Sam McPheeters - Mutations (The Many Strange Faces of Hardcore Punk)
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 I along with millions of other people was stranded at home and not allowed to go to work. My situation was even more extraordinary in the sense that I moved from New York City to Buffalo at the very beginning of the pandemic only to sit out the first twelve weeks of my new job at an AirBnb. But this entry isn't about the pandemic or my move but about Mutations, a book that came out at the same time the pandemic hit and as such made my life more pleasant for about a week, as that's approximately how long it took me to read it from cover to cover. The difficulty with reviewing books I have read some time ago is that unlike records they take more effort to review, especially ones I remember having enjoyed reading, but not really sure anymore as to why. This morning I took the book off of my book shelve and familiarized myself with it again in order to find out why I liked it so much when it came out. First and foremost I was not familiar with the author, Sam McPheeters. I mean I knew that Sam sang in Born Against and other bands, that he ran a fanzine by the name of 'Dear Jesus' and that he had also ran a record label, but I never owned any of his recorded or written material hence in a way I suppose I had no prejudgment. Rereading some of the chapters in the book this morning I realized quickly why I loved reading Mutations. The book is divided into three parts: Questions, Artists and Problems. Within the 'Questions' part I for instance loved the chapter "A Conversation with Aaron Cometbus", just a fun, intelligent and witty conversation between Sam and Aaron, whom I am sure everyone knows from his Cometbus zines. Equally good but on an absolutely different level is "The Troublemaker", an absolutely intriguing look into the life of Doc Dart of the Crucifucks from Lansing, Michigan. If someone from the Fox News Network would read that chapter they'd have a field trip with it as it clearly shows that distrust and absolute disdain for the government in this country run high on both ends of the political spectrum. Fascinating chapter. The 'Artists' part is just as good and Sam delves into the depths of the many forms of hardcore punk or just 'punk' with chapters dedicated to bands as diverse as Discharge, The Gossip, Die Kreuzen or Green Day amongst others. In 'Questions' the chapter "Alberti Records, RIP"stands out as it is about a vinyl manufacturer that operated for over fifty years and had closed its doors leaving the question as to who will pick up and continue the hard work. One thing that really stands out about this book, and Tobi Vail of Bikini Kill mentions that in her foreword, is the fact that at no point in this book does the author look back at the years covered in this book with any self-indulgence or glorification, but rather with a very critical and observant view. In the end I think this book serves a great deal for all of us to reflect on our lives and to have a somewhat distanced and healthy understanding of the many strange faces of hardcore punk. Definitely one of the best hardcore punk books recently published.
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