Record of Convictions

Scofflaws | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 6, 1998)
• Original Release Date: October 6, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Moon Ska/Caroline
• ASIN: B00000ADHJ
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,510 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Show Band Anthem

2. I Can't Decide

3. What I Think

4. In the Basement

5. Any Way the Wind Blows

6. Soul Twist

7. Lost to the T.V.

8. Ga Juma

9. Beautiful Vice

10. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

11. College Student

12. Oh Hold With Quackie

13. Rumanian Ska

14. Don't Listen to Your Monkey

15. Estellina

16. Nightmare

17. Time of the Season

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Scofflaws: Record of Convictions, November 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Record of Convictions (Audio CD)

In the midst of a declining ska scene in the US, littered with dozens of mediocre new bands and their legions of apparently deaf fans, The Scofflaws continue to play some of the best new ska music, largely unnoticed by newcomers. The Scofflaws' previous album, "Ska in Hi-Fi", remains one of the best 3rd wave ska albums ever recorded, and firmly established the New York band among the leaders in ska in the mid 1990's. Although this album is perhaps a hair in quality below their last one, it is still quite good and certainly among the best 3 ska records of 1998.

"Record of Convictions" is helped by the excellent sound quality, and has a few knock-out songs, but there are unfortunately a number of mediocre ones that suffer mainly from underdeveloped lyrics. Former Long Island bus driver Sammy Brooks' position at the mic has been usurped by trombonist Buford O'Sullivan, who sings on more than half of the songs. He's great at the points where the lyrics are developed, but just doesn't cut it on songs where he's trying to do too much, like on "College Student", which is an example of the tunes that had potential but fall to filler status on the album. The bald-headed O'Sullivan was welcome in his periodic vocal role on "Ska in Hi-Fi", but his prominant position on the new record upsets the brilliantly obnoxious chemistry of the band, which was previously centered around the charismatic Brooks and his womanizing, slacker persona.

The best thing about "Ska in Hi-Fi" was that it was great to play loud at parties, and because there were no mediocre songs, you could just let it run. This new record is still a rowdy party album, and there are even some promising radio-friendly songs on it, so maybe we'll be hearing it at least on college radio in 1999.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Album, August 17, 2004

By 

Rudeboi Junglist (ATL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Record of Convictions (Audio CD)

This is a pretty good album. Buford O Sullivan is my favorite member of this band. Top notch 3rd Wave Ska