Search - M.I.a. :: Lost Boys

Unearthed treasures

D. K. Malone | earth | 08/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"History has basically forgotten MIA, but in the mid-1980s (a.k.a. When Punk Rock Was Not On the Radio Because It Still Scared the Hell Out of John Q Public,) they were at the top of the heap in the punk scene. If the Murder In A Foreign Place/Notes From Underground line-up had never disbanded, they probably would have been at least as successful as, say, Social Distortion. But unfortunately they did splinter apart, got one final line-up together, released a last gasp of an album that simply wasn't very good (losing guitarist Nick Adams was probably the biggest blow) and then called it quits. While pretty much everything on this CD is high quality punk rock from a time when it actually had spirit, the Murder In A Foreign Place EP (tracks 1-11 on this disc) is easily worth the price itself. You'll never hear better melodic hardcore than this, it's an all-time classic. It's great to finally hear the earlier tracks from the Last Rites split LP, because now I finally understand why people used to say that MIA sounded like Agent Orange. In short, this is a crucial must-have for any fan of early/mid 80s punk."

Essential with a capital "E"

Patrick W. Schubert | Santa Ana, California United States | 02/26/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Aside from a handful of bands, incliding Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and early Circle Jerks, I've never cared for hardcore. I don't get the "faster is better" mentality and feel that most HC bands simply lacked musical skill and, more often, originality (remember those bands on Mystic Records?). I suppose it has to do with the manner in which you define hardcore.MIA, for example, are generally classified as a HC band, and the description actually does fit. They could play as fast and hard as anyone, but they also were skilled songwriters and musicians who were smart enough to include powerful, melodic midtempo numbers in their sets to keep things interesting. In other words, these guys had taste.This collection will not dissapoint any fan of REAL punk rock. Even if you tend to favor the late seventies variety, as I do, you can't go wrong with "Lost Boys".PS: If you have a turntable, get the double LP set on orange vinyl!"

The "original" M.I.A.

Brewzerr | On the fault line, CA | 08/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all I think it is VERY important to clear up something here: This is the only release you will find available by this M.I.A.!!! The other band calling themselves M.I.A. is NOT the same band and has NOTHING to do with this one. I don't know why the other band's album is being paired with this one. The M.I.A. I am about to review is an American melodic Punk/Hardcore band whose career lasted from 1981 to 1987. The "other" M.I.A. is a hip-hop band from Sri Lanka whose career is more current.



With that out of the way, let's talk about this VERY essential slice of American Punk history. "Lost Boys" is a compilation of M.I.A.'s earlier works. Included in their entirety on this compilation are the first album from 1982 ("Last Rites") and the 1984 Hardcore classic "Murder In A Foreign Place" LP. There are tons of bonus tracks included: rare compilation tracks, unreleased demos, and live tracks. M.I.A. was one of the most severely underrated bands of their day. They deserve to be held in regard with the same amount of importance as bands like Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Descendents, D.O.A., Adolescents, Circle Jerks, etc. but for some reason have been swept under the carpet of history. Listen for yourself... this is some of the best American Punk Rock ever recorded. It's tight, energetic, melodic without sounding wimpy, and the lyrics are meaningful without being preachy. Who knows? Maybe in this day and age of old punks cashing in on past glories, the complete absence of any reunions, marketing gimmicks, etc. has left M.I.A.'s memory intact in the 80's.



All the more reason to buy this album. This is a crucial part of 80's Punk history and the songs sound just as fresh, exciting, and thought-provoking as they did 20-plus years ago. Many of them are just as relevant, if not even MORE relevant today as they were back then. Just a few years ago a song like "Gas Crisis" would have been considered very dated, but have you been to the gas pumps lately? "Murder in a Foreign Place" applies more today than it did at the time of it's release in 1984, and "Tell Me Why" is a question EVERYONE ought to be asking themselves these days.



Bottom line: If you like your Punk Rock authentic and well above average, then buy this one fast!



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