Unsung Gem/Unpolished Turd

[vertigokeyz]

This is probably an unorthodox type of post for this board but I am going to give it a shot anyway. I would like everyone to take turns choosing an "Unsung Gem" (a song that you think is really good, but that doesn't get much love on the live and greatest hits albums) and an "Unpolished Turd" (a song that is so repulsive that you are tempted to burn a duplicate CD without it included). Give reasons for your choices, and be creative (not like 'because it rocks/sucks' or 'because Joey/Bush sings it'). You can follow the template below, unless you are too lazy (I won't judge). It is kind of a game, but I think it could be rather enlightening.

--------------------

Unsung Gem - Piss N Vinigar, from Volume 8
Because it rocks. No, seriously...first, I think taking a phrase from "The Grapes of Wrath", misspelling it and making it into an Anthrax song is rather brilliant. The whole PnV notion really comes out in the lyrics "I've burned a bridge, I've burned a whole town 'cause I'm motherfucking fortified". Epic! And most importantly...I got a fever, and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!!

Unpolished Turd - Toast To The Extras, also from Volume 8
Okay, I personally have nothing against being 'ironic' or 'experimental', but occupying the first 3 minutes of a track with some redneck, shitkicker country song and tacking on another 1:24 of an acid trip is just wrong. Listening to it is like having teeth pulled with no anesthesia while being forced to watch Oprah Winfrey masturbate. I think I would prefer death.

 

[Social Distortion]

So I assume we're talking only Anthrax music?

IMO Poison My Eyes is the greatest song they never played again. Epic intro, excellent verses and chorus and a great solo by Spitz to top it all! This is the one song that would still be great no matter what who was singing.

To me Bare is just a bad song. If there's supposed to be some feeling in this song, I just don't feel it. But it's not a popular song to begin with, so who cares.

 

[xentrix]

I'm swaying between Packaged Rebellion and 1,000 Points of Hate as my unsung gem. OK, both have been played live (1993 for the former and 2004 for the later) but that's about it.

Got the Time. The only thing that stopped Persistence of Time from being the greatest album EVER.

 

[Warlord]

Unsung gem - Blood - always thought this was one of the strongest tracks on P.O.T. Great riffs and a classic bass line from Frankie - may be a bit overlong but thrash epics were all the rage in the early 90s. Come to think of it why isn't this in the set? Surely it's time to drop Medusa etc for something a bit more interesting?

Sodium Pentathol runs it a close second - disappointed we never got to hear much off side b of SOWN live in the UK.

Unpolished turd - Safe Home - utter dogdirt. I'm continually amazed how popular this absolute dog of a song is. No wonder Joey refused to sing it recently. On a Rope rip-off with cheesy lyrics and an equally duff guitar hook.

 

[Joecephus]

Unsung Gem:


Unpolished turd:

 

[mrthrax]

unsung gem-hy pro glo,goes over live much better than on cd,so fucking heavy.

bare-john bush shouldnt do ballads,everyone rips into joey but this song shows just how limited bush was,terrible fucking song.

 

[KillerB]

Unsung gem:



Other unsung gems: Think About an End, Packaged Rebellion, Time, Blood, SSC, Now It's Dark, Imitation of Life, Subjugator

Unpolished turd:

 

[Anthrax_Mosher]

Doing for both eras:

Joey:

Unsung Gems:

Raise Hell
Make Me Laugh
Misery Loves Company

Unpolished Turds:

A.I.R.
Out Of Sight Out Of Mind

Bush:

Unsung Gems:

Catharsis
Think About An End
Packaged Rebellion

Unpolished Turds:

Stomp 442

 

[sufferer]

Unsung gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZMh7WG9uU

Other unsung gems: Think About an End, Packaged Rebellion, Time, Blood, SSC, Now It's Dark, Imitation of Life, Subjugator

Unpolished turd:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3cDk-obiVM

Yes have always loved Noisegate!!!

 

[anomynous]

I can't believe I'm reading Medusa and AIR are turds........

Unsung gem:

Lone Justice
SCC
Blood


Unpolished turds:

Refuse to be Denied
Safe Home
Fueled

 

[xentrix]

Unpolished Turds:

Stomp 442

If we're playing the full album game, then unpolished turd is Among the Living. I know I'm very much in the minority on this one and that's OK, but for me, ATL is the worst from the classic Joey era of the band.

I'm not saying it's a bad album per se, just that I feel it's highly overrated.

Each to their own, etc.

 

[ironmaidenfan09]

If we're playing the full album game, then unpolished turd is Among the Living. I know I'm very much in the minority on this one and that's OK, but for me, ATL is the worst from the classic Joey era of the band.

I'm not saying it's a bad album per se, just that I feel it's highly overrated.

Each to their own, etc.

I think Among The Living is one of the best Thrash Metal albums ever, not only for Joey but for any band. But to each their own.

 

[Social Distortion]

Got the Time. The only thing that stopped Persistence of Time from being the greatest album EVER.

That's a good point! I mean I really like that song, but it doesn't fit the rest of the album.

 

[reidie]

Doing for both eras:

Unpolished Turds:

A.I.R.
Out Of Sight Out Of Mind

How anyone could choose AIR as an unpolished turd is beyond me! may well be my favourite anthrax track!

Unsung Gems:
Make me laugh, Lone Justice, Nothing

Unpolished Turd
Most of stomp and volume 8

 

[vomit]

Unsung Gems:

Killing Box
Tester
Potters Field

These are some great songs, that seem to get overlooked....the drumming intro to Potter's is classic.

Unpolished Turds:

Most of Fistful
Most of SOE

Both suffer from weak production. I think SoE is Joey's worst effort.....but the lyrics are not a whole lot to work with. "Schism....sk-sk-skism!" Hilarious!

 

[Inside Out]

LOL I could do this for several albums but i'll restrain myself to a few.

Unsung Gems(besides the second list in the post and the already well enough known songs, everything) But more specificly Panic, Gung-Ho, Finale. I know their all on Anthrology and a few other releases but I never hear about them. I love everything about them. The tempo plays a big part,the riffs and the drums just demand fury. Their classic Anthrax to me. They make me want to get on an autobahn and go metal thrashing mad. I have to throw in Lone Justice too, anomynous is right about it. It was an after thought but it needs to be. love the source material, and thought Roland the Gunslinger was one bad dude before i knew about the books.

the shiny shinola would have to include Black Lodge(though I did enjoy twin peaks), 2/3rds of Vol8 didnt sound like anthrax to me. Safe Home, It was nice to have an Anthrax song they would play on the radio atleast a little bit and it was a decent teaser for WCFYA but I dont feel it held up well with time to me it just got softer and sappier hearing it in context with the rest of the album. Potter's Field aswell is a stinker to me.

Among The Living will always be the highpoint of Music to me, along with Rust In Peace. Painkiller holds strong at number three.

Inside Out is my fav song on Vol 8 and it was my obsession when I made this account. It has tho suffered a similar fate as safe home but not to nearly to the same degree, i'll still listen to it lol. i love reading my posts after ive been up a day and change they just go on and on.