T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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In the early years of Los Angeles punk, one of the premiere hardcore bands was T.S.O.L., which stood for True Sounds of Liberty. Offering poppier music than many of their contemporaries and featuring an image that appealed to punks who wanted to dive deeper into the gothic subgenre already being offered by many British punk bands, T.S.O.L. became hugely popular on the local scene but never translated that success to national exposure because of their ever-shifting lineup and sound.

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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A significant group in L.A.'s late-'70s to early-'80s punk scene, Long Beach's T.S.O.L. (True Sound of Liberty) briefly flirted with pseudo radical politics on their exceptional self-titled debut EP, which included songs like "Abolish Government/Silent Majority" and "Property Is Theft." But that phase of the band didn't last long, as they cast away the politics in favor of horror-movie-inspired, gothy, Misfits-style shtick on their first full-length, Dance With Me. This album contains their most famous song, "Code Blue," an extremely catchy number about necrophilia, ever popular with young fans who scream for them to play it at every show. No mere footnote in punk rock history, T.S.O.L.'s early records are slam pit-inducing, infectious stuff. Dance With Me is loaded with fine numbers, including "Sounds of Laughter," "I'm Tired of Life," and "Die for Me." Other than the Misfits, no band has combined gothy subject matter and punk rock barre chords as well as T.S.O.L., who hit the nail on the head with this classic 1981 recording. ~ Adam Bregman, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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A significant group in L.A.'s late-'70s to early-'80s punk scene, Long Beach's T.S.O.L. (True Sound of Liberty) briefly flirted with pseudo radical politics on their exceptional self-titled debut EP, which included songs like "Abolish Government/Silent Majority" and "Property Is Theft." But that phase of the band didn't last long, as they cast away the politics in favor of horror-movie-inspired, gothy, Misfits-style shtick on their first full-length, Dance With Me. This album contains their most famous song, "Code Blue," an extremely catchy number about necrophilia, ever popular with young fans who scream for them to play it at every show. No mere footnote in punk rock history, T.S.O.L.'s early records are slam pit-inducing, infectious stuff. Dance With Me is loaded with fine numbers, including "Sounds of Laughter," "I'm Tired of Life," and "Die for Me." Other than the Misfits, no band has combined gothy subject matter and punk rock barre chords as well as T.S.O.L., who hit the nail on the head with this classic 1981 recording. ~ Adam Bregman, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Though True Sounds of Liberty are on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label, they should not be misconstrued as hardcore. T.S.O.L. is a terrific rock & roll band which has its own style and unique presentation, a punch that obliterates tired clichés and music without direction. The title track, "Beneath the Shadows," swims in perfect production from Thom Wilson, the slashing guitars finding a bed of other sounds to complement their bite. Jack Delauge's vocals have the right amount of angst and questioning of his plight on that tune as well as on "Walk Alone" on side two. "Soft Focus" opens the disc with a charging blitz which is one part Buzzcocks, two parts T.S.O.L. Where Texans the Delinquents were content to backup Lester Bangs or glorify the B-52's, True Sounds of Liberty really do sound as their name suggests, free from the constraints of redundant copying. So what if drummer Todd Scrivener can't do a drum roll, there's something solid and very rock & roll at work here. Be it the clever nuances of Greg Kuehn's keyboards in "Forever Old" or the smart intensity of the instrumental which opens side two, "Glass Streets," the band creates a mood which at times sounds like Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark battling the Clash. The dominating, buzzing guitar of "She'll Be Saying" could teach the mod "modern" rockers a thing or two. Scribbling leads cut through the dense forest of chaotic instrumentation, all coming to a halt as the keyboards bring in the title track which then re-invents Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog." And that's the key! Rather than merely copying, T.S.O.L. are exploring. The anti-thesis of "The Sound of Philadelphia" by MFSB from the disco decade before, there's enough slashing strings and artistry here to satisfy the most rabid fan of true rock & roll when college radio and rock stations forget what they're supposed to be playing. It's there in the evaporated love turned to anger in "Wash Away," as well as on the closing garage sounds of "Waiting for You." Heartbroken choruses which garner the band a Grade A for this excellent effort. ~ Joe Viglione, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Though True Sounds of Liberty are on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label, they should not be misconstrued as hardcore. T.S.O.L. is a terrific rock & roll band which has its own style and unique presentation, a punch that obliterates tired clichés and music without direction. The title track, "Beneath the Shadows," swims in perfect production from Thom Wilson, the slashing guitars finding a bed of other sounds to complement their bite. Jack Delauge's vocals have the right amount of angst and questioning of his plight on that tune as well as on "Walk Alone" on side two. "Soft Focus" opens the disc with a charging blitz which is one part Buzzcocks, two parts T.S.O.L. Where Texans the Delinquents were content to backup Lester Bangs or glorify the B-52's, True Sounds of Liberty really do sound as their name suggests, free from the constraints of redundant copying. So what if drummer Todd Scrivener can't do a drum roll, there's something solid and very rock & roll at work here. Be it the clever nuances of Greg Kuehn's keyboards in "Forever Old" or the smart intensity of the instrumental which opens side two, "Glass Streets," the band creates a mood which at times sounds like Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark battling the Clash. The dominating, buzzing guitar of "She'll Be Saying" could teach the mod "modern" rockers a thing or two. Scribbling leads cut through the dense forest of chaotic instrumentation, all coming to a halt as the keyboards bring in the title track which then re-invents Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog." And that's the key! Rather than merely copying, T.S.O.L. are exploring. The anti-thesis of "The Sound of Philadelphia" by MFSB from the disco decade before, there's enough slashing strings and artistry here to satisfy the most rabid fan of true rock & roll when college radio and rock stations forget what they're supposed to be playing. It's there in the evaporated love turned to anger in "Wash Away," as well as on the closing garage sounds of "Waiting for You." Heartbroken choruses which garner the band a Grade A for this excellent effort. ~ Joe Viglione, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Not only did Change Today signify a lineup overhaul for T.S.O.L., with singer/guitarist Joe Wood replacing Jack Grisham and drummer Mitch Dean replacing Todd Barnes, but it also marked quite a stylistic twist for the band. Known up to that time as a hardcore punk outfit, T.S.O.L. suddenly became much more of a traditional rock group with more in common with the Doors than the Damned. All things considered, Change Today is actually a fine album, most notable for its inspired songwriting and driving guitars. Songs such as "Black Magic," "Just Like Me," "Flowers by the Door," "American Zone," and "John" make for intelligent rockers. In addition "Red Shadows" and "It's Gray" became epic concert staples for the band, as evidenced by their Live album released in 1988. ~ Robert Gabriel, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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By the time that Revenge was released in 1986, T.S.O.L. was barely hanging on to the last strands of its punk rock past. Led by singer/guitarist Joe Wood, the band's sound began to resemble the morbid cock rock of groups such as Alice Cooper and Danzig much more than the sarcastic resistance rock of California counterparts such as the Circle Jerks and the Dead Kennedys. While lead guitarist Ron Emory and bassist Mike Roche did their best to maintain their mosh-pit sensibilities on manic rockers such as "No Time," "Madhouse," and "Change Today," at this point in their career T.S.O.L. was much more likely to produce a song such as "Memories," which is an introspective look at teenage love lost. An acoustic-oriented ode to "Revenge," as well as a tribute to death itself called "Colors (Take Me Away)" continued the trend toward rock simplicity. While the album does end with paranoia spreading in every direction by way of a song titled "Everybody's a Cop," Revenge is really not much more than a record aimed to appease the juvenile mind. ~ Robert Gabriel, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Although they had long hair and wore leather jackets, T.S.O.L. was a punk band originally, not hard rock. For the sonic proof, look no further than Rhino's reissue of the band's 1981 debut, Thoughts of Yesterday, which now also includes the debut from the T.S.O.L. splinter group, Tender Fury. It was in Tender Fury that the band played loose and bluesy rock & roll – on the track "Talk About Living," and singer Jack Greggors Grisham sounds like the big brother of the Cult's Ian Astbury. They play it fast and almost out-of-control on "Big E's Night Move," and romp through an inspired cover of David Bowie's 1979 classic "Look Back In Anger." But it's the T.S.O.L. punk material that they're best known for. Included are such angst-filled rants as "Property Is Theft," "Abolish Government/Silent Majority," "Superficial Love," and "World War III." One of their best songs from the debut is the title track, which is a surprisingly low-key and melodic number, which sticks out like a sore thumb amidst all the other furious thrashers. ~ Greg Prato, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Although they had long hair and wore leather jackets, T.S.O.L. was a punk band originally, not hard rock. For the sonic proof, look no further than Rhino's reissue of the band's 1981 debut, Thoughts of Yesterday, which now also includes the debut from the T.S.O.L. splinter group, Tender Fury. It was in Tender Fury that the band played loose and bluesy rock & roll – on the track "Talk About Living," and singer Jack Greggors Grisham sounds like the big brother of the Cult's Ian Astbury. They play it fast and almost out-of-control on "Big E's Night Move," and romp through an inspired cover of David Bowie's 1979 classic "Look Back In Anger." But it's the T.S.O.L. punk material that they're best known for. Included are such angst-filled rants as "Property Is Theft," "Abolish Government/Silent Majority," "Superficial Love," and "World War III." One of their best songs from the debut is the title track, which is a surprisingly low-key and melodic number, which sticks out like a sore thumb amidst all the other furious thrashers. ~ Greg Prato, allmusic.com

Under the wing of the legendary punk producer Kevin Army (GREEN DAY), Pariah appeared on the Rodney On The Roq # 3 compilation album on Posh Boy in 1982 and on Not So Quiet On The Western Front on Alternative Tentacles in 1983. This achievement led Pariah to release their debut album Youths Of Age the same year. This is classic L.A. power pop punk tunes with a positive attitude, as hits like "White Line", clearly speak against drug use in the 80's. ~ amazon.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Although they had long hair and wore leather jackets, T.S.O.L. was a punk band originally, not hard rock. For the sonic proof, look no further than Rhino's reissue of the band's 1981 debut, Thoughts of Yesterday, which now also includes the debut from the T.S.O.L. splinter group, Tender Fury. It was in Tender Fury that the band played loose and bluesy rock & roll – on the track "Talk About Living," and singer Jack Greggors Grisham sounds like the big brother of the Cult's Ian Astbury. They play it fast and almost out-of-control on "Big E's Night Move," and romp through an inspired cover of David Bowie's 1979 classic "Look Back In Anger." But it's the T.S.O.L. punk material that they're best known for. Included are such angst-filled rants as "Property Is Theft," "Abolish Government/Silent Majority," "Superficial Love," and "World War III." One of their best songs from the debut is the title track, which is a surprisingly low-key and melodic number, which sticks out like a sore thumb amidst all the other furious thrashers. ~ Greg Prato, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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By 1987, T.S.O.L. had completed its transformation from a dark, gloomy skate-metal outfit to a bluesy bar band. Musically, Hit and Run would fit in comfortably with the Cult's Electric (which is fitting since the Cult underwent a similar transformation) or Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, a rather odd fit from a band that was earlier compared to Bad Religion and even the Dead Kennedys. Unfortunately, T.S.O.L. lacks the clever songwriting, outstanding personality, and superior production that those two albums had. Though there are occasional standout moments, like the harmonica in the cover of Leadbelly's "Good Mornin' Blues," the sometimes poignant lyrics to the power ballad "You Can Try," and the hard rocking "The Name is Love," they are few and far between. Too much of this is generic, run-of-the-mill hard rock, without any distinction. Singer Joe Wood is appropriately raspy, but he lacks the charisma of Ian Astbury (let alone Axl Rose) and his lyrics are mostly forgettable. The rest of the band is even more anonymous, competent but hardly earth-shattering. Hit and Run is fairly accurate in representing T.S.O.L.'s later career, but probably won't be of much value to anyone but hardcore fans. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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By 1987, T.S.O.L. had completed its transformation from a dark, gloomy skate-metal outfit to a bluesy bar band. Musically, Hit and Run would fit in comfortably with the Cult's Electric (which is fitting since the Cult underwent a similar transformation) or Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction, a rather odd fit from a band that was earlier compared to Bad Religion and even the Dead Kennedys. Unfortunately, T.S.O.L. lacks the clever songwriting, outstanding personality, and superior production that those two albums had. Though there are occasional standout moments, like the harmonica in the cover of Leadbelly's "Good Mornin' Blues," the sometimes poignant lyrics to the power ballad "You Can Try," and the hard rocking "The Name is Love," they are few and far between. Too much of this is generic, run-of-the-mill hard rock, without any distinction. Singer Joe Wood is appropriately raspy, but he lacks the charisma of Ian Astbury (let alone Axl Rose) and his lyrics are mostly forgettable. The rest of the band is even more anonymous, competent but hardly earth-shattering. Hit and Run is fairly accurate in representing T.S.O.L.'s later career, but probably won't be of much value to anyone but hardcore fans. ~ Victor W. Valdivia, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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Few bands in the history of rock have undergone a more radical transformation than TSOL. In the early 1980s, TSOL (whose name stands for Today's Sounds of Liberty or True Sounds of Liberty) was a hardcore punk unit known for its angry protest songs and left-leaning politics. But when Strange Love came out in 1990, TSOL were long-haired headbangers with a commercial hard rock/metal style along the lines of AC/DC, Dokken and Accept. Instead of voicing their disdain for Ronald Reagan or decrying the exploitation of the working class, TSOL had turned its attention to all-night parties and women in skin-tight dresses and high heels. Compare an early TSOL recording like 1981's "Superficial Love" to anything on this CD, and it's hard to believe it's even the same band. There were those who cried "Sellout!," but the fact remains that songs like "White Lightning," "Hell on Earth" and "One Shot Away" are spirited, fun and entertaining. Though it may not be in a class with AC/DC's Highway To Hell, Strange Love isn't anything to be embarrassed by either. ~ Alex Henderson, allmusic.com

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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The first five tracks on this reissue of TSOL's pair of 1981 EPs are from their s/t debut, which are fast, energetic, angry, urgent, in a word - TIMELESS. Jack Grisham, Ron Emory, Mike Roche, and Todd Barnes (RIP) made some of the greatest incendiary political punk in their day. With songs like the classic anarchic anthem "Abolish Government/Silent Majority" - with its pleas to the masses to "wake up" and the socialist-leaning "Property Is Theft" - despite the clashing of ideologies, their displeasure of American government is so visceral, so articulate, it's almost tangible. The furious opener, the glorious "Superficial Love", features the greatest lyrics on the s/t EP: "But that's the American way; what it is to be free/If that's what they call freedom, it is not for me/President Reagan can shove it!", whilst on the last track of this EP, "World War III", Grisham ponders, "Where do I stand in this form of power?/Where do I sit in this government?"

Then it's on to the "Weathered Statues" side…what can be said? This is truly the masterpiece of the album. It opens with "Man and Machine", a fast-paced hardcore tune not unlike those found throughout the s/t EP, but after which, TSOL explore the darker, more goth side of their sound. One must look at these two EPs chronologically, as they sandwich TSOL's 1981 debut LP 'Dance With Me', the finest piece of American punk - EVER - in this reviewer's mind. Now, this LP showcases the foursome's foray into the macabre, and fittingly, the first release following it, the "Weathered Statues" EP, follows in this dark vein. Likewise, the guys had pretty much forsaken their penchant for socio-political commentary after releasing their first EP.

The two standout compositions out of the four from the "Weathered Statues" EP are the title track, which is on a par with the frightening "Silent Scream" from 'Dance With Me' and the penultimate track "Thoughts of Yesterday". On the former, though, for full effect, Jack's vocals are reminiscent of the legendary prince of darkness Vincent Price (!), as he sings of old soldiers who are forgotten and abandoned by those they saved ("Lonely men who are tortured, once proud but now forlorn/Gnarled hands hold canes, where guns once were before"), all enveloped in Emory's eerily winding guitars and a forboding bassline. "Thoughts of Yesterday" is quick-paced but still dark and full of poetical, depressing lyrics dealing with heartache and regret - undoubtedly the most affecting offering. Just take one of the final lines, "Watching, waiting silent there, children running as were my tears." Melodramatic and exaggerated, perhaps, but how wonderfully powerful it is! All this is accentuated by ethereal guitar work and a steady rhythm section.

The "Weathered Statues" EP ends with "Word Is", which is dominated by a ska vibe. Despite this more upbeat rhythm, the frustrated love themed lyrics are still gloomy, woe-is-me, and full of longing ("Look to my eyes, tell me what you see/I'm empty inside but a small part of me is listening to rumours and believeing lies/That part's always searching but it's never finding"). And after this release, TSOL would go in yet ANOTHER direction…for more on the ongoing saga of TSOL's ever-evolving sound, check out their second LP 1982's 'Beneath The Shadows' for a real treat. ~ JanelleJ, punknews.org

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T.S.O.L. - Partially Discography (13CD, 1981-1997)

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