In Praise of ... Static Age by the Misfits

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I've sung its praises in many a thread here before, but spinning it this afternoon, I felt it was high time it had a proper thread of its own, goddammit!

Oh sure..there were punk bands before them. Hell, there were better punk bands before them, but this early, beautifully blunt statement from the Lodi, New Jersey quartet is such a perfect package that it remains one of the most sure-fire devices to get me smiling like precious few others. Like some deranged hybrid of the Ramones, the Damned and Kiss (though the latter influence didn't really reveal itself until much later) the early Misfits were both fiercely crude and stylishly melodic (largely thanks to little Glenn Danzig's throaty, surprisingly accomplished vocals). They may have sonically come across like a concrete fist, but the band always kept one boot planted firmly in conventional rock'n'roll (until their hardcore fixation later on).

Static Age wasn't the first album of theirs I'd latched onto. After hearing "She" and "Halloween," I picked up the compilation, Legacy of Brutality, and later the elusive (for its time) Misfits Walk Among Us (which I never rated as highly). It wasn't until 1995 (when Caroline re-released the seminal Static Age), however, when I heard "Bullet" in a Boston record shop that I fell in love with them all over again, immediately forgiving Glenn and the boys for the po-faced boorishness of their later work, Samhain and the humorless shenanigans of post-How the Gods Kill-era Danzig.

Static Age packs so many classics into one album that its virtually unstoppable. For "Last Caress", "Angelfuck", "Bullet", "Attitude", the Patti Hearst-baiting "She" and the joyously macabre brilliance that is "Hybrid Moments" (quite possibly one of the most perfect songs ever recorded) alone, Static Age should occupy the upper reaches of every discerning rock fan's list of crucial albums. Forget their later exploits, forget that they dressed like a pro-wrestling Munsters, forget that Glen-less incarnation that sullies their good name today....Static Age is essential listening, and if you can't recognize that, you have no business owning any music-listening equipment.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"STATIC! STATIC! STATIC!"

A perfect lyric, really. "Attitude" I have playing in my head whenever someone at work who doesn't follow procedures tries to ignore them.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 19:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Quick, bartender! An ice-cold stein of your finest beer for NED RAGGETT!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

massive cheers for this record. i usually turn it off before the outtakes section at the end (what's the point?), but the proper tracks are pure joy. one of my favorite sunday sunny morning plays.

― lauren (laurenp), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Perfect music.

― J (Jay), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I always liked the Misfits better than the Ramones.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

is static age included in whole on legacy of brutality?

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"Attitude" I have playing in my head whenever someone at work who doesn't follow procedures tries to ignore them.

that's totally punk rock!

― el sabor de gene (yournullfame), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Instructors blaming anyone other than themselves for screwups = NOT punk rock.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"Spinal Remains" is the best song title ever..

― sourflower (dustjacket), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I actually don't have this record but have all the tracks on bootlegs and 7"s.

If it has Bullet on it it must be good.

Their life changing record for me was the Beware 7" which had bullet, last caress and horror business on it.

― hector (hector), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"There's some kinda love/And there's some kinda hate/The maggots in the iron lung won't copulate..."

The Misfits rock.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 20 January 2004 23:48 (twenty-two years ago)

god, why is all my misfits stuff on tape? I don't even have a tape player any more! bullet rules!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Why does this only have three stars on AMG?

Ned? Do you hate god?

― stephen morris, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Not the eternal question for heavens sake -- the star ratings do not always reflect/relate to the reviews.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 01:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never been fully able to grasp the star ratings. Can someone explain them to me?

― stephen morris, Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Search for any of the eight million AMG threads and note Andy K's responses (he explains it better than I anyway).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 21 January 2004 02:02 (twenty-two years ago)

hybrid moments is one of the best songs ever written.

― matt lucas, Thursday, 22 January 2004 06:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Fuck I never heard that song yet & bullet is my alltime favorite by them. Have to get this now.

― sucka (sucka), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"hybrid moments" IS the best song ever written. legacy, walk among us and static age = 100% unfuckwithable

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

YEAH!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:48 (twenty-two years ago)

why was this not released until 1991??

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Because people suck. I think it was actually not until `95, actually, not `91. Might be wroong about that, though.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:50 (twenty-two years ago)

but wait thats not a backstory...

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

you know who sucks? glen danzig.

― Pablo Cruise (chaki), Thursday, 22 January 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I love the first couple danzig albums and the way he goes "yeeeeaaAAAAAAAAhhhh!" Twist of Cain rocks. He does suck now I guess. I still bought Danzig 666 when I found it for $2. Did anyone ever see the pathetic ass comics he was writing, I bought one one time and then I used it as a flooormat in my shitty car, it was so awful. Him, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson would make a fun movie if they got together tho. They would be like the 3 Stooges of EVIL.

― sucka (sucka), Thursday, 22 January 2004 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

That makes me think, what would be the Stooge equivalent for theose 3 guys? I bet Glenn would be Moe- Rob Zombie would be Larry- and Marilyn Manson would be Shemp.

― sucka (sucka), Thursday, 22 January 2004 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Deep thoughts by Sucka

― sucka (sucka), Thursday, 22 January 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

my favorite Misfits record...

― Russ, Thursday, 22 January 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it was actually not until `95, actually, not `91.

Yup, first came out as part of the box set for whatever reason.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 22 January 2004 19:53 (twenty-two years ago)

it came out on caroline during their indie phase. definitely the best misfits record.

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 22 January 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

Bought this yesterday mainly on the strength of this discussion, and others here. Fuck. It's all true. Where has this band been all my life?

Had somehow NEVER heard 'em before. Probably down to poor distribution, the ridiculous price of import vinyl in the UK in the 80's, being too popular to be an obscurity to hunt down as a challenge but not popular enough in the UK to be unavoidable. And, yeah, the greasepaint thing was offputting.

Thanks Alex, thanks guys! What's my next purchase?

― Soukesian, Wednesday, 18 January 2006 18:57 (twenty years ago)

Walk Among Us

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 21:29 (twenty years ago)

seconded. enjoy Static Age, though, it's their best.

― sleeve (sleeve), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 21:39 (twenty years ago)

12 Hits From Hell is great, too. Good luck finding a copy, though. Sucks being a Misfits fan. They were (and still are) victims of endless repackaging, revisionist remixing/overdubbing, suppressed releases, shitty reunions, feuding ex-members, etc.

Stay away from the Coffin Box Set. It's tempting but you're better off with the individual releases. I like Earth AD but I'm in the minority on that one.

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 22:08 (twenty years ago)

Guess I'll take this opportunity to repost my Misfits comp:

http://s60.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2IW53CX6ZKFMP0O4PXEK3T7AUD

Might give you some ideas on where to go next with your Misfits obsession.

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 19 January 2006 16:04 (twenty years ago)

Edward why would you tell somebody to try and get 12 hits from hell and to stay away from the boxset!?!?!?

12 hits from hell is on the boxset...or at least the songs are.
the boxset is AWESOME.

and Earth AD is awesome...yr OTM there.

― Tony Harrison (ddb), Thursday, 19 January 2006 17:30 (twenty years ago)

yeah, I was wondering about that anti-Box comment. I don't have it yet, but I've always meant to pick it up. From the looks of it, it seems like the best way to get everything in one nice package (cept for Walk Among Us of course.) I mean, it seems a lot easier picking up all that other piecemeal crap out there, I dunno..

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Thursday, 19 January 2006 17:37 (twenty years ago)

#1) Yes, songs from the MSP sessions are on the box set, but they're remixed and remastered with Bobby Steele's guitar restored on the recalled 12 Hits From Hell and sound much better there. It's not a subtle difference, either. It's really night and day.

#2) No Walk Among Us, no credibility!

#3) I think Legacy of Brutality and Collection II are revisionist abortions, and I'm not a big fan of Evillive (track down the Static Age-era Live @ Kansas City bootleg if you want to hear a good live Misfits recording).

#4) Granted, I'm a bit of a version nut - but there are no less than 4 versions of "Night of the Living Dead" on the box set, and none of them can hold a candle to the version on Walk Among Us. There are 3 versions of "Vampira", and none are the equal of the one on 12 Hits From Hell.

#5) Static Age in box set is missing "She", "Spinal Remains", and "In The Doorway", some versions of songs are different, I think the mastering job on the separate CD release is better.

#6) I'd rather pull out and listen to one of the individual CDs than the mashed up box set ones.

I think you're better off buying these separately:
Static Age
Walk Among Us
Collection I
Earth AD
These four @ Amazon = $56.95
Box Set + Walk Among Us @ Amazon = $72.98

To get 12 Hits From Hell, well, unless you're very very lucky, p2p is your friend.

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 19 January 2006 19:51 (twenty years ago)

I’m curious as to what the Misfits fanatics on this thread think of Plan 9, as it’s the only Misfits I’ve heard and I love it. I found an abandoned cassette with the record on it near my locker in high school – it was mistakenly labeled “Blood, Sugar Sex Magic” so for the longest time I has a really wrongheaded concept of what the Chili Peppers sounded like – but when I met the dude whose tape it was I learned what was what. I keep wanting to buy Plan 9 on CD (no clue where my dub of that tape is now) but I’m always put off by how expensive it is (same reason I still haven’t gotten Double Nickles... yet).

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Thursday, 19 January 2006 20:11 (twenty years ago)

Plan 9 was Danzig's record label - so I'm not sure what you were listening to? Maybe Collection I?

That's pretty funny that you thought they were The Red Hot Chili Peppers, though. Imagine if you had bought Mother's Milk and been like wtf...

― Edward III (edward iii), Thursday, 19 January 2006 21:27 (twenty years ago)

I just checked Amazon and it's the self-titled record; thanks for setting me straight on that.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Thursday, 19 January 2006 21:50 (twenty years ago)

1. I like Bobby's guitar...MISFITS AS 5-PIECE!!!

2. agreed.

3. Legacy is ALL GLENN...and although glenn is DEF. a revisionist...it's his intial vision, so im ok with that

4. there are TONS of aweosme bootlegs. Evillive is good, if only for "you think you'll get out of the hospital in time?"

5. In the Doorway is terrific. Wasn't it on the first pressing of the box?...im probably wrong.

6. CD's?!?!?!?!??!?!?!? VINYL DUDE!!!!

― ddb (ddb), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:04 (twenty years ago)

Thanks for reviving this thread--hadn't listened to Static Age for several years, and it was my morning commute. Goddamn, I forgot what a great singer Danzig was....

High school memories flood me whenever I hear the Misfits.

― shookout (shookout), Thursday, 19 January 2006 22:59 (twenty years ago)

That's funny, I first heard the Misfits in high school! When I think Misfits, I think high school.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 20 January 2006 07:47 (twenty years ago)

i had misfits shoelaces carrying my id tag in high school. my yearbook photo has me in a misfits shirt too

― latebloomer: virtuous, pure and masculine like only an American male can be (lat, Friday, 20 January 2006 08:32 (twenty years ago)

EDWARD THE THIRD!! That version of "Who Killed Marilyn" on your Mifits comp was great!! Does a recording of the entire set exist anywhere!?!?

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 20 January 2006 08:55 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I released the Live at Max's show into the wild on dimeadozen. A guy on that board did some remastering on it, and as good as it sounded in the first place, it ended up sounding better. Some prefer the original but I like the remaster, that's what I used.

Both the original and the remaster are still up at DAD but no seeds right now....
hxxp://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=66081
hxxp://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=66008

3. Legacy is ALL GLENN...and although glenn is DEF. a revisionist...it's his intial vision, so im ok with that

4. there are TONS of aweosme bootlegs. Evillive is good, if only for "you think you'll get out of the hospital in time?"

-- ddb (stupidpum...), January 19th, 2006 5:04 PM.

For me The Misfits = Danzig + Jerry Only. Danzig's vision / lyrics / voice defined a lot of what The Misfits were about, but I think there was some dynamic between he and Jerry that made The Misfits what they were. For me, the proof's in the pudding. I don't dislike Legacy of Brutality just because it's tampered with; it's because it was tampered with and it sounds like crap compared to other Misfits recordings.

Are you sure there are tons of awesome bootlegs? I've heard tons, and I would only describe the Max's show as "awesome."

― Edward III (edward iii), Friday, 20 January 2006 17:20 (twenty years ago)

That's why I liked that Max's bootleg song, the Misfits GOOD live!! Not to say they sucked, but if you've ever read "American Hardcore" you'll understand why they were pretty sloppy live. They practically made their own guitars out of really cheap ones cover 'em in black paint etc. It's a great book, written by the guy who managed No Trend, amongst other things.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Friday, 20 January 2006 22:41 (twenty years ago)

what am I supposed to open up the dimeadozen files with??

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 21 January 2006 02:32 (twenty years ago)

Sloppy live? From the other side of the pond, I had the impression they were one of those bands that had built a name through constant touring. The notes to 'Static Age' suggest it was done pretty much live in studio, and it sounds just great.

Anyone see them in the early days? What was it like? Lots of theatrics?

― Soukesian, Saturday, 21 January 2006 13:47 (twenty years ago)

I think it was Black Flag who made a name for themselves by constant touring. The Misfits made a name for themselves with cool looking record designs, and of course the music was superb.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Saturday, 21 January 2006 21:59 (twenty years ago)

I've seen footage of the Misfits in the early 80s, and they were sloppy live, but not in a bad way. The guitarist couldn't downstroke fast enough to keep up as the songs were sped up.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 21 January 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Well I did'nt mean my comment about the Misfits being sloppy live to be perceived as a negative one. Take a band like Flipper who were sloppy as hell, but I love them! It's Punk, it's about energy, not perfection!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Sunday, 22 January 2006 01:28 (twenty years ago)

AWESOME BOOTLEGS IVE HEARD.

Hittsville, Passaic NJ.12_25_81...is pretty awesome, teenagers from mars with Bobby Steele name calling!!

Detroit Michigan, Graystone Hall....last show. I think they replaced drummers mid way through.

Heros of Danzig, LA 1983 is rad.

I like the Max's bootleg, it sounds kinda shitty but its prime misfis. and they do BLUE CHRISTMAS!!!

all the bootlegs are cool as just historical artifacts.

― ddb (ddb), Sunday, 22 January 2006 02:20 (twenty years ago)

I've always wanted to hear Teenagers From Mars live. When I saw Danzig playig with Doyle last October I was kind of dissipointed that the set mainly focused on Walk Among Us material.

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Sunday, 22 January 2006 02:27 (twenty years ago)

what am I supposed to open up the dimeadozen files with??
-- xgurggleglgllg (lamewa...), January 20th, 2006 9:32 PM.

Here's a Winamp plugin for FLAC files: http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=143614

DBPowerAmp will convert almost anything to anything, if you want to convert FLAC to WAV or AAC files: http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm

FLAC is a lossless file format (mp3 is lossy) but produces much smaller file sizes than other lossless formats (like WAV). Very popular with live tape traders.

― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 23 January 2006 21:06 (twenty years ago)

Further demonstration of why I favor the standalone discs vs. the box set...

"Spinal Remains" from the box set:
http://s59.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1FDOYUVGS69VD2YNECLK3UXMR9

"Spinal Remains" from Static Age:
http://s59.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=23PKNVXY57K091LM002UX2K9Z2

"Halloween II" (MSP session) from the box set:
http://s56.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0T5KBYO3CIL602PGSBS90VU2EF

"Halloween II" (MSP session) from 12 Hits From Hell:
http://s56.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1TXS9CGSW2VI03C30OX3TMGBIE

― Edward III (edward iii), Monday, 23 January 2006 22:37 (twenty years ago)

Thank you Ed!

― xgurggleglgllg (xgurggleglgllg), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 03:38 (twenty years ago)

During vacation I read Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno, about a gawky teenager in Chicago's south side in 1990-91. The Misfits was the band that changed his life. Like the other dozen coming-of-age-punk-rock novels, it could be better, but was enjoyable. And it reminded me that I needed some more Misfits, as all I had was the self-titled collection.

I picked up the box set used. None of the recordings are very high fidelity so I'm not that concerned about the mastering, but I am kind of anal about chronology. From the liner notes about the single releases, I was able to put them mostly in order on my drive:

1978 Static Age
1979-81
=========================================
The Misfits - 01 - Cough_Cool (1977)
The Misfits - 02 - She
The Misfits - 03 - Horror Business
The Misfits - 04 - Children In Heat
The Misfits - 05 - Rat Fink
The Misfits - 06 - Night Of The Living Dead
The Misfits - 07 - Where Eagles Dare
The Misfits - 08 - London Dungeon
The Misfits - 09 - Horror Hotel
The Misfits - 10 - Ghouls Night Out
The Misfits - 11 - Halloween
The Misfits - 12 - Halloween II
The Misfits - 13 - Who Killed Marilyn_
The Misfits - 14 - American Nightmare
The Misfits - 15 - Mephisto Waltz

1982 - Walk Among Us
1983 - Earth A.D., with Die, Die My Darling and We Bite tacked at teh end.

― Fastnbulbous (Fastnbulbous), Tuesday, 7 February 2006 00:33 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

Finally picked this up. Had some of the other stuff (Collection 1, Walk Among Us), but wow I like this one.

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Friday, 7 April 2006 12:01 (twenty years ago)

motherfuck right you do.

― Jimmy Mod: My theme is DEATH (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Friday, 7 April 2006 12:04 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

MISFITS RULE

― Aditya (dan138zig), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:07 (twenty years ago)

WOAH!

― Total Fucking Darkness (sexyDancer), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:22 (twenty years ago)

Newbury Comics is having a nice sale on Misfts - Static Age $8.95, Collection I $7.95, Earth AD, $8.95.

http://www.newburycomics.com/rel/v2_home.php?storenr=103&deptnr=439

Some other good stuff in there too, like the Eno reissues...

― Edward III (edward iii), Wednesday, 21 June 2006 17:41 (twenty years ago)

eleven months pass...

I just pulled this out for the first time in about 4 or 5 years after hearing "Hollywood Babylon" on Sirius radio in the car with my dad. This could be the greatest rock & roll album I've ever heard in my life. Would things be any different if this had seen a proper release in '78?

― Preview of the Matrix 12, Friday, 15 June 2007 22:01 (nineteen years ago)

I'm seriously eyeing the Box Set now, after 5 spins in a row of Satic Age, even though it probably makes little sense to own given all the overlap. For real though, I don't think I'm going to listen to anything else for the next two weeks!

― Preview of the Matrix 12, Friday, 15 June 2007 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

This could be the greatest rock & roll album

― autogoblin (surfboard dudes get wiped out, totally), Saturday, 14 February 2009 01:11 (seventeen years ago)

I have Legacy of Brutality, Collection 1, and Die Die My Darling on vinyl. Got November Coming Fire,plus Danzig 1, 2, and 4 LPs.

Was How the God's Kill ever pressed on vinyl? What about Static Age?

― Nate Carson, Saturday, 14 February 2009 04:19 (seventeen years ago)

CHRISTMAS CARDS TO WHICH I NEVER REPLY!!!

― altair nouveau, Saturday, 14 February 2009 05:04 (seventeen years ago)

see, but this COULD be the greatest rock & roll album

― contenderizer, Saturday, 14 February 2009 05:50 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

finally bought the Misfits box, I'd had Static age and collections I on tape, and Collections 2 on CD. god these songs are infectious....how anybody could prefer Metallica's version of "Last Caress" is beyond me.

― If You Ain't Gonna Wash It, I Ain't Gonna Eat It (Cattle Grind), Monday, 26 April 2010 23:21 (sixteen years ago)

thirteen years pass...

IF YOU WANNA SCREAM, SCREAM WITH ME

― the manwich horror (Neanderthal), Thursday, 22 June 2023 14:18 (two years ago)

Really pisses me off that Walk Among Us isn't on streaming services.

― but also fuck you (unperson), Thursday, 22 June 2023 16:28 (two years ago)

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