Search - Proletariat :: Voodoo Economics

Today's punk owes the Prole

Jack Bevilacqua | Bloomington, Indiana, USA | 11/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Proletariat were way ahead of their time. Their melodic yet jarring sounds were cutting edge. The re-release of this disc by Taang shows off their pioneering efforts in the punk music genre, moving from many of the bands of that era which were pure noise, to a sound that was both hard-hitting yet attractive to a larger listening audience. They were Indie-trailblazers for political bands like Rage Against the Machine, and listening to their lyrics will clearly show this. It is a must buy for anyone that appreciates strong lyrics and a unique melodic punk sound."

Wow - these guys were great!!

Michael Heminger | Pardeeville, WI | 10/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was really struck by this band back in about 1985 when I heard them through friends. Sure - the militant rhythms and minimal arrangements are enticing (and were quite rare even then except for bands like the Gang Of Four and The Fall), but the washes of metallic guitars were what really sold me on The Proletariat. The lyrical message is one of a harsh look in the mirror at capitalist society. The tone and feel of these songs is not uplifting, but the guitar tones of Frank Michaels are magnificent - a dense, brooding transcendence. Reminded me a bit of my favorite band Killing Joke at the time, and still does - except much more fierce and political. By their 2nd lp "Indifference" they had smoothed the rough edges for an even moodier (like the punkier early Christian Death) sound, particularly on those sung by female guest Laurel Bowman ("The Guns Are Winning" & "Homeland"). Too bad they disbanded before we could see what direction their sound was heading (but "Uneasy Peace" with Mission Of Burma's Roger Miller guesting on keyboard is probably a good hint).
I'm grateful to have their entire catalog on 2 discs that I can play over and over. This collection features 4 unreleased tracks as well, and some early gems from rare compilations. I'd agree that the track placement is sketchy (putting older, cruder songs at the beginning of each disc on an otherwise chronological collection). Some of the quality is poor on the "Indifference" tracks (obviously mastered from a chattering cassette - my vinyl sounds much better) but I still play it over and over, which is what I'm doing right now. The best tracks are not offered for sound samples, so just buy the thing. Trust me."

Music to die/live for

Michael Heminger | 02/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 45 song manifesto is the only release I know of to fully capture the angst and rage that was American punk rock in the 80's. Pure,honest, angry calls for all of us to wake up and look around us--it sure ain't pretty. When your eyes are opened for the first time, as mine were when I first heard The Proletariat in 1983, it tends to sting. Bite the bullet, and stare that hellish reality in the eye--this band did. On some songs there is a Fall/Crass kind of feel, yet other tunes are not unlike the American hardcore scene at the time. My favorite songs are "Famine", "Events/Repeat", and "Uneasy Peace"-which features Mission of Burma's Roger Miller on piano. I highly recommend this album to anyone and everyone."