Imperial Dogs, Unchained Maladies: Live 1974/75 LP (Dog Meat, 1989): Four wildass white guys fed up with suburban life channel the Gods of Detroit Heavy Metal and end up kicking up a racket that sounds more like a particularly sloppy night on the Blue Oyster Cult Secret Treaties Tour. B.O.C., in fact, would go on record a somewhat altered version of the Imp Dogs' "This Ain't the Summer of Love" on their mega-platinum Agents of Fortune LP (the one with "Don't Fear the Reaper"). This rec compiles the Dog's lone single with a recording of their very first live gig: March 28, 1974, on-stage at Gazzarri's on the Sunset Strip. It's a loud, revved-up, obnoxious party that culminates in singer Don Waller's balls falling out of his pants (yes his balls, as his pants split at the crotch) during "Needle & Spoon". What I woulda given to see that. These guys went and covered "Waiting For the Man" too - what, was the Banana LP like the only Velvet Underground record floating down P.C.H. back then?

Set & Setting: The Imperial Dogs were a house band of sorts for the Carson-based fanzine, Back Door Man ("for hard core rock 'n' rollers only!"). According to BLACK TO COMM's Christopher Stigliano, it was Patti Smith at her very first west coast gig in 1974 who gave these folks the necessary shove to start publishing (originally typeset on a library typewriter at El Camino Jr. College). BDM was able to straddle early 70's hard rock /late 70's punk with a keen awareness of the continuity running through all manner of rock nonsense unfolding at the time. Like, why the need among so many teen punker types to deny being weaned on AC/DC and the Nuge? Young 'un, it’s all good. You'd see this stance carried further by the SST Records gang (South Bay locals all) a few years later, infuriating the bejesus out of those who had a lot invested in keeping punk/metal/hippy/jazz et al. in separate corners of the ring. [Check out SST-producer Joe Carducci's heavy and hilarious tome ROCK AND THE POP NARCOTIC (1994, 2.13.61 Publications)for an in-depth discussion of this phenomena].