Review Summary: A swift, stream lined ball of energy headed straight for your face.
The second Ep by California punk band AFI entitled Behind the Times was released June, 1993 on Key Lime Pie Records. The Ep was limited to only 500 copies in which 100 of them were pressed in a rare black vinyl. To say this rarity is desired by fans would be quite the understatement as this short Ep would be quite the catch for any fan of these present day alt rockers. So assuming you're not a fan of the band should Behind the Times perk your interest at all? Well how does 10 minutes of a young Davey Havok wailing about cutting off his man parts to join a woman’s bowling team sound? Fun right? Couple that enjoyable nonsense with basic punk rhythms held together by raw energy and you might be acquiring this before my crappy review leaves the front page.
Opening up with the childishly frantic,
"Who Said You Could Touch Me?" it quickly becomes apparent that this young punk outfit isn’t trying to impress anyone. The instruments never stray far from basic and at the same time they never grow tiresome or lose their spark. While the bass is clearly the most cleverly used instrument the constant 'snap snap, splash splash' brought to life by the drums might be what steals your attention. The constant slash of down tuned power chords carry over to the next track,
"Rolling Balls". While when most people think of AFI lyrics the terms "desolate" or "self deprecating" may come to mind but you might giggle slightly at what is found on these youthful musicians lyrical tab-
Bowling is my life
And it has always been my dream
To be a member of the local bowling team,
Although I'm not very good.
The guys won't accept me,
I guess I try the girl’s team and lose a part of my anatomy.
Needlessly said these themes are a far cry from the dreary sounds capes that many have come to expect from the now more intellectual and more mature group.
"High school Football Hero" continues the quirky trend with Havok confessing his desire to become a high school football star and hang with the guys. A theme I can relate to as I myself felt obligated to employ in a few masculine activities all of which were ended by my knack for being anti-social or just plain "gay", a theme also present on the first track.
"Rizzo in the Box" would be the standout track as the bass again strives to be the pivotal aspect of the track. Despite the ever present funky bass lines throughout it's easy to notice Havok stretching his vocal range playfully but never quite foreshadowing the brilliant vocalist he would one day become. Again and without fail the bass on "Cereal Wars" manages to steal the show before the crunchy guitar riffs kick in and Havok raucously singing-
Get up early in the morning,
going to the store.
Post, Kellogs, General Mills?
It's the cereal war.
***in' store never has the monsters and they never get more.
Post, Kellogs, General Mills?
It's the cereal war.
Again the lyrics share the juvenile carelessness smoothly without having a cheesy vibe to hold them back. "Born In The US of A" ends the short Ep with a short sketch of the show M*A*S*H followed by a flurry of noise as the 3 basic instruments pleasantly bleed together while still retaining their fast paced energy found on the rest of the album. This track is also quite the anomaly compared to any other song you'd find by the band, with outrageous lyrics in the form of-
I like really big tits. I like really big tits.
Reading pornos, watchin' girly shows, takin' off their clothes.
I like watchin' gay men fight.
To anyone slightly familiar with Davey Havoks persona this would be the last thing you would expect to come out of the flamboyant front mans vocal chords. Here however his voice is brazenly put to use in an adolescent fashion without a care as to what anyone else thinks, my definition of "punk" I might add. The youthful energy, the basic chunk of overused power chords, the surprisingly well executed bass work intertwined with the frantic yet simple drumming is all drenched in the unique charm found only in the most simple and uncaring bands. While not quite as on par with Dork AFI seem to have too much fun on this short little adventure to be faulted for their lack of technical or vocal skills. Music doesn't always have to be fancy or intelligent to be enjoyable and Behind the Times is a tiny ball of pure fun just waiting to prove it.
