LUCKY STIFFS
"Gold
in Peace, Iron in War" (Pirates Press; 2006)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
"Gold in Peace, Iron in War" is plucky punk rock that's not as rough as The Sex Pistols but nowhere near as smooth as, say, Blink 182 (thank goodness). Instead, the CD stands out as an enjoyable missing link between punk that's too radio friendly and punk that's too coarse for the masses.
That being said, "Gold in Peace" never really grabs the listener, either. It's certainly entertaining enough so that you won't be reaching for the Stop button at any time of its just over 30-minute running time, but you probably won't find yourself itching for another listen anytime soon either.
Some of this may be the problem of the CD's substandard production. Now, I know that many punk bands don't want slick, crisp production because sometimes punk sounds better without it. But "Gold in Peace" isn't so much roughly produced as it is muddy. "Gold in Peace, Iron in War" would be a much better record with better production in place.
Kudos must go to the creators of the CD package, however. "Gold in Peace" is sold in a tri-peace cardboard folder with beautiful artwork (including a great picture of the band) and a large Lucky Stiffs poster, complete with information on how to paste it on your favorite record stores' wall. The poster is so nice, however, I don't think many of them are going to pasted there.
For more information, check out www.theluckystiffs.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2007 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 18 Mar 2024 13:23:52 -0500.
