when you listen to this you hear how much this isn't a huge break from their usual blueprint. Yeah, it's a bit less "Boston provincial" than their other records and there's a cleaner production, but these guys have always been writing hooks and, if anything, they lean into the social messaging even heavier on this record than usual which isn't usually the way to go with your "sellout" record. Every one of these songs is a classic, imho. As they all will be on all their records from here on out. Recommended tracks: The Impression That I Get (I mean, duh), Another Drinkin' Song, Let's Face It, Noise Brigade

4. Ska-Core, The Devil and More (1993): The story here is the Bosstones get signed to Mercury and all of a sudden Mercury is like "how do we introduce ska to the general American public" so they quickly get the band to put this EP together and set the anchor around what they assume will be the big hit, Someday I Suppose. Like their first EP, the album is rounded it with covers which nicely illustrate the band's influences: first wave ska, punk, hardcore and aive versions of some of their old tunes. It's a great record, and feels more of a rosetta stone into the band than their first EP. Recommended tracks: I mean, again, just listen to the whole things. These guys were no dummies, Someday I suppose is a fuckin' classic.

3. More Noise and Other Disturbances (1992): I'm not gonna go to the earlier records and change what I wrote, but as I look at my notes I realize the "tone down the ska" note is even here on their second release, lol. I don't hear it as much here, but I remember that being a bit of a complaint with contemporaneous reviews that I found in my deep dive on All Things Bosstones when I was an exhuberant Teen-Age fan. Obviously, with the passage of time, every single track on here has come to be regarded as an ultra-fan-favorite. I listened to this on my run yesterday and it still fuckin' owns. Hardcore, ska, punk, rock, pop, it's all here. Mad props to covering Slapshot too, that got me into those guys and created another lifelong love. Who would have thought that in the year of our lord 2022 Choke would be the stalwart progressive and Dicky would be the nutter? The passage of time is weird, guys. Recommended tracks (not including tracks I already mentioned on Live From The Middle East): He's Back (Dicky would do well to listen to give this song a listen and think about it, imho), Cowboy Coffee, Awfully Quiet, They Came To Boston

2. Devil's Night Out (1989): The one that started it all. Listen to those opening minutes of the title track and I dare you not to get excited. An album with one foot ready to mosh and the other ready to skank, in equal measure. Each of these tracks is legendary on the canon. A bit less of the "social awareness" of their other records, but they've already begun to beautifully realize the topic of fading youth and cultural touchstones slowly falling away. Recommended tracks: Devil's Night Out, Hope I Never Lose My Wallet, The Cave, Do Somethin' Crazy

1. Question The Answers (1994): It all comes together here. It's the album that should have springboarded them to the charts, but didn't. Hooks, heavy guitars, skankin' beats, and spot-on lyrics from the personal to the political. A snapshot of a time in your life when you're out of your youth but haven't landed firmly into adulthood yet. Pretty much every song evokes a perfect synchronicity with some time in my life or another, even if the song doesn't literally describe a scene of my life (although occasionally they do!). A towering triumph of a record, regardless of genre. Recommended tracks: A Sad Silence, Kinder Words, Pictures to Prove It, 365 Days

There are a few other notable songs in the catalog that didn't appear on their proper albums (their cover of Rudie Can't Fail, notably, is another mainstay of their sets) and I'll just quickly note a few non-album highlights here: Rudie Can't Fail from Burning London: The Clash Tribute (1999), Ocean w/ The Pietasters from Music For Our Mother Ocean, Vol. 2 (1997), The Common Decency from Video Stew (1997), Zig Zag Dance w/ Sesame Street's The Count from Elmopalooza! (1998) (I swear this song, and album, is awesome). They also have a few early, pre-Devil's Night Out tracks (early versions of The Cave, Ugly, Drunks & Children) that appear on various Ska comps, but are presented all together and probably in their best sound on Boston Retroactive (1999).

Incredible band. A 15 entry "primary" canon of releases spread over five decades. The soundtrack to my youth, and my life.

[revbob]

I dont agree with your rankings but I do agree with the overall spirit of your post.

[Flex]

I dont agree with your rankings but I do agree with the overall spirit of your post.

Thanks! How would you change it up?

[revbob]

I dont agree with your rankings but I do agree with the overall spirit of your post.

Thanks! How would you change it up?

I'd have to revisit. "Don't Know..." is probably my favorite though

[Flex]

I'd have to revisit. "Don't Know..." is probably my favorite though

Outside of those bottom few records, I could probably argue for any of the others being the best/my favorite at any given time. And I probably have! On balance, QtA takes the crown more often than not, though. I have great memories of listening to DKHTP over and over again on family trips in my discman though.

[tepista]

FWIW, I think "The Impression That I Get" was the second best Ska song of the 90s. They had some other great tunes too.

Monkey says they broke up over vax disagreements and the song should be called "The Injection I won't Get"

I didn't even know they were still a band.

[Flex]

Monkey says they broke up over vax disagreements and the song should be called "The Injection I won't Get"

Yeah, seems like Dicky has turned into an anti-vax nutjob (although nothing has actually been for sure confirmed on that front). People can hunt around for that discussion if they want to see the evidence, I don't really care to lay it out myself here. Suffice to say, assuming it's all true, I'm extremely glad they broke up before he came out as an anti-vaxxer and none of their work has to be sullied by whatever turn he's taken in the last year or two. Also, even though he was the singer and (usually) lyricist, the rest of the band wrote the music. It was hardly a one man effort. And he's not even the main guy people associate with the band, that's Nate Albert, the dancer. And good on the rest of the band for wanting nothing to do with it. The band always stood for a vision of progressive (even leftist) equity and justice and it's heartening that most of them are still committed to that - to the point of preferring the band not continue if they have to accommodate such backwards thinking.

[Wolter]

Best 90's ska has to be Hepcat

I would agree.

[revbob]

Monkey says they broke up over vax disagreements and the song should be called "The Injection I won't Get"

Yeah, seems like Dicky has turned into an anti-vax nutjob (although nothing has actually been for sure confirmed on that front). People can hunt around for that discussion if they want to see the evidence, I don't really care to lay it out myself here. Suffice to say, assuming it's all true, I'm extremely glad they broke up before he came out as an anti-vaxxer and none of their work has to be sullied by whatever turn he's taken in the last year or two. Also, even though he was the singer and (usually) lyricist, the rest of the band wrote the music. It was hardly a one man effort. And he's not even the main guy people associate with the band, that's Nate Albert, the dancer. And good on the rest of the band for wanting nothing to do with it. The band always stood for a vision of progressive (even leftist) equity and justice and it's heartening that most of them are still committed to that - to the point of preferring the band not continue if they have to accommodate such backwards thinking.

Well put.