Electric Frankenstein

Spare Parts (Get Hip)
by Jon Sarre

“Deja vu all over again,” Yogi Berra once said when he was “asked to say something funny,” but that was exactly what I thought when I looked at the songs listed on this “new” disc from Jersey’s favorite buncha slash’n’burn high octane-drinkin’ punk rock monstrosities. The titles are suspiciously similar to those on an Electric Frankenstein record I reviewed a couple issues back (number 42, to be exact, March 1998). I can’t be sure cuz I gave that disc, Fractured was its name, to a friend who needed a reason to go on livin’, stuck as he was behind the counter of an ultra-sleazy adult video parlor.

Luckily, Get Hip’s poorly written press release (which claims that “all songs are originals, except their rendition of the classic Dictators cut ‘Borneo Jimmy,'” when any moron can look at the back of the CD and see it also contains “Your Emotions” with the Dead Kennedys’ composin’ credit clear as day. They also managed to be ten years off on the year this stuff was recorded – shoulda been 1997, not ’87) was available to confirm my suspicions. Spare Parts (the title shoulda clued me in) is Fractured in its entirety with the instrumental “EF Stomp” and three live tracks tacked on. Jeez, who do these guys think they are, the Sex Pistols or somethin’?

Anyway, if ya ran right out and bought Fractured, you can probably stay in yer chair this time ’round, cuz the cover drawin’ of Frankenstein’s monster bootin’ up with the aid of an electrical chord ain’t worth the price of admission. On the other hand, if ya don’t have that other record, which, to avoid the risk of repeatin’ myself, I’ll simply quote myself (yeah!), is “minimal overdubbing, minimal changes, no room for art or any of that shit,” fuck yeah, pick this ‘un up.
(Columbus & Preble Aves. Pittsburg, PA 15233)