If you're us, then you just can't get enough of them there lists. You undoubtedly enjoyed reading the Heavy Duty favorites, but in this sad and beautiful world there is no moment more tragic, more sob-inducing, more bittersweet than when a countdown reaches number one. As much as we hate to see The List go we can't even begin to imagine how you must feel. We had a meeting, and in an attempt to ease your pain we unanimously decided to unleash:
The Diversified Duty Definitive List o' Top Ten!!!
(as of October '06)
(as of October '06)
10. Repo Man -- Soundtrack The record that changed lives. All your (our) favorite early mid-80s LA punk bands on one specially priced full-lengther. Repo Man is Heavy Duty: loud, fast, unmistakably hilarious, and just a li'l obscure without taking ya too far into I-don't-understand-any-of-this territory. Features one of the greatest tunes ever writ ("Institutionalized" -- we like it even 'tho we're partial to Dr. Pepper), two classics from punk's greatest voice (the almighty Keith Morris), and the undeniable Duty anthem you know as "TV Party." Repo Man gets special mention for roundaboutly introducing us to the strikingly un-Duty cornball stylings of Jonathan Richman, an artist so absurdly fantastic it's a shame none of his records are of top ten merit. The Repes really should be ranked higher, but we couldn't do that to a goddamn soundtrack. At least we're not listing a fucking best-of.9. Public Enemy -- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Made the teenaged Heavy Duty staff feel smart and cosmopolitan. Nation is less awe-inspiringly dense than Fear of a Black Planet, but light-years more consistent. Anything that samples "Angel of Death" has to be good. By the time we heard this PE had turned lame, but we didn't care. Still read Malcolm X's autobiography, still saw all the Spike Lee joints, still played this to death during those drives to school. Perhaps hip-hop's greatest moment. You know the time.
8. J Mascis + the Fog -- More Light J's most vibrant effort and maybe his best release ever. We've been known to crank some warbly Mascis vocals and too-loud guitar solos over the past decade (and then some), but More Light reinvigorated our love for J as regular grandma-lookin' dude playin' tunes he dug. And playin' em well! Check out the breaking-up ZVex guitar solos and the title track's swirling haze...do we hear Kevin Shields back there? Survey says...YES! Mascis' new-found faith in Ammachi mirrored our renewed faith in him. Artwork still horribly lame but tunes horribly (surprisingly) great.
7. Fu Manchu -- King of the Road Push play and you're thirteen all over ag'in. Fu Manchu is one of the greatest forces in the Duty universe. They have this one song about muscle cars..... Dude, where's my guitar?!?
6. Dinosaur Jr -- You're Living All Over Me Weren't you listening when we said we've cranked some Mascis? If Dinosaur released one record this should have been it. A hazy mass of guitar effects, fuzzed bass, and thumpety-thumping '70s Thin Lizzy soundin' drums. And how 'bout that sometimes-creepy tape manipulation? So great. This is a fucking classic indie release full of croaking tunes about breaking up with chicks, thick 'n noisy guitar parts, and inspired playing only youthful exuberance can bring. We're down, we're around, and we love this goddamn record. Except for "Poledo." Oh, and we have the SST version which features the "Show Me the Way" cover necessary only for its super-cool wah tone!
5. Godspeed You Black Emperor -- Slow Riot for Zero Kanada EP Came to the Duty when we were immersed in phase one of the Judas Priest/Ozzy/Van Halen school of rock listenin'. Unlike anything we'd heard -- dirty pretentious Canadians scraping away at melancholy violas and massaging guitar strings with Phillips heads. Ominous buildups to repetitive crescendos whose simplicity and power will send you into a passionate breakdown. Truly some intense emotions to be felt in spite of how we just can't stand the homeless man rant on that second tune. If it wasn't bad enough it's soooo college freshman, it turns out the dude's reciting Iron Maiden lyrics. And even shittier than normal Maiden to boot! We defy you to deny that Mogwai + "Moya" = every "post-rock" group since. Well, at least our favorite one.
4. Motorhead -- Ace of Spades Bad. Ass. Lemmy won't take your shit, but he will lecture you on the Lusitania. Rock's finest hour. Wait, what?!?!? You don't have this???!?!? Fuck off.
3. GWAR -- This Toilet Earth You knew this was coming. Everything everyone loves about GWAR done to perfection. Violent, offensive, fast, metal, ridiculous, stupid -- it's all here. The birth of adult Heavy Duty is this record. We pushed play, then we pushed repeat. It hasn't stopped yet. BDF!
2. Joel RL Phelps the Downer Trio -- 3 Time to get sad. Heavy Duty could dig out the headphones and listen to Joel Phelps everyday. Wait a sec, "could?" "Does!" We'll admit that 3 loses us right around the midpoint, but them opening five tunes are so beautiful, so stark, and so timeless that we don't care. Joel and company have rocked it up a wee bit more on their other releases, but the acoustic strummin', somber Teles, pedal steel swells, and wailing vox on this one blow our minds every single goddamn time (thanks in part to the knob-twiddlin' of the Duty's favorite producer). From the day we bought this it's been in constant rotation, and since that time we've checked out all the bands the Trio's covered and even made an eight-hour round trip just to see these guys play to thirty people in a bar. So yeah, 3 was the main contender for the top Diversified spot, and while we ultimately feel that placing this at numero dos was a wise choice, you ought to know that the Downer Trio is the late-night band 'round these parts. A tragedy this stuff is so hard to find.
1. Silkworm -- Firewater Here it is. The Greatest of All Time. Silkworm won us over during the mid-90s because of cats like this and this, but it was our cheap-o purchase of this record in December of '96 that earned Skwm a permanent spot on the Duty mantle. Firewater is seat-of-the-pants energy: the sound of three post-punk/classic-rock dudes who knew how to play and how to play together, but counted off a hair too fast. This was Silkworm's first release as a trio so sometimes-singer/always-guitarist Andy Cohen fills the void with supremely bitchin' solos on every single track! Serious chops from this dude; why he never ever got or gets any recognition is beyond us. We can't tell you how much we dig this record and how much time we've spent with this band. So many late-night drives, so many headphone listenings, and more than a few trips to the dictionary (Heavy Duty's first smart-guy band). Great tunes about stuff we don't always get (and some stuff we do), amazing guitar work, solid drums, and some road-weary talk vocals. Buy this record and be our friend. This'll get you started:
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