THE WARDS: "RIPPED OFF IN BOSTON" 1984 DEMO.

The Wards were the earliest punk band to hail from the state of Vermont, the plentiful land of maple syrup. The Wards released two extraordinarily underrated 7” EPs: “The World Ain’t Pretty and Neither Are We” in 1983 and “Don't Make U.S. Shoot the Pershing II” in 1984. Many of the songs on the debut 7” EP were written as early as 1979 but were recorded and self-released later due to financial limitations and trouble with finding a label that would release their material.

The “Ripped Off In Boston” cassette was the band’s final release following the first two vinyl releases and a subsequent demo recording that was circulated. “Ripped Off In Boston” was christened when the Wards had their van burglarized when it was parked in Kenmore Square. The original cover art of this cassette depicts a gigantic ogre grasping their van in his burly clutches, about to steal the contents of the van. This cassette was recorded in 1984 by Lou Giordano at Radiobeat Studios, who of course well known for recording material by such classic bands as SS Decontrol, Jerry’s Kids, Deep Wound, and the Proletariat.

For lack of a better classification, this release can be considered a demo since it was self-released and not widely disseminated. The tracks are quite similar to vinyl offerings but perhaps with an added aggressiveness due to Giordano's production. It would be nice to see the four releases by the Wards compiled officially and released as one LP.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ckltujmjef0

CAUSE FOR ALARM: THE MALL, WASHINGTON DC, 7.3.84 AUDIENCE RECORDING

Cause For Alarm had its origins in New Jersey under the name of Hinckley Fan Club. After moving to New York in early 1983, the band changed their name to Cause For Alarm and quickly became stalwarts in the burgeoning NYHC scene. After releasing a exemplary debut record, the band dissolved due to differing opinions on the concept of Krishna consciousness. They original lineup had their last efforts included on the landmark PEACE double album on R Radical records. A few other songs from this session were also recorded but were never released. These tracks will be the subject of a subsequent post on this blog.

This audience recording captured on July 3, 1984 was a show on the "Rock Against Reagan" tour, as DRI and MDC were also on the bill. The recording is above average considering the technological limitations of the day and is certainly worth a download. Singer Keith Burkhardt is charismatic as he and the band tear through songs from their classic debut EP.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?nmlmzm2ywmm