22 BLACK RANDY AND THE METROSQUAD
Pass The Dust, I Think I’m Bowie
DANGERHOUSE, 1979
A telesales genius and notorious liar, as well as a lightning rod in the early LA scene, Black Randy – aka John Morris – died of an AIDS-related illness in 1988, having made three singles and this LP. Tone deaf and confrontational, his brand of black humour means an encomium to Idi Amin rubs shoulders with a cover of “Theme From Shaft”, but “I Wanna Be A Nark” – his gas station clerk’s fantasy of being a cop so he can bust the cool kids – encapsulates his malodorous beauty. JW
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23 THE JIM CARROLL BAND
Catholic Boy
ATCO, 1980
“I can remember when I was a kid going up to Times Square and it was this breathtaking scene of depravity, which I think every kid should be exposed to,” recalled Jim Carroll. Those formative influences come across on his debut, a Springsteen-ish approximation of Richard Hell that followed on from his 1978 heroin memoir, The Basketball Diaries. Beat poet Carroll was shepherded into rock’n’roll by former flatmate Patti Smith, and while fan Keith Richards could not be marshalled into producing Catholic Boy, it does feature a stylish Annie Liebovitz cover shot and memorable mass obituary, “People Who Died”. JW
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35 HüSKER Dü
Land Speed Record
NEW ALLIANCE, 1982
A triumphant homecoming. In the summer of 1981, Hüsker Dü toured the United States, plugging into local scenes from San Francisco (playing with Dead Kennedys) to Portland, Chicago and Vancouver (DOA; Subhumans). When they came back to play 7th Street Entry, a Minneapolis nightclub, they were enlightened, battle-hardened, and – as this demented 26-minute mono recording of the first of two sets on August 15 illustrates – finding wild rock’n’roll animus within the straightjacket of hardcore. Released later by Mike Watt’s label, the prospect of a “deluxe edition” including both sets remains a tantalising possibility. JR