crackedmachine

For the second cover of the day, here is Naked Raygun with Suspect Device from Jettison (1988). Suspect Device was one of the first punk rock songs I fell in love with, as played by Stiff Little Fingers on their 1979 Inflammable Material LP. (Here I go with what might be an ongoing deficiency of original versions: only having a cassette of Inflammable Material, I am stuck posting the cover.) But, hey, I was planning on making this a Naked Raygun post anyway. I’ve been listening to Jettison today. If it is not my favorite Raygun album, it is certainly the one I play most often. Both Jettison and Inflammable Material are worth finding if you don’t already have them. Touch and Go reissued the Naked Raygun catalog a few years back, adding plenty of bonus material. Even if you already have the albums on vinyl or tape (like I did), you should pick up the reissues, at least one or two.

Suspect Device is one of those perfect songs to listen to when pissed off. Especially when pissed off at the pieces of shit in charge of the US, running it into the dirt with seemingly reckless disregard for reason. “They make us feel indebted-For saving us from hell-And then they put us through it-It's time the bastards fell!” Written by some Irishmen in the late 1970s…repackaged by some Chicagoans in the late 80s…covered many other times as well…relevant still.

...Not to lose focus from Naked Raygun. A lot has been written about this band, so I won’t say much. Jettison is a classic, strong from start to finish, but Basement Screams, Throb Throb, All Rise are classics also. Check out Kill From the Heart’s NR page for a crapload of information.

These aren't the best songs on the album. But they are great. So buy the album, and you will get even better songs.
Blight
The Mule

If you like Naked Raygun, be sure to look into Pegboy. Strong Reaction is a good starting point.