One of the better slices of KBD here on the ebay machine:
The Authorities - Soundtrack For Trouble e.p.
2 different tracks on here were comped on the original Killed By Death anthology, and I have to say it’s not a surprise those are the better of the four songs by a long shot. The opener “Achtung!” is in my opinion spotty at best. For almost the first minute it doodles around with a surfy intro reminicient of the Wipers that just doesn’t work for me. In the hands of another band it could be frantic or sinister, but here it just sounds dry and unnecessary. Something to pad out this side of the record. When the main riff kicks in it doesn’t have much to do with the intro portion, and instead takes a simplified Dead Kennedys kind of approach with a decent overview of the problems that were facing Reaganized America at the time. Again what could be a great spiraling start-stop hardcore track is left limp in the hands of the Authorities. The vocals are trying too hard to stay on key, and not hard enough to sound pissed, the riffs sound circusy. Basically this is a terrible start to a highly collectible EP. Sorry folks that’s the truth from my perspective, this song is unremarkable in its blandness.
Track 2 is a hit though - “I Hate Cops”. The opening lines: “I hate cops/They’re all fuckin’ piggers” is sung with such obnoxiousness that you know this dude really does hate cops, as opposed to his half-hearted “lets drop the bomb”-s in Achtung. The chorus, a simple “I-Hate-Cops” set to a great melodic and speedy riff. In addition to being on Killed By Death vol. 1, this song was on 2 different Mystic records comps. It’s a one-hit-wonder style classic.
Flip over to the B-side for “Radiation Masturbation”, the other “hit”. This song is great goofy punk wave, like a bunch of striped shirt fools hopped up on goofballs. It’s total nonsense and I’m a little lost as to how it fits with the vibe of the other songs on the record, but it’s catchy and that counts for a lot. It’s also the archetypal KBD style punk song. It’s mildly offensive, a little bit goofy, melodic, and energetic. The last song “Shot In The Head” tries to work a half decent call/response setup around a couple 2nd tier riffs that kind of ensures you won’t remember this song.
I say you’re fine with just a copy of KBD 1. It’s got the 2 songs you’ll actually care about heaing a 2nd time.
I kinda disagree. I think this one rips all the way through. Its what I think of when of a mixed punk-HC california sound with chops and variety. Their unreleased LP isn’t very memorable, but to miss this EP and just get KBD 1 would be like only hearing the Teen Idles on Flex Your Head. Or judging Agent Orange solely by “Bloodstains”. I remember an article in that old Tower records music mag (probably in ‘93) about how the guy knew the band and the guitarist, a big fat guy like Pig Champion, OD’d in a public restroom.