Forty years ago, Dead Boys were a punk-rock band that looked dangerous and sounded threatening. They had one great song, the nihilistic anthem “Sonic Reducer,” and broke up two years later. Given the nostalgia surrounding the original punk wave, it’s not surprising that Dead Boys would regroup despite the absence of singer Stiv Bators, dead since 1990. Rather than struggle with new material, they revisited their singular accomplishment, their 1977 debut album, Young, Loud and Snotty, and rerecorded it. Yes, they’re still loud. Snotty? I’ll take their word for it. Young? Forget it! They cut the new version in a three-day blaze, determined to rekindle the energy. It sounds OK but why not hunt down a copy of the original. I hear vinyl has made a comeback…
Dead Boys: Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40! (Plowboy Records)
