Minor Threat

Complete Discography (1989)

Rob Paxon

"Complete Discography", as the title would insinuate, is the complete collection of Minor Threat's discography. In that, this isn't just a review of an album, it is a review of a band; a band that was one of the most prominent and influential hardcore bands of the 80's. They coined the term "straight edge" and birthed the movement of the same name. They had a sound that was raw, yet creative and overly appealing-something only a few percent of hardcore bands are able to accomplish. Members of Minor Threat went on to countless other bands, most notable being Ian MacKaye in Fugazi, and Brian Baker playing guitar in both Dag Nasty and Bad Religion. Because of all this, it makes me scratch my head thinking why I just now got this album (OK, there is no mystery. I am a cheap bastard and I never found a copy in the used bin). At any rate, I bought it from my dad, along with NOFX's "Liberal Animation" and Rocket From The Crypt's "RFTC", for fifteen bucks. Not a bad deal. I don't feel like going over every track, so I'll be going over the ones I feel stick out the most.

"Filler" happens to be my favorite Minor Threat song. The singing is MacKaye at his best; however, it is the lyrics that stick out the most.
"What happened to you?
You're not the same
Something in your head
Made a violent change

It's in your head (3x)
Filler

You call it religion
You're full of shit
[…]
Your brain is clay
What's going on?
You picked up a bible
And now you're gone"

"I Don't Wanna Hear It" is a song about… hmm, not wanting to hear it? Don't believe me? Well, go ahead and read some of the lyrics. Be my guest…
"Shut your fucking mouth
I don't care what you say
You keep talking
Talking everyday
First you're telling stories
Then you're telling lies
When the fuck
Are you gonna realize…

That I don't want to hear it
Know you're full of shit"

Next we have "Seeing Red", which is about people looking down at you, something that most anyone who looks a bit different from the "norm" (i.e. anyone who doesn't wear Abercrombie & Fitch or the latest urban trends) can identify with. Just take a peak:
"You see me and you laugh out loud
You taunt me from safe inside your crowd
My looks, they must threaten you
To make you act the way you do

Red, I'm seeing red"

"Straight Edge" is, of course, the anthem of the Straight Edge movement. I'm not straight edge, but at the same time I don't "snort white shit up my nose" or "pass out at all the shows". I know the message is a positive one, not an attack on people in the scene who don't follow the suggestions in the song. It is a shame that people pervert the message; some segregate themselves, while others justify violence against those who aren't straight edge. That being said, this is a good song and the lyrics, some of which I quoted just above, are really great.

The next notable song, "Small Man, Big Mouth", is about… small men with big mouths; people who try to make up for their lack in stature with aggressive behavior. Such behavior is known as "small man's complex". I'm sure you all know people like this, I know I do.
"What the fuck are you fighting for?
Is it because you're five foot four?
You better be happy with what you've got
You'll never get any more

You laugh at a man when he tries
You're trying to make up for your size
To you life is a rivalry
Keep a step ahead of me
Small man, big mouth"

Again we have a song that may seem to conflict with me personally, yet, again, this isn't the case. "Bottled Violence" is about people who drink, and while I may do this the song goes further, talking about those who "get their bravery from a half-pint". In other words, people who get drunk and start fights. Fighting, drunk or sober, is a waste of one's energy, and MacKaye does a good job of pointing this out, all while giving another reason for his straight edge lifestyle.
"Lose control of your body
Beat the shit out of somebody
Half-shut eyes don't see who you hit
But you don't take any shit"

Minor Threat's self-titled track is definitely one of theirs that I like the most. The song is an anthem for the young at heart. It is very easy to identify with what MacKaye is saying here. Lyrically, this is probably the best offered by him. Because of that, I'm sticking the complete lyrics below…
"We're no the first, I hope we're not the last
'Cause I know we're all heading for that adult crash
The time is so little, the time belongs to us
Why is everybody in such a fucking rush?

Make do with what you have
Take what you can get
Pay no mind to us
We're just a minor threat

We're just a minor threat

Early to finish, I was late to start
I might be an adult, but I'm a minor at heart
Go to college, be a man, what's the fucking deal?
It's now how old I am, it's how old I feel

Take your time
Try no to forget
We never will
We're just a minor threat

We're just a minor threat"

Society puts a big guilt trip on white people for such things as racism and slavery. People don't seem to understand that to blame the entire race of those responsible for such things, as opposed to blaming those individuals actually responsible, is not only careless, it is racist in itself. I know that I am against racism, and I don't seem to see the fucking correlation between the possible acts of my ancestors and myself. This is undoubtedly how MacKaye felt when he wrote "Guilty Of Being White".
"I'm sorry
For something that I didn't do
Lynched somebody
But I don't know who
You blame me for slavery
A hundred years before I was born

Guilty of being white

I'm a convict
Of a racist crime
I've only served
Nineteen years of my time

Guilty of being white"

The cover of the song made famous by The Monkees, "Steppin' Stone", is one of the catchiest songs on the album. It starts with the guitars then the drums kick in just before the vocals, and the volume steadily rises as the song heads into the chorus and the bass kicks in.

I'm skipping some good songs here, such as "Betray", "It Follows", and "Think Again", simply because I am lazy. So without further ado I bring you the last song of this review, "Look Back And Laugh". The sound to this song is much different than the average Minor Threat album. It is about friends growing apart, and there isn't really anyone exempt from this experience.
"I want to tell you a little story
'Cause it makes me warm inside
It's about some friends growing up
And all the things they tried
I'm not talking about staple shit
They went for something more
I guess it was too much dreaming
Too much to hope for
One day something funny happened
But it scared the shit out of me
Their heads went in different directions
And their friendship ceased to be

I'm telling you I want it to work
I don't like being hurt
Something's not right inside
And I can't always put it aside
What can we do, what can we do?"

And with that, this review is over. I hope you know I hate you. Did you even read this far? No? Well, I guess I can get away with calling your mother a no good whore then, huh? You aren't anything to brag about either, shithead. Yeah, I'm talking to you. The rest of your dad's semen must have been dead judging by the poor specimen that was able to reach your mom's ovaries first.

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Review originally from Mediaocre Industries. You can read the original review here.