Sound and Fury (Deluxe Edition)

Youth Brigade

Sound and Fury (Deluxe Edition)

Confidence

March 14, 2024
Web Exclusive

By Matthew Berliand

After the previous, highly anticipated and justifiably praised deluxe reissues of the first two 7s 12in (see my review of Walk Together Rock Together) and Circle Jerks' first two LPs, Trust has done it again with the reissue of yet another crucial, timeless, long-out-of-print West Coast punk rock classic. To clarify, this particular reissue is of the 1983 re-recorded version of Youth Brigade's debut LP, Sound and fury, from which almost all subsequent editions have been taken. (Trust also reissued the 1982 original, of which only 800 were made, though a ton have been delivered, in a certain deluxe double-LP set that has it and this version packaged together.)

Hence, absolute classics like “Sink with California,” “Men in Blue” (with a rap part/breakdown reminiscent of 7 Seconds' like-minded “Colorblind” a year later, and prescient lyrics that feel like they could have written yesterday), the haunting anti-suicide theme “Did You Wanna Die” and the epic closer “What Will the Revolution Change” sound as good as ever here. There's also some humor and levity to counter all the seriousness, though, with “Jump Back” and even a cover of Gene Chandler's old hit “Duke of Earl” also making the cut. If there's any hint of disappointment here, it's that unlike some previous Trust reissues, there aren't dozens of unseen photos or extensive liner notes and other odds and ends, but just the LP in a variety of colors (mine is in red/white and wonderful) and a copy of the original color insert with lyrics, thank you, et al. However, this isn't much of a concern if the ultimate goal is simply to enjoy the album, and Trust has given fans the chance to do so again in the form it was originally released. May they continue to do this as long as humanly possible. (www.trustrecordscompany.com)

Author Rating: 8.5/10