HARDCORE (JEM Music Video)

I was prepared to be ambivalent about this video and, by gumbo, I am. It features 13 bands from a number of slots on the Great Hardcore Mandala: groups like Broken Bones, U.K. Subs, D.O.A., the Crumbsuckers, G.B.H. and more, including five I�ve never heard of. For starters, the overall visual quality is excellent, which makes it a fine way to taste the dangers of hardcore in the safety of your home. (Which you�ll certainly appreciate when you see how many shots there are of people jumping into the crowd, getting thrown into the crowd, or simply being in the crowd.) The sound isn�t quite as sharp, but that�s OK—if you want a digitallyrecorded CD of Chelsea doing �Rockin� Horse,� why...why, you�re an amazing person, that�s what. In any case, this compilation does wax and wane, featuring some surprises and disappointments. A quick runthrough: the Crumbsuckers, in the lead-off slot, don�t do much with �Trapped,� due in part to the worst sound quality on the video. Broken Bones come through in stellar fashion with �Wealth Rules,� though. Visually, it�s jarring in the extreme and the band looks great, not to mention bored out of their skulls. G.B.H.—haircutmeisters par excellence—are up next, and practically steal the show with their rave-up version of �No Survivors.� One Way System, Abrasive Wheels and the aforementioned Chelsea follow, and little can be said of their showings. (I suppose it�s OK to note that Chelsea�s lead singer maintains one of the most uselessly blatant Iggy postures I�ve ever seen—this in a life of enduring uselessly blatant Iggy postures.) The Toy Dolls are next in line with a spirited, choreographed version of �Wipe Out� you can�t help but smile at...and enjoy. Cool guys. A real stand-out—the U.K. Subs performing their moody (almost Hendrix-esque) �Flood Of Lies� I III follows, signalling the first tempo change on a video I that�s speed o� light, indeed. We�ll skip the Exploited in a spirit of chariI ty and go on to the abI solute highlight of this ^ thrashfest—and a most unexpected highlight it is. The Adicts—of whom I know nothing—serve up �Who Spilt My Beer?,� a song of immense melodic and sociological value. Built around a nifty bass line, some riotous �wooh-oh-oh� back-ups and a singer sporting full white-face make-up, the song practically reaches drama when the Adicts stop playing, only to segue back into a much slowed-down version. Really: it�s sensational, and—I daresay— reason aplenty to check out this vid. Unfortunately, Peter & The Test Tube Babies and D.O.A. (too slick a band to even be here in the first place) can�t maintain the Adict gestalt, but the compilation ends nicely with Suicidal Tendencies� �Institutionalised,� with a fine, rambling vocal that�s far more spoken than sung. It�s a good �un. As—in the big picture—is Hardcore itself. If you be a fan, you�ll hunker down to the winners mentioned here. (Available from JEM, P.O. Box 362, South Plainsfield, NJ 07080.)