OFF! - Compared To What / Rotten Apple

OFF! - Compared To What / Rotten Apple

RECORDED

Kingsize Soundlabs, Los Angeles, CA

RELEASED

2011

Southern Lord

P.S.: The album was avaiable in three versions: Black vinyl with "L.A. Riots" jacket, Red vinyl with "L.A. Riots" jacket & Blue vinyl with "Vans" jacket (avaiable only on tour and briefly from Southern Lord's mailorder).

PERSONNEL

Dimitri Coats - Guitar

Keith Morris - Vocals

Mario Rubalcaba - Drums

Steven McDonald - Bass

Aaron Edge - Designer, Construction

Andrew Lynch - Assistant Engineer

Brad Boatright - Mastering

Dimitri Coats - Producer

Steven McDonald - Mixing, Recording

TRACK LISTING

01 Compared To What (Gene McDaniels)

02 Rotten Apple (Chris Tinker)

REVIEW

Before embarking on their first national tour, OFF! solicited fans via Facebook for suggestions for cover songs to be featured on this seven-inch. Ignoring the fans' obvious suggestions (including my own Alice Cooper pitch...*sniff sniff*), they picked two fairly obscure songs that despite being written over a decade before any band member first recorded music, sound like they were specifically composed for the band. 

"Compared to What", the A-Side is a cover of a Eugene McDaniels* composition. Although the band supplies new backing music that fits in line with their short, snappy hardcore, Morris interjects his vitriolic snarl into the lyrics. Where McDaniels' version seem to be a call together for the oppressed, Morris' take on the lyrics seem to be warning the oppressor to just back up, man, Just. Back. Up! 

The B-side, "Rotten Apple" is a cover of an obscure tune by the regional garage band ID. The lyrics fit perfectly to OFF!'s themes of not quite fitting in anywhere and being forced into clothes that don't quit fit. While the original had a good-timey bop despite its down lyrics, OFF! once again rev up the engine and make the song not so much a fun time as an angry one. 

Only about a year old, OFF! has already released a 7" box set, a live EP, and a covers single. If they can keep up that pace with this level of quality, then the best musical output of these individuals artists is likely yet to come.

John Gentile

http://www.punknews.org/review/10215/off-compared-to-what-7-inch

DOWNLOAD

http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?083x323w9gngobw