Go Girl Crazy

Along with bands like the Stooges and the New York Dolls, The Dictators are often cited as an early punk-rock prototype. Like the Dolls, the Dictators brought humor to the table, paving the way for later bands like the Meatmen and Fear to pepper their growling punk-rock guitars with absurdly puerile lyrics. Unfortunately, fans of 1975 hard rock didn’t quite know what to make of this New York outfit’s slice ’n’ dice guitars covering sunny California pop tunes like “I Got You Babe,” or their cheesy, self-proclaimed greatness (“The Next Big Thing”). Their somewhat awkward stabs at social commentary and humor were probably over the heads of many at the time, but there’s a direct line from the anthemic chorus and meathead sentiments of “Master Race Rock” to Black Flag’s “T.V. Party” six years later. Andy Shernoff’s vocals were surprisingly smooth and palatable, and respectably strong hooks carried most tracks. Any American punk discography should include this, the Dictators’ debut release. Not only will it serve neatly in connecting the limbs of the punk-rock family tree, but it’s still a heck of a lot of fun to listen to.