Milo Goes to College

1982年、バンドメンバーの多くが高校を卒業する頃にリリースされた、ポップ・パンクというジャンルの原点のひとつとして知られる名作が再発。率直で若々しい歌詞とは裏腹に、演奏は当時台頭していたハードコア勢に勝るとも劣らない激しさと勢いを持っており、まさに一線を画す存在。この絶妙なバランスは長年にわたって彼らの魅力となり、後に続く数えきれないほどのバンドに影響を与え(中には彼らより有名になったバンドも)、その存在感を確固たるものにしてきました。43年の時を経て、Descendentsはすべての始まりとなったこのアルバムを、自らの手で再び世に送り出します。

And indeed, since he was heading off to do just that, the Descendents bowed out the earliest phase of its existence with another collection of blink-and-you'll-miss-it songs about life, love, girls, losers, and, of course, food. Starting with the classic rip-and-riff of "Myage," which started a long-standing trend of Descendents songs ending with "-age," the four-piece pureed everything it loved -- pop hooks, punk and hardcore thrash, and whatever else it enjoyed -- and came up with an unpretentious, catchy winner. The playing of the core band is even better than before, never mistaking increased skill with needing to show off; the Lombardo/Stevenson rhythm section is in perfect sync, while Navetta provides the corrosive power. Add in Aukerman's in-your-face hilarity and f*ck-off stance, and it's punk rock that wears both its adolescence and brains on its sleeve. Aukerman lets his heart slip through more than once amid all the hilarious descriptions and putdowns, like the slow-burn introduction to "Catalina," with Navetta's guitar the perfect snarling counterpoint. There are a couple of moments where the band's young age is all too obvious -- the trendoids slammed in "Loser" deserve the total trashing given, but the casual homophobia is unfortunate no matter where you stand. As for "Kabuki Girl," you've got to wonder. Generally, though, this is smart, sly music and words coming from people interested in creating their own lives and style as opposed to following trends. There's "Tonyage," another rant against punk/new wave wannabes who "were all surfers last year"; the wise-in-advance-of-its-years "I'm Not a Punk," perhaps the band's greatest song; and the power-singalong "Suburban Home," with its spoken-word start and ending, "I want to be stereotyped, I want to be classified!" The music never stops, neither does the energy -- an instant party album of its own kind. ~ Ned Raggett