#thelemonheads released a trio of great punky pop (not pop-punk) albums to close out the '80s before releasing the suck-fest that is "it's a shame about ray". I could write a thesis about how much I hate that fucking album. Somehow the lemonheads later releases haven't ruined their once-great discography like other bands shit platters through the '90s and beyond (ahem... it should have been Lars.) I originally found this album my senior year of high school after my parents had relocated our family to rural hell. I had it on cassette and would listen to it on the long bumpy country school bus rides. I can vividly remember on those bus rides relishing the dichotomy of my personal soundtrack of bratty, punky vocals over short sharply catchy songs to the garth brooks/randy travis country twang soundtrack of dairy farms and corn fields. I clung to my music (and my mohawk) in defiance of the redneck culture I was thrust into. At the school I was actually relatively popular with the locals being a novel urban caricature, and I didn't hate that. I played the part well. I amplified all the "punk"ness I could muster. I dared people to call me out. At the time i believed i was presenting an alternative to their hick culture, but if I'm totally honest now there was a large chunk of attention seeking in my defiance. This album was a big part of that, the locals thought it was just loud screechy noise and I liked them marveling at how someone could enjoy this "music". Then the '90s alternative nation shit happened and made punk cool and made the lemonheads suck. My thunder stolen.
