Take Two

It’s incredibly hard to discuss an album when one of the members has died and the album is released posthumously. 45 Grave doesn’t make it any easier with Only the Good Die Young. A re-release of a 1988 reunion show with all of the original members is contained inside, allowing young fans to see what the classic goth-punk band really was like back when they stormed the earth. Unfortunately, it isn’t pretty.It isn’t all bad. The band obviously has a huge energy and did connect with a crowd at one point in time (although the crowd doesn’t seem to reciprocate at this show). Singer Dinah Cancer (one of the greatest punk rock names ever) remains sultry and aggressive, screaming, yelping, and cooing towards a great effect for portions of the show. Their hit “Party Time” shows why they briefly became famous and how, when they choose to, they were indeed a fine band.

However, the mistakes are spread all around. The incredibly long rendition of “Take Five” builds envy for the death. A nine minute drone-noise rock piece is entertaining when in the hands of masters, but this musical abomination would make the Melvins wish for dead. Even the songs with less in length still fall short. Most would figure a song called “Fucked by the Devil” would be worth a laugh at the least. 45 Grave missed that memo.

With every band issuing live albums and many bands attempting to reform in an effort to make a quick buck, 45 Grave saw fit to capitalize on nostalgia and reissue a live performance that didn’t make the grade when it first came out.