FOE: Poison Idea "The Fatal Erection Years" CD/LP Review

Monday, October 29, 2012

Poison Idea "The Fatal Erection Years" CD/LP Review

POISON IDEA

“The Fatal Erection Years”

1983-1986

Southern Lord CD edition

TKO LP edition

This is the second in a series of reissues of the legendary Portland Oregon HC band. A big thank you goes out to Poison Idea, Southern Lord and TKO Records for inspiration and this opportunity.

crown point vista house on the columbia river

Being 46 has its benefits. I was able to pick up "Pick Your King", "Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes" and the "Drinking is Great" compilation when they were released. I took my Poison Idea poster with me when I went away for college. Realize, I had a lot of posters to choose from back in those peak FOE zine years and limited wall space.

Gilman St.

Poison Idea has always been a band that was dissimilar to the bands of the genre. Sure, putting out a 7" with thirteen songs on it happened a lot back in the 1980s. Sure bands played fast while extending into a metallic edge such as you will find on "Record Collectors...".

Gilman St.

But. But! BUT! No one questions who Poison Idea is. They have a "sound". Minor Threat had a sound. Black Flag had a sound. Etc... Poison Idea had a sound and style that no one could recreate. You could be influenced by bands like Poison Idea, but they were an original, the real deal, you just can't copy this.

I had the pleasure of seeing Poison Idea in some blown out building/squat/space that had an apocalyptic center square / yard that provided the appropriate backdrop for the chaos that was going on in Philadelphia many years ago. My friends did some sort of drugs with Poison Idea, while I drank a quart with Jerry A (yeah, this was pre-40 oz days and at least 21 years ago as that is how long I have been sober). When Poison Idea went on stage, there was sweat, blood, chaos and complete nihilism. It was like a sacred end of days celebration. Not only was Jerry A slicing up his own flesh but one kid picked up the broken bottle as carving instrument and gouged his own flesh in celebration. The pit was one of the most intense things I have ever seen. Philly was different back there. There weren't just punks and hardcore kids at this show. There were dealers and people off the street who wandered into the decadence, thrashing with the hardcore kids. Leather jackets, spikes, flannels, t-shirts, dirty homeless action wear and freaking pimp coats and hats.

"Pick Your King" was Poison Idea's official debut release from 1983. Raw and ferocious, it is a classic, mandatory hardcore 7". The infamous jacket featured a "choice" of two kings, Jesus (front cover) and Elvis Presley (back cover).

"Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes" was released in 1984. The cover featured guitarist Pig Champion’s record collection.

The song "Laughing Boy" is from the "Drinking Is Great" compilation 7” which was released in 1985 (all the bands on this record are amazing).

Let it be known that the vinyl LP version contains six songs from the Live at the Met 1983 gig while the Southern Lord CD version contains the entire nineteen songs from the live set. So you know, you need to get both.