Published on Sep 10, 1997
Could punk have a sense of humor?
Jello Biafra tried to inject some by covering “Viva Las Vegas”
with the Dead Kennedys. But The Dead Milkmen were, to my knowledge,
the most successful in their efforts, though they never rose above
the status of a novelty band. Too bad – though I always wished they
would have turned up their instruments, the musicianship was, at
times, quite good, and the lyrics could intermix comedy and social
commentary well. The vocals… well, two out of three ain’t
bad.
Their 1985 debut,
Big Lizard In My Backyard, put Rodney Anonymous and crew on
the map with “Bitchin’ Camaro,” a song which, with the opening
commentary removed, is probably barely a minute long. In fact, many
of the songs on this one – I count 21 on the tape, which has two
bonus tracks – are over before you know it. And while there are
some great moments on this one, it truly is a hit-or-miss
compilation.
Anonymous’s vocals occasionally sound like Johnny Rotten would
have if he came from California. The guitar work of Joe Jack Talcum
(well, at least you can laugh at the pseudonymns) is often hidden
in the mix – bad move, while the rhythm section of drummer Dean
Clean and bassist Dave Blood is surprisingly good. The biggest
negative – the poor production, which not only hides the guitar,
but often the vocals as well.
The highlights on this one are the moments that the band is at
its sharpest in both comedy and commentary. “V.F.W.” is a song
which will never make it onto radio, but shows how good the band
could sound with Talcum’s guitar in the forefront. The lyrics are
also powerful, slamming the poor condition of the society we live
in. The country overtones on “Rastabilly” have to be half-ass, or
it wouldn’t be so funny. And, as politically incorrect as it is,
“Takin’ Retards To The Zoo” bores its way into your brain, and
you’ll find yourself singing it out loud.
And many of the other tracks aren’t bad, they’re just nothing
special. If you based your opinion solely on the opening track
“Tiny Town,” you probably wouldn’t be looking forward to listening
to the rest of
Big Lizard In My Backyard. The problem is that many of the
songs on this one fall into this category – they’re okay for a few
listens, but quickly forgettable.
Of the tracks that are complete failures, “Spit Sink” and “Right
Wing Pigeons” are tracks you should quickly fast forward through.
The slower tempo of “Spit Sink” just doesn’t seem to blend with the
style of the Dead Milkmen, while “Right Wing Pigeon” is a poor
attempt at dance music. (They’d eventually get it right with
“Instant Club Hit”.)
I can’t speak for the CD – I picked up my copy of this album
back in the late ’80s – but the tape contains two bonus songs. Of
these, “Gorrilla Girl” is okay, but not incredible. The other,
“Tugena,” demonstrates the instrumental prowess of the Dead
Milkmen, but is a little too weird.
The Dead Milkmen are, without a doubt, an acquired taste that
you may not like on first listen. But give
Big Lizard In My Backyard a chance, and it will grow on you.
Had it been given a little more TLC in the production and mixing
departments, it may have been a debut legend in the punk world.