dawn of the dickies (1980) - the dickies: a&m records, SP-4796

While the birthplace of punk may be in question - some say it is New York (and bands like the Ramones and Richard Hell and the Dead Boys), while others claim that it was England (the Sex Pistols and the Damned and the Clash) -there is absolutely no doubt that it grew up and attained maturity in Los Angeles.

Bands like the Weirdos, Black Randy, X, the Germs, Black Flag, Fear, the Adolescents, the Circle Jerks and more made LA the undisputed center of the punk universe.  Clubs like the Whiskey, the Roxy, Gazzari's, the Rainbow and others along Sunset Strip were where bands lived and died, and where punk was nurtured and allowed to develop.  Sure, there were vibrant scenes in San Francisco and DC and London and New York, but by the early 80's they were all mere satellites to what was happening in LA.

And with so much punk happening, it's not surprising that different strains started to emerge.  the Germs and Black Flag were the hardcore sound, filled with rapid fire music and vocals that can be generously called screams.  X brought musicianship and a large dose of American rockabilly and were the virtuosos of punk.  And there was even a weird offshoot called funnypunk perfected by the LA band the Dickies.

Side 1: Where Did His Eye Go? Fan Mail Manny, Moe, And Jack Infidel Zombie I'm A Chollo
Side 2: Nights In White Satin (I'm Stuck In A Pagoda With) Tricia Toyota I've Got A Splitting Hedachi Attack Of The Mole Men She Loves Me Not

Of all the punk bands of the 80's none were quite as local or quite as fun as the Dickies, featuring Leonard Graves Phillips on vocals, Stan Lee on guitar, Karlos Kaballero on drums, Billy Club on bass, and Chuck Wagon on just about everything else. Everything about them was an LA insider joke.  Folks from Des Moines or Milwaukee or Dallas simply wouldn't get the references to Manny, Moe, And Jack, or Tricia Toyota.  Those were things that only we understood.  Similarly, songs like I'm A Chollo tended to resonate more with LA fans because of our unique cultural tapestry.

(Interesting Side Note: I was at an event at UCLA in which none other than Ms. Tritia Toyota was one of the honorees, and I had the opportunity to meet her.  After blubbering about how much I always admired her work on the local NBC news, I asked her how she felt about being the subject of a song.  She laughed and said that she was quite flattered, that she liked the song a lot even if her name was misspelled, and was surprised at meeting someone who knew it.  Plus she was still quite attractive.)

But just because we LA kids were in on the gags doesn't mean others didn't or couldn't find it funny. In fact, they did, because the Dickies were, quite simply, very funny.  Unlike their contemporaries, the Dickies didn't try and tackle social injustice, youthful agita, the Reagan oppression, or any of that.  Their songs were about where to buy cheap auto parts (Manny, Moe, And Jack); over-eager fans (Fan Mail); some dude trying to handle an over-sexed nympho (I've Got A Splitting Hedachi); or gentle mocking of the ripe-for-satire Sammy Davis Jr (Where Did His Eye Go).

And their lyrics were funny, too. For instance:

We really love that boy 
He's brought us so much joy
He even used to be a goy
- Where Did His Eye Go

Or,

I changed my name to Paco / Went to the store and got a taco
It made me feel real macho / Now all my friends are gabachos
- I'm A Chollo

This album is a great reminder of how much fun the 80's were.  As songs, they still sound as fresh and contemporary as they did when they were released, and when the stylus hits the groove it's just an instant party.

Up next: Glam, American style