Customer Reviews

Always Was, Is and Always Shall Be

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The cover is misleading. Here we see GG as the trashy guy most people know. Strange, since he was much more human at this point. Kinda wild hair and clean shaven (there's a pic in this CD's booklet that shows this). And that's not the only thing different. The music is, well, music. None of the bashing scratching noise of his other stuff. And his voice? Rather than the deep bellow, his all snotty and punk. High pitch. The band? The Jabbers. Led by Rob Basso's solos (HOT!) with GG providing drums. A few guests pop up, GG's bro Merle on bass, an electric piano player (GASP!) and a trio of ladies who act as prostitutes on the comic "P***y Summit Meeting" and then provide backing vocals on "Cheri Love Affair." Sound quality is raw, just as it should be. The music is a twist of punk agression ("Bored To Death" is 100% punk) and some goofy power pop (the twisted bubblegum of "Unpredictable"). And is it obscene? Nah. Not really. Except for "@$$FACE," but at least it's kinda funny. There's a few slurs of swearing throughout the album, but there's no dog crap or perv sex like his other stuff.

Best tracks: Don't Talk To Me (punk masterpiece), I Need Adventure (rockin' riff and solo), Cheri Love Affair (groovy), and Automatic (crazy call and response vocals).

Enjoy, and BE CAREFUL OF HIS OTHER STUFF!!!!

New Hamshire's favorite son. Makes me proud to have come from there. Too bad his musical output went to hell so quickly after his first couple albums. He took himself too seriously, and thought he had to walk the walk, even if it meant plodding stupidly down into hell. But at his early peak, he was sublimely, beautifully obscene.

In a G.G. sense "Always, was, is and..." is a great album. Any G.G. fan knows the Jabbers (his backing band on this album) actually were a decent band. The playing is tight throughout the record. And there are even some PG-13 songs to be found as well!! Compared to later recordings G.G.'s voice sounds like it belongs to another person. Dare I say he hits a high note every so often!

The humor is more funny than sick on this one, as G.G. was only beggining to stir up the kind of trouble he is known for. The lyrics though not as sick as later outings, will by no means be confused with Dylan. For example from "Gimme some head" ............."hey now girls I want lip service. I don't wear a uniform and I'm not in the service." G.G. god love him. The tracks on this album became some of his best known "GSH", "You hate me, I hate you", "NYC tonite", "1980's rock and roll", and the (I'll be damned) toe tapper "Don't talk to me"

If you want a quick look into the career of G.G. go for the ROIR release "Hated in the Nation." If you want an album where you see where the G.G. we all know and hate started when the music actually mattered then go for this one. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Be careful with this one. Like ROCKA ROLLA, the sub-Rolling Stones-ish first record by Judas Priest, or WITH SYMPATHY, Ministry's new romantic debut, this album finds GG Allin in a very formative state, and those familiar with his later grimier work will wonder if possibly they're listening to the wrong CD. Allin was a much younger man when he recorded these songs, and he comes off as more of a snotty teenager than the embittered monstrosity we all eventually came to love.

This wouldn't be a problem (after all, I rather enjoy ROCKA ROLLA) if the songs were any good, but unfortunately for the most part, they're somewhat derivative late 70's New York-style punk rock, sounding like a lower-fi version of the Dickies at times. No doubt this then-new style of music must have been very influential to the young GG, but he doesn't really add anything to the genre. The only way he distinguishes himself is in the lyrics, which don't come close to the disgusting sentiments he'd later record, but are still fairly unique for the time in their hatred and nihilism.

The only song that really stands out is "Cheri Love Affair", primarily due to its awkward female backing vocals. I'm surprised GG even let them into the studio, considering in what low regard he seems to hold women on the rest of the album ("Beat, Beat, Beat", "Assface", "Don't Talk to Me", etc.). If you love early punk rock in all its forms, you might find this record charming. And if you're a GG-o-phile, then it's probably instructive to hear his early years like this. But if you own later GG "classics" like BRUTALITY AND BLOODSHED FOR ALL and YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME and you're looking for more of his madness to add to your collection, you might want to give this one a pass.

Well if your here, your obviously a G.G fan, so your probably going to hate this review. Honestly, these days G.G Allin isn't exactly my bag, but in my younger angrier days I loved him. It was during those days that I accidentally came across the Jabbers. I couldn't believe it was G.G. He was actually singing, and the Jabbers were putting together some of the most infectuious 80's punk tunes I have ever heard. It's been about 6 years now since I first started listening to these guys, and about the same amount of time since I've stopped listening to GG's solo stuff. For Jabber fans (or maybe just me), it's really a shame that G.G went through what he went through. The Jabbers could've been up there with Minor Threat as punk God's. "Bored To Death", "Don't Talk to Me", and "Unpredictable" are the highlights on this album, that is unfortunately missing "NYC Tonight".

GG Allin what can be said? This guy was controversial enough of a figure that he makes that gothic Manson guy look like a Chruch Youth leader. However his early stuff was nothing like the stuff he played near the end of his life. The backing band on this alblum The Jabbers were quite possibly the most talented of any band GG played with. On this alblum GG shows the talent he once utilised before trying to take his image as far over the edge as possible. I love all of GG's music but this alblum has to be his very best. An alblum that is needed in any punk collection.

This album was GG's first full length recorded effort. However, it is very different from what one would expect from this antisocial hooligan. Obviously in his formative years, GG has a surpisingly tunefully snotty punk voice, and the music recalls bands like the Stooges, the Dead Boys, the New York Dolls, and even a bit of 70's hard rock. The talent on this album floored me, and the songs almost have a poppy resonance. Songs like "Don't Talk to Me" could fit on the radio in between "My Sharona" and "Basket Case". But it equally ferocious and raw, which creates a perfect balance that is infectious.
The rhythm section is tight and punchy (and reportedly GG played some of the drums). GG Allin and the Jabbers make a pure masterpiece of early eighties punk rock, and this underappreciated gem should be picked up by anyone who likes the genre. There is a glimpse of the dementia to come in songs like "Beat Beat Beat" and "Automatic", but GG does it in a way that makes it tuneful like the Misfits. I would say that this is one of my favorite melodious punk albums, along with Misfits Walk Among Us.
For anyone who has seen pictures of GG during this time he looks oh so different as well.

This is the perfect album for any GG Allin starter set. Not as offensive as some of his later stuff, it has great music and great lyrics. "Don't Talk To Me" HAS TO BE THE BEST SONG EVER RECORDED! What can I say but true perfection! Music the way it is supposed be...

its missing alot a songs the record has more songs kinda pisses me off they should

have put all the same songs on there

This CD is a curious one. When this CD release first came out it was at the wrong recording speed (very rare)that sounded like The Chipmunks. All the material on this CD along with all the Jabber years of GG Allin are available from Black and Blue Records. The title is Banned In Boston which was released long before this CD and was also released on Vinyl back in the day. Banned in Boston has all of this material plus the singles from the Jabber years. Do yourself a favor and buy the Black and Blue CDs. Why pay the same $$ and get less. Now if you want the photos used in this packaging thats a reason to buy it or if you are a completist you'll need both.