Redd Kross : Classic Or Dud?

They disliked the dogmatic rigidity and machismo of that scene and have affectionately mocked it throughout their career, while still retaining some of the elements of the music.

They made two parody hardcore albums as "Anarchy Six" in the late 80s:
http://punkygibbon.co.uk/bands/a/anarchy6.html

I've never heard Redd Kross but I've got three singles by an unrelated band called Pink Kross

They disliked the dogmatic rigidity and machismo of that scene and have affectionately mocked it throughout their career, while still retaining some of the elements of the music

i appreciate their nerve in addition to the hooky rock music

Pink Kross are connected to Redd Kross. Pink Kross was three Glasgwegian Redd Kross fans. They wrote to RK, who agreed to let them be the support band next time they played in Glasgow. PK hastily put together a short set of garage rock songs and opened up for them at the Cathouse in Glasgow. Then they came back onstage with RK and they did Standing in Front of Poseur together. They just kept going after that.

Live, the year Born Innocent came out. Neither looking or sounding like a hardcore band:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGPMa6k4mFk

And if it's hooky rock music you're after, the best album is Phaseshifter.

I don't believe anyone said they were ever a hardcore band

I <3 Pink Kross and also have a few of their singles (never been able to find their album, even on mp3 - £75 on Discogs wtf?) but never knew that story. I mean I assumed the name was a reference to Redd Kross obv.

this song is so beautiful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO9KZeXxRh0

new album underway https://www.instagram.com/p/Be9KnAGHGle/?hl=en&taken-by=stevenmcdonald

Wow, yeah, "Love Is You." Haven't heard that in so many years!

Tbf, I didn't know anything about Sparks when I first heard Redd Kross. Neurotica and Third Eye are probably my favourites (def in that order) but Steven McDonald ranks them near the bottom! I never found Phaseshifter that consistent but I love "Dumb Angel" and "Jimmy's Fantasy" is classic.

Third Eye will always be my fave

Great b-sides and extraneous stuff from that period too. Switchblade Sister was probably their strongest single. And buried on the b-side this is one of my favourite Redd Kross songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvXEbRz7LpQ

Show World is the best record ever made

Tracks from Teen Babes From Monsanto showing up on my Release Radar so checking out the whole thing right now.

"Jimmy's Fantasy" is classic.
Agreed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD01CjUDBVc

Or even
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIeE28t4QU

Does anyone ever compare them with The Replacements? There is some overlap in acknowledged influences, in particular as seen in the mixing Kiss and Partridge Family covers, but to me the RK versions of this material seem to be more competent, inspired and affectionate. Of course maybe I just finally got sick and tired of The ‘Mats after reading that bio Ned recommended.

Redd Kross are just infinitely more fun and generally likeable

otm ^^ Redd Kross have a much better general attitude (lol) than the Replacements
Forgot how much I loved Annie's Gone this year but this reminded me, so thanks!

that whole album is p good!

these guys are fun. the Replacements are not fun.

Yes, you guys are otm.

So one McDonald brother is married to Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Gos, as mentioned upthread (by Shakey's brother?), and the other to Anna Waronker, also mentioned upthread (by the same guy), of That Dog.

Saw them do an amazing greatest hits set last week. Brilliant as ever. All their albums were reissued on vinyl so they played something from every one, plus some choice covers. Just wonderful.

To me it’s just stuff the McDonalds grew up with, whereas with the mats I sorta feel the cheesy covers is a lot of Westerberg trying to convince the rest of the band to try

I had to wait 18 years to get a chance to see RK live, as I discovered them the year after Show World was released. I was initially disappointed it would be a mere support slot to Melvins (who do nothing whatsoever for me), but they crammed so much into that 50 minute set, including the entire Teen Babes mini-album, that it was definitely worth the extremely long wait.

For the record that’s not my brother (update yr spreadsheet)

They're more like Sparks than Poison.

What is the best Sparks stuff to listen to for a RK fan?

The glam era stuff i suppose? Altho I dont really hear many similarities tbh

(Look What the Cat Dragged In still weirdly feels to me like a mersh version of what RK were doing ca. Third Eye but I'm OK with being the only person who hears it.)

(Third Eye is a lot better, though, imo. More dynamic rhythm section, for one thing.)

Oh, interesting, The McDonalds actually discussed the overlap here, referring to a time they played a gig with Poison, and had ambivalent feelings about them:

JEFF: ...We started hearing about these bands who claimed they were influenced by the New York Dolls. So we were like, "Yeah cool, let's play a gig with them." Because, like you said, at that time, we were the only group who were into that kind of thing. We played our one and only heavy metal show at the Country Club in Reseda. It was Poison, Redd Kross and Leather Wolf.

STEVE: When we heard that Poison called themselves the "Glam Slam Kings of Noise," we thought it was a direct reference to the Runaways song "Queens of Noise." And we thought anyone who is into the Runaways has gotta be cool.

JEFF: We were so excited to see Poison, but when we did we were totally appalled. It was like Dynasty on parade...

STEVE: And not the KISS album, the TV show!

...
JEFF: No, I'm not picking on them. Poison were very entertaining. I mean, c'mon, they're responsible for some of the greatest rock videos of all time--"Unskinny Bop." They brought the whole Ron Jeremy aesthetic into rock 'n' roll videos. They're awesome. And that stuff is coming back, I would never write it off.

Apparently, they also used to enjoy crank calling the Poison guys.

For the record that’s not my brother (update yr spreadsheet)

They brought the whole Ron Jeremy aesthetic into rock 'n' roll videos. T

gross/lol/otm

minus the T
whoops

For me, a whole album of variations on “Zira” would be the greatest glam-metal album ever

Yeah, I love that one.

Yall know about these reissues right? And Dec. tour:
https://reddkross.com/merge-reissuing-two-redd-kross-albums-in-december/

That’s pretty much what inspired the revive. The streaming version thereof at least

Saw them open for Sonic Youth once. Didn't know much about them, but was blown away how they stood and rocked out like gods.

I think they inspired SY to rock out more themselves. Like they couldn't just come out and noodle around for 90 minutes after that.

I saw them on the tour for Annie's Gone in downtown Ontario, where iirc they were opening for Jellyfish? They were great, loved their headbanging-in-tandem schtick.

er Third Eye, that is

Worth noting that the MacDonalds are 10 years younger than Sonic Youth despite emerging at the same time. Steve just turned 50. They are just as lively now as the were when Third Eye was released and if anything they are a tighter band. Currently Dale from the Melvin's is on drums. This is not a "Steve & Jeff and yr granny on bongos" thing. You have to be really good to be in this band.

don't underestimate yr granny

still that's interesting. didn't know they were so young!

Perhaps one reason they've so frequently referenced David Cassidy, Linda Blair, Cowsills etc is because being in the late 70s LA punk scene and signed to a label age 12 and 14 gave them a similar perspective as these child stars. Steve has touched on not having a normal childhood in interviews.

Iirc, they were about 13 when they made Born Innocent? (Kim Gordon was almost 30 when Confusion Is Sex was released.) xp!

Everything is probably right.

Is that for this thread?

those reissues have been issued previously thru the mailing list but they deserve a wider pressing