Groovie Ghoulies

Freaks on Parade [Reissue] (2024)

John Gentile

Freaks on Parade was released just as the Groovie Ghoulies were hitting their golden age. The band had actually simplified their attack so it was even more Ramones-y than before, but in doing so, this allowed the band to truly show off their grade A pop writing skills and it also allowed for the band’s eccentricities to cut through- those eccentricities previously hidden by mid-level production or rock white noise.

Of particular note is the EP’s original closing track, “Hats off to you (Godzilla).” The big green one is usually portrayed as a menace or a metaphor for nuclear war. Kepi, in his twisted mind (which is often overlooked) sees the destroyer as the ultimate punk rocker. “You’re a punk and you do what you want to do, so I wrote this song for you, Godzilla.” It’s hilarious and clever that Kepi sees the destruction of property and mass slaughter of humanity is very punk rock- I think he might be right. It also shows just how quietly hilarious Kepi can be. As cutsie-wootsie as some of Kepi’s love songs can be, when he hides his misanthropic vibe behind a smile and b-movie, he really shows how he is top ranking.

The title track is one of the band’s best tunes, as well. Again, Kepi uses funny cartoons as a way to proclaim individuality and solidary within the punk scene, or whatever scene you like. So many bands hit you over the head with their point, or on the other end, wash the point away in tedious abstractionism, Groovie Ghoulies at their height could hide profound points in a cartoon lineup. Later GG releases would have more hits and even better chords, but Freaks was a real kick off in the band’s second half.

The new reissue adds six bonus tracks, thereby pushing the EP into an LP. GGs have a TON of rare tracks hidden across 7-inchers and even limited CD-Rs, so it’s great to get some of those tracks put together in an album-ish form. Hearing the GGs do Rocky Horror’s “time warp” is a blast, as is hearing obscure covers, such as the fifi and the Mach III tune. The reissue brightens the sound and adds a little bit more clarity. Its loud… but somehow this massive volume here highlights the band’s subtlety. There’s always more to GG than is evidence at first glance.