This is a Bad Record.

When I say it's a bad record, I don't mean it in the 70's slang sense that it's actually a good record or a badass record. It's just not very good.

But.

And the but here is important. It's really good Bad Record in that it's entirely entertainingly bad like a low budget horror flick. It's terrible, but you still come away with  some enjoyment in wallowing in it's terribleness.

Ladies and Gents, the Chiefs of Relief

1988 - Chiefs of Relief

Kind of like Big Audio Dynamite's less attractive sister, the Chiefs of Relief were formed by the core of Bow Wow Wow with the addition of ex-Sex Pistol Paul Cook on drums. They attempted to combine elements of  rock and then current hip hop and electronics into large scale party anthems.

I mean, just look at that cover. I do not think it possible to make an album cover that better encapsulates the horror of the latter portion of the 80's. But damn, if this isn't wonderfully bad.

My only real encounter with this group was a rainy night in early fall of probably 1987. Love and Rockets (the remains of Bauhaus) were playing at the Metro that night. everybody who was anybody was going to that show. My roommate Bruce and I weren't anybody. We went to the Rat to see Chiefs of Relief without having any idea of what they sounded like. All we knew was that we'd be able to be in the same room as one of the Sex Pistols. We were mesmerized. The guitarist/vocalist didn't ever do them both at the same time. It was not even slightly punk rock. It was terrible, but we had a great time anyway.

Add "Freedom to Rock" to your next party mix. You probably won't regret it.

Probably.