I enjoy a bit of righteous anger and true malice every so often. I know I overuse the word ‘perfect’ but hey, it fits here. Just listen to that grinding rhythm section, that inexorable ascent to the point where Donita Sparks (I think) totally loses it.

When I get mad and I get pissedįor all the ones who fill my head with doubt I fully appreciate that this is not the mindset of a grown-up person, or indeed a remotely psychiatrically healthy outlook, but it’s the one I done gotten. I’m a placid, pacifistic type but if you wrong me, I’ll get you back^^ it may take years, but you’ll get yours. Rarely has a song captured my beliefs as well as this one too^*. This one is a real nasty grind with a great melodic edge. ‘Mr Integrity’ is similar, but doesn’t punch as hard for me although the sneering put down ‘Don’t preach to me/ Mr Integrity‘ is a winner.įor me though the real pay dirt on Pretend We’re Dead was ‘Shitlist’ (another album track). Mark where I stand when I'm aloneĪ shake in my voice and a twitch in my eye The former is my favourite, a real menacing rocker just pulsing with energy and intent. Skipping something important for a second, the B-side contained the non-album ‘Lopsided Head’ and the LP track ‘Mr Integrity’. Watching it back for the first time 28 years later I am struck more by Dee Plakas’ incredible drumming than the below-the-belt nudity. I remember seeing their performance live on The Word^ as it went out that got them banned from TV in the UK after Donita Sparks dropped her trousers. My memories of them performing it live though involved much more pummelling. Producer Butch Vig really picked up and honed the melodies perfectly on this track and it is still a great listen. Their absolute determination never to play the game was laudable, but more to the point they really rocked.īy 1992 Bricks Are Heavy was their big hit out for the fences, Pretend We’re Dead was the most tuneful, catchiest track on there. They were just great, their debut LP on Epitaph and Smell The Magic just perfect – mean, gnarly, downright ornery and often funny. Time to unleash the bugbear, why the fudging flip did L7 never get more kudos than they got?* they were such an incredibly cool band, born out of that wonderful nexus between the hard rock and punk scenes where a good 98.65% of my favourite music comes from**. Welcome to L7 Pretend We’re Dead 12″, on picture disc, natch 1992 never got any better than this. I bought this record for a tuneful slice of grunge rebellion and ended up with a full-on manifesto for life.

Go packers go