Flesh Eaters (EP)
Flesh Eaters, also known as Disintegration Nation[1] after the title of its opening track, is the four-song debut EP by American rock band the Flesh Eaters.
Flesh Eaters | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 1978 | |||
Recorded | Summer 1978 | |||
Studio | Alleycat House | |||
Genre | Punk rock | |||
Length | 7:34 | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | Upsetter | |||
Producer | ||||
The Flesh Eaters chronology | ||||
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Background
At the beginning of 1978,[2][3] just a few months after being formed, the Flesh Eaters, in an early lineup composed of their founder, the singer and songwriter Chris Desjardins (pka Chris D.), guitarist Tito Larriva,[2][3] bassist John Richey, and drummer Joe Nanini, went into a studio for their first time, with Randy Stodola of the Alley Cats as producer and engineer, to record early versions of the songs "Disintegration Nation", "Agony Shorthand", and "Twisted Road",[2][3] which, as they were supposed to be demos only,[3] remained unreleased until 2004, when they were featured as bonus tracks on the CD reissue[nb 1][4][5] of No Questions Asked,[2] the band's first full-length album originally released in 1980.[nb 2][6]
Shortly after, still in 1978, Chris D. would come back to Stodola's studio for a second session, this time backed by the members of the pioneering punk rock band the Flyboys,[nb 3][1][7][8] to record what would be the debut release of his band.[9]
Production and release
The Flesh Eaters EP, produced and engineered by Randy Stodola at Alleycat House, his four-track home studio,[9] was released in 1978 on Upsetter Records, in 7-inch vinyl disc format.[nb 4][10]
Critical reception
In his biography of the Flesh Eaters for Perfect Sound Forever, Jay Hinman said that:
"... [The Flesh Eaters EP], with just a hint of the ferocity of the LPs to come, is full of jagged, blazing glory, with a touch of rockabilly adulation and an up-front, slashing guitar sound that laid down a subsequent trademark."[1]
Trouser Press, for its part, commented:
"... to record the first Flesh Eaters EP", "[Chris] Desjardins ... borrowed an existing band – LA's flower-punk Flyboys —". "'Twas a wise choice: the trebly, hyperkinetic playing matches him lunge for lunge on four breathless numbers, including the well-beyond-Costello conflagration "Radio Dies Screaming.""[8]
Disintegration Nation EP
Disintegration Nation | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | 2011 | |||
Recorded | Early 1978 | |||
Studio | Alleycat House | |||
Genre | Punk rock | |||
Language | English | |||
Label | TKO | |||
Producer | Randy Stodola | |||
The Flesh Eaters chronology | ||||
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Disintegration Nation is an archival 7-inch EP featuring, for the first time on vinyl,[3] and as a stand-alone release, the first studio recordings by the Flesh Eaters. It consists of demo versions[3] of the songs "Disintegration Nation", "Agony Shorthand", and "Twisted Road",[2][3] recorded at the beginning of 1978,[2][3] just a few months after the band was formed, at the four-track home studio of Randy Stodola, who produced and engineered the session, with Chris D. on vocals, Tito Larriva on guitar,[2][3] John Richey on Bass, and Joe Nanini on drums. The three songs would be re-recorded soon after, with revamped lineup, for the band's 1978 self-titled debut EP.[9]
The Flesh Eaters's first ever studio session was first released in 2004, as bonus tracks, on the CD reissue[nb 1][4][5] of No Questions Asked,[2] the band's 1980 first studio album.[nb 2][6]
The Disintegration Nation EP was released on July 15, 2011, on TKO Records,[nb 5][3][11] as a limited edition of 500 copies,[3] featuring cover art by Chris D.[3]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Chris Desjardins, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Disintegration Nation" |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Agony Shorthand" | Joe Ramirez | |
2. | "Twisted Road" |
Reissues
In 1979, a remixed version of "Disintegration Nation" was featured, retitled as "Version Nation", on the Tooth and Nail compilation album.[nb 6][1][12]
In 1989, the Flesh Eaters EP was repressed featuring yellow disc labels[13] instead of the original in white.[10][14]
In 2004, the EP, in its entirety, was included as bonus tracks, on the Atavistic Records' remastered CD reissue[nb 1][4][5] of the band's first studio album, No Questions Asked, originally released in 1980 on Upsetter.[nb 2][6]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Chris Desjardins, except where noted
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Disintegration Nation" | 1:52 | |
2. | "Agony Shorthand" | Joe Ramirez | 2:01 |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Radio Dies Screaming" | John Curry, Scott Lasken | 2:07 |
2. | "Twisted Road" | 1:34 | |
Total length: | 7:34 |
Personnel
The Flesh Eaters
- Chris Desjardins (aka Chris D.) – vocals
- John Curry – guitar
- Scott Lasken – bass
- Dennis Walsh – drums
Production
- Randy Stodola – co-production, engineering
- Flesheaters – co-production
- Chris Desjardins (credited as CD) – graphic design (front cover), photography (inner sleeve)
- Judith Bell – graphic design (disc labels), typography
- G Hitler – graphic design (disc labels), typography
- Richard Paulsen – illustration (back cover collage)
- Bonnie Ballistic – illustration (back cover drawing)
- J. Jennik – photography (inner sleeve)
- John Curry – photography (inner sleeve)
Notes
- Atavistic #ALP143CD
- Upsetter #UPCJ 34
- Who by that time had become a power trio because of the death of David Wilson (aka David Way) in a car accident in early 1978.
- Upsetter #UPSET 8
- TKO #Round 183
- Upsetter #UP WR 1&2
References
- Hinman, Jay (January, 2001). "The Flesh Eaters: Heavy Punk Thunder from the Lake of Burning Fire" Archived 2014-04-20 at the Wayback Machine. Perfect Sound Forever. Archive index at the Wayback Machine
- Jelly, Kames (July 27, 2009). "L.A. Punk Vol. 3- The Flesh Eaters". New Jersey Noise. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- TKO Records (November 19, 2011). "Chris D. of the Flesh Eaters Pizza Party". TKO Records. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- The Flesh Eaters, No Questions Asked, 2004 CD reissue. AllMusic. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
- The Flesh Eaters, No Questions Asked, 2004 CD reissue cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. Record Collectors of the World Unite. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- The Flesh Eaters, No Questions Asked, 1980 LP release cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. Record Collectors of the World Unite. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Neff, Joseph (July 24, 2014). "Graded on a Curve: The Flesh Eaters, A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die". The Vinyl District. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- Young, Jon; Sprague, David. "Flesh Eaters". Trouser Press. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- Bernadicou, August (January 8, 2015). "Just an Alley Cat: Randy Stodola Speaks!". Teenage News. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- Flesh Eaters, 1978 7-inch EP release cover art Archived 2016-03-15 at the Wayback Machine. Record Collectors of the World Unite. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- Disintegration Nation, 2011 7-inch EP release cover art Archived 2016-03-14 at the Wayback Machine. Record Collectors of the World Unite. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Various artists, Tooth and Nail, 1979 LP cover art Archived 2016-10-20 at the Wayback Machine. Record Collectors of the World Unite. Retrieved May 23, 2016.
- Flesh Eaters, 1989 7-inch EP repressing cover art Archived 2016-03-08 at the Wayback Machine. Record Collectors of the World Unite. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
- The Flakes (October 25, 2007). "Flesheaters – S/T E.P 7″". Killed By Death Records. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
External links
Reviews
- Hinman, Jay (January, 2001). "The Flesh Eaters: Heavy Punk Thunder from the Lake of Burning Fire". Perfect Sound Forever. Archived from the original on April 20, 2001.
- Young, Jon; Sprague, David. "Flesh Eaters". Trouser Press.
- Jelly, Kames (July 27, 2009). "L.A. Punk Vol. 3- The Flesh Eaters". New Jersey Noise.
Images
- The Flesh Eaters, cover art. Record Collectors of the World Unite.
- Flesh Eaters, 1978 7-inch EP release cover art. Discogs.
Databases
- Flesh Eaters. Discogs.
- Flesh Eaters. Rate Your Music.
- Flesh Eaters. Punky Gibbon.
- Disintegration Nation. Discogs.
- Disintegration Nation. Rate Your Music.
- Disintegration Nation. Punky Gibbon.