OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Mar 11, 2025 3:25 pm He released their first EP himself

Is that Ruthless? I thought that whole deal was a "label" bands could slap on their essentially self-releases to be taken more seriously by distributors.

He certainly helped them out, likely recorded them for very cheap, no doubt. I don't recall him ever saying they were mind blowing or anything like that.

penningtron wrote:

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Mar 11, 2025 3:25 pm He released their first EP himself

Is that Ruthless? I thought that whole deal was a "label" bands could slap on their essentially self-releases to be taken more seriously by distributors.

Yeah.

Early on, in the days of Naked Raygun, the Effigies, and the Lungs EP, it was indeed more of a co-op label, and run like so. In the very beginning, in fact, I don't think Steve was involved at all.

But by the time of Urge Overkill, End Result, and the (still unreleased) Dig Dat Hole LP in the mid '80s, I was under the impression that Steve had inherited Ruthless and its "business" and aesthetic operations in their entirety.

By the end of the '80s, someone from Minneapolis w/Rifle Sport ties took it over, if I'm remembering right.

penningtron wrote: Tue Mar 11, 2025 3:55 pm

OrthodoxEaster wrote: Tue Mar 11, 2025 3:25 pm He released their first EP himself

Is that Ruthless? I thought that whole deal was a "label" bands could slap on their essentially self-releases to be taken more seriously by distributors.

He certainly helped them out, likely recorded them for very cheap, no doubt. I don't recall him ever saying they were mind blowing or anything like that.

I think way back when when Steve was responding to questions from a poker forum someone asked if he'd ever worked with a band that needed tons of extra takes, had to have everything spliced together to get basic tracks done and he definitely threw Urge under the bus in response to that one, so I always assumed even by the time of Supersonic Storybook he was kinda over them, if not publicly then privately.

tallchris wrote: Tue Mar 11, 2025 4:24 pmI think way back when when Steve was responding to questions from a poker forum someone asked if he'd ever worked with a band that needed tons of extra takes, had to have everything spliced together to get basic tracks done and he definitely threw Urge under the bus in response to that one, so I always assumed even by the time of Supersonic Storybook he was kinda over them, if not publicly then privately.

Hah that's pretty good. The man recorded a bajillion math rock or similarly extreme bands and the one that needed the most help was some basic bar rock bullshit.

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/62/b ... rity-1586/
i'd forgotten how much he bashes on urge overkill for 5 straight pages.

^ Thanks for linking to that. It’s been years since the last time I read it. Amusing stuff.

EDIT: made it to the end. Love the Haikus. The new posts in May 2024 are heartbreaking. Me sad now.

Supersonic Storybook is an okay listen. I haven't heard Saturation or Exit the Dragon in ages. Maybe tomorrow. I'll give them a NC on recording grounds, as I never saw them live. Forget that Neil Diamond cover, though.

I have a story about these dudes that is pretty funny. Ask me to tell it to you some time when we're in person!

I do not think I have heard any of their records.

Still haven't gone back to listen to any of their albums in probably 15-20 years, some of which I once thought were good. But the No Alternative comp never left my regular playlist. I do still like this song.

jfv wrote: Wed Mar 12, 2025 10:38 am Still haven't gone back to listen to any of their albums in probably 15-20 years, some of which I once thought were good. But the No Alternative comp never left my regular playlist. I do still like this song.

I love the TV show "Patriot" but this song reminds me of how much I disliked the music in that show. Mostly the chorus, that shit is goofy.

This thread made me go back and listen to a some if it and I can remember why I never really got into them. Corny stuff for the most part, with an occasional fun hook.