Only In America

Many years ago I had a friend who was a huge Pegboy fan. He picked up their 'Strong Reaction' LP and championed the band to his group of friends, of which I was one. As a result we all got into Pegboy. My friend was really into them though, and this in turn led him to Naked Raygun, which he also seemed to really enjoy. I tried Naked Raygun but they just didn't sound as accessible. I think the combincation of the cover artwork plus some of the songs, I had them filed in my head as a little weird. It didn't click with me and that was that.

Well, that same friend gave me his records a few months ago and the Naked Raygun records kinda stood out to me. I'm always interested in listening to something new or different, and a lot of times I am more keen to go back and listen to something old. There are so many bands that I decided that I wasn't into like 30 years ago or so, and I am always keen to see if my tastes have changed over time. So I checked out the Naked Raygun records and found myself enjoying them both. So I decided to keep them for myself.

'Throb Throb' is the band's 1st LP. It originally came out in 1984. This copy is an original pressing on Homestead Records. It's an enjoyable record, especially the song 'Only In America' with it's saxophone (no, I am not joking!).

'Understand' is the 4th LP from 1989. This copy is an original on Caroline Records. This one is a little less manic than 'Throb Throb'. I'm guessing that that the 4 years in between they changed a couple of members and settled into a more pop punk kinda vibe.

It's so difficult sometimes getting into older bands late. Naked Raygun have 7 albums (although one looks like a live one, and one is some kind of reunion record from 2021). All have been reissued, and original pressings seem to be more expensive than they really should be. I guess it's a case of being patient and eventually I am sure that I will pick up more of their records, but for now these two are doing just nicely thank you.