The Dogs
Fed Up

«It came from Detroit» ... Paraphrase of the famous «It came from Memphis» by Robert Gordon, which perfectly suits the Dogs, an obscure proto-punk band originally from Lansing, near Detroit, but soon adopted by the Los Angeles scene. And in the '70s, coming from Detroit could only mean one thing: absolute devotion to the cult of Stooges and MC5, in form and substance.

A power trio formed by Loren (vocals and guitar), Mary (bass), and Ron (drums), the band experienced its peak in the latter half of the Seventies, managing to release two 7" singles for a total of five tracks, «John Rock'n'Roll Sinclair / Younger Point Of View» and «Slash Your Face / Fed Up / Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl»; during those same days, «Younger Point Of View» was included in «Saturday Night Pogo», a dusty compilation (third release by the glorious Rhino Records) dedicated to a handful of misfits frequenting the Los Angeles clubs in 1978 (among others, Vom, Dils, and Droogs); centuries later, in 1990, «Slash Your Face» made its appearance in the first volume of «Killed By Death», an extraordinary series dedicated to the most derelict bands of the worldwide punk scene.

Fast forward to 2000, when Dionysus released «Fed Up!»: thirteen tracks, four studio-recorded and nine live (decently recorded), dating back to the 1976-1977 biennial, except for the concluding «Dog In The Cathouse».

From the Stooges, they inherited the monolithic sound, from MC5 the rebellious stance; the Dogs added to this abundant doses of raw rock'n'roll (like The Who live at Leeds, and it’s no coincidence they covered «Shakin' All Over») and a touch of heavy psychedelia (a bit Blue Cheer, a bit Blue Oyster Cult). The result is a little gem, in the path blazed by cult bands like Sonic's Rendezvous Band and Destroy All Monsters: this album is a must-have in the discography of any amphetamine punk'n'raw enthusiast.

At least two tracks deserve to rise to classic status: «John Rock'n'Roll Sinclair» is blood and sweat, passion and fury, a rasping voice, and a screaming guitar, spawned from the frenzy with which Johnny Winter And distorted «Johnny B. Goode» on stages around the world, it’s rockandroooooll in its rawest and truest essence; «Slash Your Face» are the Motorhead of «Killed By Death» grappling with the Husker Du of «Ice Cold Ice» or vice versa, but the result doesn’t change, and in these three/four minutes lie the beginnings of so much hardcore to come that it's astounding to ponder it.

The rest of the repertoire is also excellent, with explosive renditions of «Black Tea», «Shakin' All Over», and «Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl», and a «Slither» that forgoes speed to gain heaviness, up to a «Tuff Enuff» that's self-explanatory from the title alone.

An honourable mention goes to the percussive and pounding «Sleaze City»: if only there were a video of the splendid bassist Mary headbanging to the frantic rhythm of the yeah-yeah-yeahs and unleashing an avalanche of her black curls, this would undoubtedly be a better world.