The Greatest Album Ever 01.24.06: Fugazi

Posted by Dusty Godwin on 01.24.2006

Just for Fugazi I took all the alcohol and tobacco ads out of my column...

It's been a good week for me, school started up which motivates me to do things like read and write but also I found a sweet deal on cds at a pawn shop. 4 cds for 15$ no way to beat that, and i'm not talking about crap either. Qotsa Rated R, Jay-Z The Blueprint, The Stooges Fun House and a Slick Shoes album it was tremendous anyway down to the brass tacks.

And The Winner Is:

13 Songs (1989)

The Straightest of the Straight Edge

Ian MacKayne: Vocals, Guitar
Guy Picciotto: Vocals, Guitar
Joe Lally: Bass
Brendan Canty: Drums



The Background
For all the things that Fugazi does different then every other band in the world they started pretty much the same way all of them do. Ian MacKayne who was already well-known amongst punk bands in the D.C. hardcore scene from his time in Minor Threat and Teen Idles meet up with another D.C. punk favorite Guy Picciotto formerly of Rites of Spring and the two formed Fugazi in 1987. Recruiting bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty for their rhythm section the band began to play their first live shows in 1988 and the style they were playing surprised everyone when the primal screams and chaos of Minor Threat and Rites of Spring was replaced with more melodic and structured songs. Of course being previously entrenched in the punk scene of D.C. helped the band gather a following rather quickly and the band released their first E.P. "Fugazi" in late 1988, "Fugazi" was quickly followed by the band's second E.P. "Margin Walker" in 1989. The two E.P.s showed off the strengths of the band mainly their rhythm section and the back and forth vocals of MacKayne and Picciotto. Of course the lyrics were equally strong but instead of focusing on the themes of Minor Threat the band focused on the disenfranchised feelings that many in the 80's were feeling.

The Fugazi E.P. also features what is arguably the band's most well-known song "Suggestion" which was written by MacKayne about the objectifying of woman but the thing that set the song apart was that MacKayne wrote it from the girl's point of view. The band combined the two E.P.s to create 13 songs the band's first album in 1989. This was followed by their first official album release in 1990. "Repeater" continued to show the growth of the band's two leaders from angry teen-agers to more mature but still angry adults. The album showed that the band was committed to their new artistic sound with songs like "Repeater" and "Styrofoam" featuring more dynamics and better guitar playing then what was seen in the two leaders earlier groups.

The band continued to show that they were for real with the release of 1991's "Steady Diet of Nothing" which saw the band expanding on the sound they were quickly becoming innovators of, with more complex arrangements and a larger sense of melody then what was found in the earlier albums. The band counter-acted this with the release of their next album "In On he Killtaker" in 1993 which showed that the band members might be able to make more melodic music but they were still angry about things in the world. "Killtaker"'s aesthetic was much angrier and more violent then the band's previous efforts but many of the songs still focused on themes of non-violence which of course was ironic when those lyrics were applied to the angry guitar that was behind it.

This contradiction could be seen at many of the bands live shows were there was moshing and chest-beating over lyrics of peace. The concerts also showed that the band was the type to stick to their principles as the group had come out as being anti-moshing and often times would stop their songs in the middle to calm down the aggressive crowds. It was also at this time that some of the band's other quirks came into play. They refused to play at shows that served alcohol and didn't allow minors in and wouldn't conduct interviews with any publication that gave space to alcohol and tobacco companies proving that while Minor Threat might have died the principles hadn't. The band also for all their success never tried to change the way they treated fans and were always trying to make the shows accessible to everyone with 10$ ticket prices and 10$ CDs.

Of course all these things only allowed the legend of Fugazi to grow as they gained fans worldwide because of their actions. While the band's ideals were still going strong the band was beginning to sputter as it took two more years for the band to appear with a new album "Red Medicine". "Medicine" again showed Fugazi adapting their sound with more experimentation and jam style playing put into the songs. Of course the band wasn't selling-out their earlier sound in favor of the style of "Red Medicine" but instead proving that they were more then capable of doing one type of album or song. Amidst rumors that the band was breaking up they released 1998's "End Hits" which again had the band keeping things interesting for themselves with unique arrangements and melodies. In 1999 the fans of Fugazi were given a treat when a video and soundtrack was made about the band. Years in the making by friend Jem Cohen the video had live performances, rare clips and even rarer interviews that the band had done.

The soundtrack also was a treat as it showed just how good the four were as musicians as it had several instrumental tracks as well as demos and jams collected from the band's career. 2001 saw Fugazi still kicking with the release of their sixth album "The Argument" which was released with an EP "Furniture" and showed that even after fifteen years as a group they could still bring the goods with a collection of songs that showed the band's rather eclectic influences and styles. The band has been relatively quiet since "The Argument's release but MacKayne is still heavily involved in his Dischord label and Picciotto has ventured into film-making.


The Album
"13 Songs" starts with one the strongest songs on the album in "Waiting Room" which opens with a catchy bassline before being accompanied by the palm-muted guitar line. This song is the perfect opener because it introduces the listener to Fugazi's sound right away. The chorus is a kind of controlled chaos with the cymbals crashing loudly over the fuzzed out guitar but when listened to closely it's clear that the band's intention was for it to sound like they were losing it when in fact they were in control the whole time. The song also introduces everyone to the singing style of Fugazi with Ian and Guy layering their vocals over one another. This is a great song to open the album as it immediately shows that the two singers aren't just living off past glories but have created something new and unique.

"Bulldog Front" is next and features Guy Picciotto on vocals which is something that Fugazi would help innovate as Ian and Guy would switch lead duties creating an excellent dynamic because their voices are so different. This song also features a cool guitar breakdown over the lyric "Let's knock and check to see if there's somebody home." Another interesting thing about the song is that the lyrics are sang in a offbeat syncopated way that is really different then the delivery of a lot of bands and even the lyrics are written in a unique way as it doesn't follow a strict rhythm pattern. Another good song that runs a little short but serves a purpose as it continues to establish Fugazi on the album as a different and unique band.

A catchy guitar riff bring in the next song "Bad Mouth" lead by Ian Mckayne, but this song reminds everyone that there is more to the band then their famous singers as the bassline for this song keeps the song driving and the bizarre drums of the verse and chorus keep the song interesting throughout. This is another quick song that shows off the band's musical muscle and also shows that they haven't let go of their punk roots with the time change during the bridge. Not much else to say because the song really ends before it can really get started which is disappointing because it sounded really interesting while it lasted.

"Burning" is next and the echo on the guitar and note bending really adds a sense of dread to this song that I interpret as being about conformity showing that the two singers are letting their old ideals die hard. An odd song that really focuses too much experimentation and sounds like it belongs on one of the band's later albums as the guitars have almost an industrial sound to them. Definitely a unique song to the album but its placement and sound make it stand out like a sore thumb next to the previous songs on the album.

"Give Me The Cure" again shows the band experimenting with their sound as the song is the first to have a guitar part that wasn't being assisted by a distortion pedal. The song doesn't lose any of its ominous nature however because of the vocal delivery of Guy and when the other guitar comes in it creates a nice contrast between the distorted and clean guitar. The band is really allowed to cut loose here on this song as the drums drive the bridge and lead to an intense ending that the song has been building up to. Also the band uses the dual vocals to great effect again as Guy sings over Ian's screamed vocals to create even more dynamics for the song.

Another well-designed and catchy riff ushers in "Suggestion" but again the band shows that they are unique by completely dropping the guitars for the first verse and allowing the rhythm section to shine. The use of dynamics is again very important in this song as the band keeps the listener on their toes by blending and taking away the instruments at different intervals. This song might as well be trademarked as your blueprint for almost every screamo song ever written. However, Fugazi set themselves apart on this song with the lyrics about misogynistic behavior and objecting woman but from the point of view of the woman. The lyrics are simply amazing especially the part after the bridge

"I've got some skin You want to look in She does nothing to deserve it He only wants to observe it We sit back like they taught us We keep quiet like they taught us He just wants to prove it She does nothing to remove it We don't want anyone to mind us So we play the roles that they assigned us She does nothing to conceal it He touches her 'cause he wants to feel it We blame her for being there But we are all guilty"

The lyrics are given extra emphasis by the sparse instrumentation that accompanies it. An amazing song that personifies Fugazi's image as a truly original band both musically but most important lyrically. "Suggestion" fades seamlessly into "Glue Man" which has the unenviable task of following what is possibly the best song on the whole album. However, Glue Man does a passable job as they mix up styles again with the vocals for "Glue Man gives it almost a grunge style sound. The song focuses on the disillusionment that taking drugs creates. The song musically accents the lyrical theme very well as the guitar sounds washed out and are heavily relying on distortion which creates this really interesting industrial style sound. An interesting song that might have done better being placed before Suggestion but by no means a bad effort.

Screeching guitars usher in "Margin Walker" which again uses odd dynamics to create an interesting song. The bassline is actually behind the rest of the instruments in tempo so when the drums and guitar speed up the bassline stands out. The drums are also excellent on this song as they drive the song because the bass is staying behind. The pattern that Canty uses keeps things moving but also adds a poppy sound to the song which is evidence that Fugazi could make it on the radio with ease if that was their desire.

"And The Same" continues the focus on the bass as it carries the song with another catchy bouncy riff. The guitars are also really interesting on this song as one is playing scarce distorted notes while the other strums out the melody. The music on this song is really good but the vocals are a miss for me as they are more spoken then sang and it sounds out of place. This song would be great if the vocals were sang differently as everything else in the song works out great but the vocals make this song one of the weaker on the album.

"Burning Too" sounds like a demo from a Minor Threat recording during the intro before dropping into a similar style of "Waiting Room" with the slow build to the chorus and a much softer tempo. The vocals are back to normal on this song and it helps the song as does the hard-hitting play of Canty. The band again mixes in time changes and interesting start-stop dynamics to keep the listener involved in the song. A cool-sounding breakdown brings the song to a close and moves us right into "Provisional".

Now "Provisional might make you wonder if you're still listening to Fugazi because it sounds like a completely different band in your stereo. The guitars are a lot cleaner then usual and have a much more upbeat sound to them, however once you hear the vocals it's unmistakably Fugazi. Despite sounding different then all the songs on the album "Provisional" is a good track that really gives the listener a chance to clear there heads after all of the feedback and distortion featured in the other tracks. The band also uses some interesting guitar effects on the bridge to make the song feel that much different. The only thing I would say is that the song would have probably served better in the middle of the album as a nice buffer between the first and second half of the record.

"Lockdown" returns to the more familiar sound of the album with the bass and distorted guitar taking center stage. The song is played with what feels like a sense of urgency as the tempo is faster then anything else on the album. The guitars and drums help the fierce feeling of the song but the screamed vocal delivery is what drives home the anger conveyed in the song's music. This song also acts a break although different then "Provisional" in that the song is a call back to old-school sounding punk songs which is something Fugazi had tried to avoid on the album, as every time they started to go that route they would do a time change or some other trick to change the song. This is a straight-ahead rock song that the listener doesn't expect as I kept waiting for the song to change speeds but then it just ends which is an interesting but pleasant surprise.

The straight-forward rock of "Lockdown" is perfect to lead into "Promises" which is a counter-point with its moody guitars and deliberate tempo. The two work great together to end the song with a one-two punch. The drum pattern on this song is great and interesting to listen to while the bass once again provides the anchor for the song. The breakdown to this song isn't necessarily loud but it maintains intensity thanks to the vocal delivery. The guitars almost seem absent from this song as they dwell before the other instruments adding a menace to the song that really helps it. Overall a tremendous song that is the perfect way to end the album and introduce the world to Fugazi.

Why The Greatest?

I was really torn when I started thinking of Fugazi for this column because Repeater and 13 songs could both be argued strongly as the greatest thing the band ever put out. However, in the context of what this column is about I had to go with 13 songs for three reasons, first is of course the innovation this album provided. 13 songs is a jumping off point for a lot of punk band to realize there was more out there then just a 2 minute 4/4 song. This is particularly interesting when you consider the main architect for Fugazi is Ian Mckayne whose Minor Threat used to use the exact formula Fugazi shuns. Now it's true that Fugazi is in there with a handful of artists who helped make the change but no one to that point had fused so many elements together so perfectly let alone on the first try. Songs like "Waiting Room", "Suggestion, "Promises, and "Give Me The Cure" are amazingly written and arranged using elements and styles that were completely new at the time.

Not only was the music more mature but the lyrics to their songs were also quite innovative for their time with "Suggestion" again being the prime example. Not only was the idea of singing about the objectification of woman very taboo but singing about it from a female perspective made it all the more amazing. The band's influence can directly be tied to their innovations as bits of Fugazi's sound and lyrical subject matter can be heard in tons of different band from tons of genres, bands like Nirvana(Polly anyone?), Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, From Autumn To Ashes and Avenged Sevenfold have all taken from Fugazi. Sadly Fugazi themselves suffer from the innovator syndrome in that they are not as popular as the bands they helped spawn but something tells me that they like it better that way. Aside from all the innovation and influence 13 songs stands at the top of Fugazi's catalogue as their purest and most original work.

The band would continue to evolve and change morphing their original sound and in the case of the later albums they seemed to be borrowing from themselves. The more experimental they got after Repeater the more the albums lacked consistency. The band got away from what worked best for them which was the use of the loud/soft and instrumental dynamics in favor of more abstract ideas which is fine if the band felt they needed to grow and don't get me wrong there are some good songs on the later albums none of them have the consistency or quality of material that 13 songs has on it. While the band is certainly not a one trick pony in terms of albums none of the later albums can even compete with the classic songs the band crafted on this disk. This was Ian and Guy's vision at its best which is why 13 songs has to be considered the Greatest Album Ever by Fugazi.