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For our Labour Day show we featured an interview with Chris Walter about his new book "SNFU: What No One Else Wanted to Say". Chris has just released the book on GFY Press and was in town two weeks ago to talk about it. In the little time that we had we spoke about the book, about the band from Edmonton, and about his other band biographies. I wish I had more time to go in detail about some of the band's more known songs, but we did what we could, but getting at some of the highlights. There are a lot more to read about in his book.
We also got to feature the demo of Pure Scum who are from North Carolina. In the recent issue of MRR the band is described as "Boston not L.A." era Jerry's Kids meets SOA meets "United Blood". All that and they start out with a song railing against school just two days before school starts. Who can't relate to that? You can get the demo through Sorry State.
You can hear the show by clicking here.
SNFU - Strip Search / Grunt, Groan, Rant and Rave (Rubber Records)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
DOWN SYNDROME - You're a Punk (Rubber)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Victims of the Womanizer (BYO)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - I think Fine Art's Fine (Rake)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - I Forget (BYO)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Painful Reminder (Epitaph)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Poor Pitiful Me (Psyche Industries)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Postman's Pet Peeve (Cargo)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Thee Maul that Heats Peephole (Cargo)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Eric's had a Bad Day (Epitaph)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - I Forget (Megafore Entertainment)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Cockatoo Quill (Rake Records)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump (Rake Records)
CHRIS WALTER - Interview (CIUT)
SNFU - This is the End
Demo Feature
PURE SCUM - To hell with School (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - Brainwash (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - I Hate the Mall (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - I Don't Care (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - Spit It out (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - Born to Hate (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - Disappear (Sorry State)
PURE SCUM - Test My Patience (Sorry State)
SNFU had broken up and the Belke Brothers were in the Wheat Chiefs while Chi Pig had the Wongs going. We learn in Chris Walter's book titled "SNFU ... What No One Else Wanted to Say", in April 1988 Randy Boyd reminded the band that they owed Cargo another record. Chi remembered that he had a tape of SNFU's last show at the Polish Hall in 1989. Chi suggested they combine this with material culled together from other sources. Randy liked the idea.
Tracks 1–7 are live tracks taken from one of their final shows before disbanding, held at the Polish Hall in Edmonton in September 1989. Two of these tracks ("Cannibal Cafe" and "I'm Real Scared") were initially released in studio recordings on their first album, ...And No One Else Wanted to Play (1985); "Gimme Some Water" was originally written and recorded by Eddie Money; a studio recording of "Beautiful, Unlike You and I" was later released as a single in 1993. The remaining three live tracks are unique to this recording.
Track 8, "The Electric Chair", is a demo version of a song from the band's second album, If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish, recorded at Technical Difficulties Studio in Edmonton, in early 1986.
Tracks 9 and 10 are taken from a studio recording session at Power Zone Studio in Edmonton, in late 1986. "She's Not on the Menu" is a re-arranged and re-recorded version of a song from ...And No One Else Wanted to Play that had previously been the A-side of "She's Not on the Menu", a self-released 7".
Tracks 11–13 are outtakes from their third album, Better Than a Stick in the Eye, recorded at Profile Studios, Vancouver, in June 1988. "Wonder What They're Thinking" is a cover of a song originally by the Canadian punk band Personality Crisis.
Chi Pig did the album cover artwork. Cecil English did the production to polish up the songs.
The album was released in the Fall of 1991. This would satisfy frans for a band that had become increasingly popular after death.
1. The Kitchen Kreeps
2. Cannibal Cafe
3. Beautiful, Unlike You and I
4. Gimme Some Water (Eddie Money)
5. I Know More Than You
6. I'm Real Scared
7. I Used to Write Songs
8. The Electric Chair
9. Visiting the Bad Again
10. She's Not on the Menu (Dunce Mix)
11. Appraise the Lord
12. Wonder What They're Thinking (Personality Crisis)
13. Grunt, Groan, Rant and Rave!
SNFU's two record deal was done with BYO and BYO weren't really doing records at the time. A label from New York named Rock Hotel was working with the Nils from Montreal. SNFU's friend Gubby and former road manager had moved to Montreal to work with Randy Boyd at Cargo. He shared this with Randy and Randy decided that SNFU should be the first band to sign with Cargo Canada. Hindsight is 20-20. Chris Williamson got in a war with the parent company Profile Records and the Nils became the pawn. Chris wouldn't release them from their contract and Rock Hotel was unable to record anymore records effectively killing the Nils chance as a band. In the words of Chris Walter, "SNFU dodged a bullet by signing with Cargo".
On June 21st, 1988 the band drove straight from their last date on tour to Profile Studios in Vancouver. The band bunked with various friends in the city and Marc Belke considers that one of the band's biggest mistakes on this record. We learn from Chris Walter's book "SNFU....What No One Else wanted to say" that Marc believed "instead of talking about the songs and discussing arrangements, we all split up after the recording day and didn't see each other until the next session".
The band picked Cecil English to be the producer on this record and they chose him because of his work with NoMeansNo. The band played live from the floor and Chi cut his tracks independently, using a vocal booth for separation. The sound was stark and unadulterated, the tone loud and hard. The song's were well practised from month's of being on tour.
The producer realized right away that "Time to Buy a Futon" was the best song of the bunch. A clever jab at consumer trends, the songs starts with a blood curdling scream and an avalanche of guitars. The song was so memorable that they started off the record with it.
"G.I. Joe gets Angry with Human Kind" picks up where "Broken Toy" leaves off using toy analogies for human behaviour.
"The Quest for Fun" is a cryptic warning regarding the perils of excessive behaviour.
"Tears" hints at the conflict Ken suffered as a gay man who had yet revealed his sexual identity fully.
"In the First Place" is a bitter lament to failed personal relationships.
Side two opens with the "Postman's Pet Peeve", which is a funny observation about the relationship between dogs and postmen.
"What Good Hollywood" is a furious and slightly nostalgic ode to the passing of classic Hollywood stars.
"The Happy Switch" expresses the band's determination to forge ahead, despite the many obstacles and hardships along the way.
"Straightening out the shelves of my mind" is a sobering observation about the numbing effects of urban density.
"Thee Maul that Heats Peephole" is a clever disguise for a song about the West Edmonton Mall.
"Tour Tantrum" accuratley depicts the tension that builds up while touring.
The album concludes with a cover of Cat Stevens "Wild World" which demonstrates the cheerful playfulness that the band was known for.
In the mixing process the band realized that they weren't happy with Curtis' bass playing. They didn't have the money to go back and fix it. But they were happy with Chi's vocals.
The cover was drawn by Englishman Graham Ward and assembled by Kelly Hansen, portrays a twisted looking family seated on lawn chairs while an ugly baby plays with a very war-like toy in the foreground. This captures Chi's fascination with toys. This was released in December 1988.
01. Time to Buy a Futon
02. G.I. Joe gets Angry with Human Kind
03. The Quest for Fun
04. Tears
05. In the First Place
06. Postman’s Pet Peeve
07. What Good Hollywood?
08. The Happy Switch
09. Straightening out the Shelves (of my Mind)
10. Thee Maul that Heats Peephole
11. Tour Tantrum
12. Wild World (Cat Stevens)