"It's
time to learn about one of the great American punk rock experiences of
the late seventies. The Pagans played with a fury, simplicity, and
sincerity that has since been lost to the avalanche of new music.
You may recognize the notorious "What's This Shit Called Love" or one of
the other three original Pagans singles that are the core of this compilation.
In addition, ten previously unheard studio wonders have been unearthed:
"I Don't Understand", "Not Now No Way", "Boy Can I Dance Good" (featuring
David Thomas on guitar/vocals), "Little Black Egg" (sound familiar ,huh?),
"Yeah, Yeah", and "Six and Change" all deserve a place in your history
books right besides the Avengers, the Dickies and even the Dead Kennedys
as remnants of an era that's long gone. Don't lose track of your
past, bury yourself in it."
--CMJ
New Music Report,
"Jackpot Plus" column, 4/11/86
"The Pagans were
(and on this record, are) the epitome of fist-in-your face sludge rock
at its finest. Do you think for a moment you could afford to believe
otherwise?"
--Your Flesh Magazine<
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"The Pagans were
a punk band ('77 - '83) from Cleveland, and they legitimately epitomized
the genre's brand of typified snottiness and aggressive, gut punch delivery...BURIED
ALIVE is no mere archive title...You see, the Pagans were the true essence
of Punk Rock long before the form began going through its many weird and
varied mutations. Because of this, this new record comes off as vitally
today as it must have for the band and their fans yesterday."
--BUZZ Magazine>
"....Whether or
not the Pagans' new record, BURIED ALIVE, on Treehouse Records was released
on virgin vinyl (which it was) or on a cow-flop is of little or no consequence.
You see, the Pagans (Cleveland circa '77 - '83) were the most ear-spanking
punk band to ever raise its ugly head..."
--Metal/Creem Closeup
"Everything that can be said about the
sound of the Pagans has already been said, in a hundred different ways,
so this review will restrict itself to defining the band as a pure punch-in-the-gut
outfit. The 30-track collection Everybody Hates You represents
a thorough overview of the band’s material, and now it’s the only readily
available artifact from their late –‘70’s career. And it’s good—the
Cleveland band uses its Motor City Five-inspired sound to good effect on
tracks like “What’s This Shit Called Love?” Everybody Hates
You contains obviously dated material not particularly relevant to
today’s musical climate, but it documents the work of a solid band
during the heyday of the punk sound."
--Nitsuh Abebe,
All Music Guide
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"The PAGANS were
the first band from the DEVO Belt to re-realize the fact that thud, blast,
and howl were the building blocks of modern culture. While other
mammy-slappin' pukes were assembling Heathkit synths in their rumpus rooms,
the PAGANS drank beer, peed blood, and spewed fire into four singles.
From '77 up till their nihilist-bubblepunk swan song, "Dead End America"
in '79, the PAGANS were the face of Midwest punk. Hard metallic guitar
paid strict attention to melody even while thrashing standards like the
Who's "Can't Explain": vocals emanated from a throat so snot-caked
that even a sissy-pop ballad sneered as if it were a Lee Ving French tickler;
rhythms hit with ball-crushing ferocity, then rose up into tooth-wiggling
gouts of pure, raw tunage like "What's This Shit Called Love?" BURIED
ALIVE flashes the mean, lean tit that provided suck for the next wave of
young Midwestern turds, and it's a solid rock."
--SPIN Magazine,
September '86
"...a rocking
punk LP that makes most of today's hard-core look twice the sham that it
is...
BURIED ALIVE
showcases a gritty, upbeat, young unpolished and raw punk band, all buzz
and beat and guttural vocals. It's this charming, unforced and free
attitude that made the Pagans worth remembering here, but it's the hooks
in each boogie-pop/punk cut that should make you play it today. It's
a great lesson for today's newcomers who don't remember pioneer groups;
it's the value and values of the music, not the pose and the hype that
matters. And it's never too late to refresh yourself on this or just
find out what you missed. A can't miss package."
--ROCKPOOL,
"Spotlight Review", 3/38/86
"Finally! Other
than hard-core collectors, most of today's punks have never heard the awesome
power of Cleveland's PAGANS. These blasts (17 of 'em) include the
7 tunes off their four 7" records, as well as ten unearthed studio tracks
from '77 - '79. The single tracks still seem the hottest, but there's
no throwaway here. Get it!"
--MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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Courtesy of
Noise
Zone Magazine
noisezone1@yahoo.com
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