Customer Reviews

Exchange

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed this cd very much especially the AAA songs but the criminals are cool too! i cant wait for 24 roadside resistance!

Against All Authority's new split with The Criminals, Exchange, is fantastic. The whole CD is hyper and explosive, and is one of AAA's best efforts to date. The new version of "All Fall Down" is wild, and even better than the old one. I hope all up and coming AAA releases are as electric and addictive as this one, because it's simply perfection. The reason I marked it down a star is because the CD's so short, you'll want to listen to more than is on there.

I have owned about three copies of this release. Against All Authority is a band that can't be pigeon holed very easily. They mix in a blend of all out fast, snotty punk rock which rivals any other band in the genre. They separate themselves the most with the incorporation of a horn section, making fast, snarling punk songs with strong guitars, a solid rhythm section, and a singer who not only belts out the anthems against anything unjust, while playing his bass guitar at speeds a great deal of punk rock bass players could only dream of playing; while singing none the less. Agains All Authority are coupled with The Criminals, who are in my opinion, one of the best bands to hit the Bay Area scene with their finger in the air, yet empathetic approach to some of the toughest subjects we encounter in life. They have since broken up and I am not certain of the status of AAA, although, the Criminals ruled the straight out punk rock scene with comrades, The Nerve Agents, a much different and more straight forward AFI, The Swingin' Utters, and the Rancid family, among hundreds of other bands. They were fronted by Jesse Lucious, who still contributes a ton of knowledge and wisdom to a younger punk scene through his work with other bands and his work at Alternative Tentacles. Mike Sexx played the bass guitar for this band like the bass was about to go out of style. He was one of the people who gave me some of the first advise on how to tear it up on the four string and I will be forever greatful. Brady Ceasar, despite leaving the band after their second release, did all the guitar work for the Criminals and the second guitar player, who is exceptional as well, came in after all the Criminal recordings that I know of were complete. Brady is doing well and is not in any other bands that I know of although I see him in the SFC every now and then. AAA, and the Criminals are so punk that I don't think some can handle it. Their message is one of hope amongst a society of hypocrissy, liars, drug addiction, depression, silly scenesters, homophobes, homelessness, and police brutality.

This album contains some material that will not see the dawn of day after this release is well out of reach at most record shops. I recommend anyone who enjoys solid punk rock with attitude to get this. The bands play songs from each others' libraries. AAA playing the Criminal's masterpiece, "I Want to Stab You With Something Rusty", and the Criminals playing possible one of the best punk/ska songs ever, "All Fall Down", sans horns, which does not take away from the song in the least.

I grew up in the East Bay so call me bias, but this album is something that any true listener and appreciater of punk rock needs to have in their collection. It also benefits something that I see as a growing problem in my community and has touched so many loved ones and individuals that I know and care about. It benefits the Exchange Program, which provides clean needles and supplies for injection drug users. Having had my struggles and watching so many soldiers and comrades die from unnecessary disease transfer, I feel that clean needles, access to doctors and medicine for infection, detox, and other disorders, food, blankets, and other supplies are crucial in keeping people as safe as possible and making strides toward getting everyone a chance to start over. This record helps that ongoing fight. So, even if you are not into the bands, punk rock, ska, or whatever, you should buy the disc due to the cause alone. The music is as good as it gets in the genre and I feel that any true punk rocker, open minded person, and appreciator of music will enjoy, nay covet this album.