The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Don’t Know How To Party
welcome back to the Skaject folks! our record this week is The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ 1993 release, Don’t Know How to Party!
Our Only Weapon was a track i liked when i originally heard this record, and while it took me a sec to warm up to it again, i do like the kind of relentless positivity on this one. Last Dead Mouse is a really weird song. not sure i fully get it, beyond it being about an overzealous peddler of poor goods. the title track here is pretty fun – i like the somber lead in, it really adds an extra oomph to the blasting crest of the first “dont know how to party”. Someday I Suppose was on their last EP, and shines here as well. really really good song. A Man Without is interesting because theyve been really clearly balancing more hard rock and ska influences, and this one leans a lot heavier to their rockier side in many ways. they have another vocalist joining Dicky Barret on this song that REALLY sounds like they are channeling KISS, haha. Holy Smoke’s intro feels like a hangover after that, but quickly jumps up into frantic ska punk about sanctimonious christians. Illegal Left is about the narrator keeping folks from getting caught in a traffic trap, which is a very funny subject. Tin Soldiers is a pretty solid anti-war song. Almost Anything goes is a catchy track about getting swept up in city party culture. i dig this one. Issachar feels like the kinda song that leads to the sobering morning after of the previous song, haha. What Was Was Over is a neat ramblin track as we near the end of the record. i really like the usage of the horns on this song. Seven Thirty Seven / Shoe Glue is a neat split song. i dig this one as a closer.
faves – Our Only Weapon, Don’t Know How to Party, Someday I Suppose, Almost Anything Goes, What Was Was Over
dislikes –
there’s something i feel like ive mentioned on every Bosstones record yet that you can feel them slowly feeling out whether they wanna lean more hardcore or ska/poppy, and this record having both Almost Anything Goes and A Man Without feels like a pretty solid illustration of that happening on this record.
i feel like this is an incredibly solid entry. i think there’s a fun range of thematic material, and obviously i think the musical variety is there. i dont feel like any song doesnt fit either, theyre just displaying a wide range of influences. i lean a lot more towards their lighter sounds, but that shouldnt keep you from digging in to check out the ska-core tracks theyve got here.
Don’t Know How To Party – 7/10
the next Skaject release is going to be Fishbone’s Give a Monkey a Brain…
previous: Rancid (1993) | next: Give a Monkey a Brain…
previous Bosstones release: Ska-Core, the Devil, and More | next: Question the Answers
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