Breakdown - The '87 Demo
Breakdown played my home town a lot in the mid to late 80s. I probably saw them 10 times or so, because a good lot of the Albany kids WORSHIPPED them. Most were the very kids who also idolized Youth of Today and the other Positive bands. This, of course, was strange, since Breakdown’s songs are basically all about drinking and fighting. They were kind of like the drinking man’s counterpart to Boston’s straight-edge Slapshot (who’s singer held a broken hockey stick in his hand rather than a bottle).
My friends and I weren’t … uh exactly into them (although, I always liked "Pipedream," the instrumental that, if I recall correctly, served as their "intro bust"). Nonetheless, when they reissued the ’87 Demo on this 7” record, at least a couple of us scrambled to buy it just for nostalgic purposes. It is definitely a classic from the 80s NYHC scene, even though the recording quality is pretty bad. If I had better software I'd try to remove the hiss, but I use Audacity, which always seems to create distortion when you try to reduce noise.
-- UPDATE: Dec. 17, 2007--
I've been asked to take it down per request of Bill Wilson, who claims to be the owner of the masters of this recording (not a Breakdown band member, but I have no reason not to believe him I guess). I'm leaving the first song by his permission. Bill says this is available on
and dowloadpunk.
Sick People
Kickback
Labelled
Vengence
Your Problems
Pipe Dream
posted by Vinyl Head at 11:57 PM
11 Comments:
sorry but this is awful.
Believe me, if it wasn't for the fact that I had to see them so many times in my youth, I surely wouldn't be listening to this now. Kinda like Bon Jovi or something I guess. I hated it in the 80s, but today it reminds me of high school days. Breakdown reminds me of hardcore days. And how.
-- Punk Obit
When this was released I rushed out
to buy it and was a little bummed on
the quality, but it's a demo so what
do you expect? If they could have
only released an album back then. The
version of "sick people" on the NYHC
comp. is classic. Their return album,
"Blacklisted" is good, but after that
not so good. The singer Jeff is in
the Slumlords from Baltimore. Great
old-school hardcore/punk/oi style.
I used to love this tape. I had this on a worn out maxell c60 with the Cro-Mags demo on the flip. It was put on CD not 2 long ago.
I grew up halfway tween albany and nyc - went to shows both places. 76% Uncertain @ some hall downtown with Fit for Abuse; Agnostic Front and Sheer Terror @ the vfw. Big fun. Got a lot of metal and hardcore @ World's Record on Central Ave.
Ahh man, Breakdown. Definitely one of my favourite old time hardcore bands. Some of you don't like it...but I still say "They don't make music like this anymore.." Makes me sad :(
Pay through iTunes for a hardcore demo from 1987? No.
you need to check out the track "safe in a crowd" definitely their shining moment
This comment has been removed by the author.
I saw them at an all-ages matinee @ 288 Lark in Albany, NY. I had gone to Albany as an undergrad and graduated in 1984. I was visiting a then-girlfriend, perhaps in 1987. This was a terrific show, lots of fun, and I remeber dancing my brains out. I had the original cassette, with the blue paper insert; I'm sure it's long gonw now. I loved listening to this in my car, maximum volume.
What are the lyrics to life of bullshit?
TO THE PEOPLE WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS BEING AWFUL:
YOU COCKSMOKERS DON'T KNOW SHIT ABOUT REAL NYHC.
EVERY SINGLE "NYHC DEMO" HAD THIS QUALITY. RAW DEAL, GB, SOIA, SHEER TERROR.
EVERYONE.
YOU LEARNED TO LISTEN THROUGH THE HISS, AND YOU WENT APESHIT FOR EM LIVE.
YOU DIDN'T CRY ABOUT THE QUALITY. THERE WERE PLENTY OF MAJOR RELEASES TO CHOOSE FROM WITH ACCEPTABLE PRODUCTION VALUES IF YOU WERE TOO SOFT TO APPRECIATE THE GRIT AND THE GRIME.
LIKE NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, AND CULTURE CLUB.
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