The Dictators
Go Girl Crazy

THE REVIEW

If Darwin were alive today and instead of wasting time studying Galapagos finches, he were an expert in rock music, he would undoubtedly have identified the missing link between hard and punk. And it wouldn't have been, as everyone might think, a strange family nucleus of four fake brothers with the same last name, no sir, but a tribe of five wild misfits living wildly, waking up at noon, sustaining themselves on hamburgers, playing an improbable sport like wrestling, having fun with B-movies, and chasing girls to hook up with them in a borrowed car. Not only that, they even had the audacity to feature that ugly mug Handsome Dick Manitoba on the cover in a pose like an improbable wrestler destined to fall to the first punch.

It's 1975 and under the production of Sandy Pearlman, the four chords of "Next Big Thing" unabashedly pick up the street rock of fellow New Yorkers, the New York Dolls, but there's something new in the air, the laid-back rhythm of a ballad like "I got you baby" anticipates certain Clash songs sung in Strummer's lazy voice. The opening of "Back to Africa lays down the coordinates for "melodic punk," and "Master Race Rock" with its typical punk anthem chorus makes it clear that English bands owe a lot to the most underrated band on the planet. Tracks like "I live for cars and girls" and "Weekend" show how the songwriting of bassist Andy Shernoff (also a fanzine editor) was far superior to the elementary work of bands that would become successful a few years later. And Ross "The Boss" Funichello's blazing solos are precious commodities in an era that would do away with guitar heroes. Not to mention the roadie, cook, wrestler, Handsome Dick Manitoba, a wild card causing chaos with his presentation screams of an absolute anthem like "Two Tube Man" that you won't be able to get out of your head. Listen to the version of "California Sun" that ends with the liberating shout chachacha!!!... and be honest in admitting that it surpasses any other including that of the Ramone brothers that would come a couple of years later.

And why did the Dictators never break through? Mysteries of rock, these idiots with their fool attitude created more confused people than convinced about the new course music should take. The frequent lineup changes eventually led to the band's disbandment, Mark Mendoza left with the Twisted Sister, the other guitarist Scott Kempner formed the excellent Del Lords, while Ross "The Boss" even put together the ridiculously over-the-top Manowar.

What remains in our hands is one of the most overlooked records in the entire musical history contained in any damn book. Luckily we have our ears.