Rocket From the Crypt - Normal Carpet Ride

A Sub Pop Singles Club issue from June 1992. I remember opening this one up. I had just moved to Amherst, presumably for good, and was turning 21 within days. Unfortunately, I had no turntable, having left my mom's behind. And I had no job or money. So this single had to wait a while. I moved in with a roommate who had a turntable that fall.

This is one of many early singles for RFTC, arriving before their first full-length release. These guys were smart, and used the quick-turnaround nature of the 7" to constantly get new material out and build a fan base before they recorded a full-length album. They went on to have a solid career, and were known for great, energetic live performances. They still have a loyal following, and a live album of their final show was released just a couple of years ago. John Reis is still pretty active, now playing in Hot Snakes.

I never really got into them. Having to shelve this until I got access to a turntable probably killed some enthusiasm, (come to think of it, that's probably true of the Codeine single as well) and by the time I got one, I had a backlog of other stuff to listen to. I don't think they caught on as much on the east coast, either. Listening to it again, I can see why people were fans. Normal Carpet Ride is just a kick-ass rock song. Slumber Queen and Where Are the Fuckers are solid, too. Flip The Bird ventures into screechy noise rock territory, but it's the last song on a 3-song B-side. Anything goes at that point. Another band in this series with a one-man horn section, though they put it to good use, and it doesn't seem so out of place.

A: Normal Carpet Ride
B: Where Are The Fuckers, Slumber Queen, Flip The Bird
Enjoy!