Minor Threat
Out of Step


4.5
superb

Review

by TBrown87 USER (10 Reviews)
January 17th, 2008 | 51 replies


Release Date: 1983 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Minor Threat's only full length album is short, sweet and possibly the best thing to come out of D.C.

Minor Threat's first and only album was recorded in 1983, the year they ceased to exist as a band. While they had already released several EPs and appeared on a number of compilation albums they had yet to produce anything that could be called an album. What they finally came up with was Out Of Step a classic in it's own right and one of the most influential albums of it's time.

While at first glance Out Of Step is just a continuation of the speedy political hardore seen on their first EPs, the band has grown both lyrically and technically. More melody is apparent on tracks like Betray and Little Friend and the band shows more musical depth by including some relatively slow songs such as Look Back And Laugh and Cashing In. Cashing In,(which is only available on the LP version) sounds nothing like Minor Threats' earlier work and is a kind of foreshadowing of the type of music frontman Ian Mackaye would do in Fugazi. While earlier Minor Threat songs burst out of the starting gate at breakneck tempos and shouted vocals, Cashing In is slower and even shows that Minor Threat had a sense of humor, with lyrics about how Minor Threat was getting rich with other people's money (which they were in no way doing.)

The other songs in the album, though; are closer to the Minor Threat fans know and love, with some considerable improvements. Betray features an excellent riff that just gets stuck in your head and has an amazing shout along chorus that is simply the title of the song repeated 4 or 5 times. Also on the album is a re-recording of Out Of Step, which appeared on an earlier EP but wound up as the title track for this album. Both versions are the speedy punk rock that Minor Threat is famous for but this version has a bridge with a spoken word section by Ian. While the original version of this song is amazing the spoken word section both makes the message Ian is trying to get across more clear and adds to the intensity of the song.

The only slight comlaint I have about this album is that it is too short. At 21 minutes on the LP version (18 on the cd) it speeds by before you realize it. This is really the only thing keeping me from giving it a 5 as their are no weak tracks and the best songs are also some of the best you will ever hear. But if you prefer short albums to hour long monster albums then this is for you anyway.

Minor Threat-Out Of Step

Good - Amazing songs
Technical and lyrical growth by Minor Threat
Inexpensive on vinyl

Bad - Too short



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user ratings (688)
4.2
excellent

Comments:Add a Comment 
Willie
Moderator
January 18th 2008


20295 Comments


I have their "Complete Discography" CD... I think that's good enough.

TBrown87
January 18th 2008


52 Comments


That's what I thought for a while.

timbo8
January 18th 2008


633 Comments


wow i'm surprised this hasnt been reviewed until now

ninjuice
January 18th 2008


6760 Comments


good review, except I'm not so sure this adequately describes either the type of music nor a 'superb' album.

Willie
Moderator
January 18th 2008


20295 Comments


Yeah, you do kind of go into this review assuming that the reader already kind of knows what to expect from this band... but since it was released before most of them were even born, that's probably not the case ;)

Intransit
January 18th 2008


2797 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

I like this era of Minor Threat a hair better than their EPs

Fort23
January 18th 2008


3775 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Eps are better imo. Last time I gave this a listen, it was just ok for me. Should relisten though.



Reviews pretty good too.

The Jungler
January 18th 2008


4826 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

good review, especially for a fourth. I have no clue what that semi-colon is doing in the third paragraph though.

Their EPs were better sometimes but this is still really good.
i agree i think, even though i used to like this a whole lot more.

Let's Chop Cats!
January 20th 2008


142 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

even if you liked the EPs better I don't understand how you wouldn't consider this perfect.

Eliminator
March 21st 2008


2067 Comments


DON'T SMOKE!
DON'T DRINK!
DON'T F[size=+3]U
CK!
AT LEAST I CAN FUCKING THINK![/size]

NotMrBlonde
August 26th 2008


394 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Is this worth $11.98 on vinyl? I'm buying it anyways but I want to know if it's going to be a decoration.

botb
August 26th 2008


18258 Comments


It's a classic though the complete discography is definitely more worth it.

MassiveAttack
October 1st 2009


2754 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

"Out of Step" is fucking awesome.

illmitch
October 1st 2009


5511 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

I CAN'T KEEP UP

CAN'T KEEP UP

CAN'T KEEP UP

kitsch
December 5th 2009


5117 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

this is so awesome

StrizzMatik
December 18th 2009


4183 Comments


Minor Threat = awesome
sXe kids = douchebags

Athom
Emeritus
January 25th 2010


17244 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

just bought this on vinyl for 4 bucks. SCORE!

patroneyes
August 4th 2010


1921 Comments


best thing to come out of dc? minor threat is definitely tied with bad brains for best thing to come out of dc IMHO

porch
September 5th 2010


8455 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

aw yea

jefflebowski
January 28th 2012


8573 Comments


possibly the best hardcore album ever



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