special introductory
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An Adjustment To Society
Whetting The Scythe
Complete Studio Recordings 1981-1986
The American Heritage Dictionary defines them as "a disparaging term for a German." But to the rest of the world, they're simply "Kraut."
The Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary defines it as "a process of modifying one's behavior in changed circumstances or an altered environment in order to fulfill psychological, physiological, and social needs" to what The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Law defines as "the benefits of love, care, affection and companionship that family members receive from each other." But to the rest of the world, it's simply An Adjustment To Society.
Worldnet 2.0 defines it as "sharpening by rubbing, as on a 'whetstone'" [defined by The Free On-Line Dictionary Of Computing as "The first major synthetic benchmark program, intended to be representative for numerical (floating-point intensive) programming. It is based on statistics gathered by Brian Wichmann at the National Physical Laboratory in England, using an Algol 60 compiler which translated Algol into instructions for the imaginary Whetstone machine. The compilation system was named after the small town of 'Whetstone' outside the City of Leicester, England, where it was designed," (as distinguished from the small town of 'Whetstone, AZ,' which The U.S. Gazeteer, U.S. Census Bureau defines as being located at "31.70171 N, 110.34075 W," with a "1990 population of 1289")] the "edge tool for cutting grass." But to the rest of the world, it's simply Sharpening By Rubbing, As On A Whetstone, The Edge Tool For Cutting Grass, the long-awaited sophomore release by R&B; sensation Beyonce. On this richly textured follow-up to Dangerously In Love, Ms. Knowles presents a heartwarming selection of ballads written for her husband and soulmate, Harry "Ain't It Cool" Knowles.
In conclusion, Kraut was a punk/hardcore/heavy metal/hard rock band from Queens, NY, who wanted desparately to be a Clash band from England, The British Isles. Their first album, An Adjustment To Society, is an awkward mixture of Give 'Em Enough Ropey/Undertonesy anthemic midtempo pop punk, lame MTV Billy Idol metal, and amazing, manic, slashing hardcore. As such, I can't imagine the album as a whole appealing to....well, ANYBODY! As for me however, a good 70% blows me away, and that's a fair percentage, heh? Ho? The main reason I bought this CD in the first place is because I was reading some CD's liner notes and it was mentioning all the "classic" hardcore bands - Dead Kennedys, Minor Threat, DRI - and the guy threw in "Kraut." And I was all like "Kraut"!? So eventually I bought it and, well... If Kraut had been strictly a hardcore band, they probably WOULD be a classic one because their high-speed songs really are quite phenomenal in their out-of-control viciousness. The guitarist hits the strings too fast, the drummer sounds like he's playing with a gun to his back -- seriously, tracks like "Mishap," "Abortion," "Doomed Youth" and "Army Sport" are among the most excitingly over-fast rockers I've ever heard! But most of the others sound like the Clash or bitter hard rock, sometimes good sometimes not. "Unemployed" is a great one, check that out. Since we're naming names and all. They should have written more songs like that one. Suspenseful. Now then, about the vocals and lyrics. He/it sings with a fake British accent through some bad idea reverb effect that makes him sound more atonal than he actually is. And the lyrics are generally a couple of lines repeated repeatedly in multiple repetitions about society twisting you round, the bad things in the world, how much the army and war sucks, etc. Incidentally, I am suffering from the flu or something. I spent all day yesterday shivering and sweating under a blanket, then sweated probably around 400 gallons into my bed last night, then woke up today at 4 still feeling dizzy, nauseated, and incapable of standing up for more than 10 minutes at a time without getting completely exhausted. So don't be all pissing at me about the boring review. I could be dead - then what would you do? Hay! Turn off that recording of "I Love A Parade"! Kraut later recorded a second album entitled Whetting The Scythe. Can you believe that shit? Fuck. Oh. Also that second album has too many (a) weak choruses, (b) hard rock, (c) punk-metal, (d) songs that start good and succumb to (a1) weak (b) hard rock or (c) punk-metal (a2) choruses, (e) guitar solos, (f) vocals through that ugly reverb effect. Despite all of these issues, it's still a pretty good record, once you get past "Backstabber," the leadoff five-minute gated corny-drum light chorus-bass midtempo attempt to have a 120 Minutes "Don't Pay The Ferryman"-style death rock hit. You know, some good riff rock there, a catchy Ramones thing there, a catchy Freeze-style metal-punker there, a punk-metal cover of "Slow Down" there.... Would be even better if the two insanely manic songs didn't have (a) weak choruses, not to mention the fact that the entire giddygoddamned album only has nine songs (one of which is called "Flossing With An E String"!). Whatever. After Whetting The Scythe failed to make Doug Holland a household name, he left Kraut to join Cro-Mags. The Krauts replaced him with Chris Smith of Battalion of Saints and tried to become an even duller boring 80s sluggish shit MTV metal band (as evidenced by three bonus tracks on this CD) but luckily for art (if unluckily for his family), Chris followed the Battalion Of Saints credo and died immediately thereafter.
As for there so-called "High Speed Songs" that the person before mention, the songs are not at all Fast, Hard-core or heavy....again,...it is mediocre and bland, on the verge, but not there. I vocals on alot of the songs is quite terrible. Compared to old DRI, Bad Brains, the first album of Suicial tenandcies, MDC and some of the other truely Fast,Hard-Core bands of the era...Kraut are posuers,.....really and truely, to the point.
To be absolutely honest, I dont like saying things like this, but,with the exception of the song "Last Chance"....the whole album Sucked. I feel that I wasted my money on the album.
Right now, I feel that Kraut was a third-rate punk band, compared to some of the promanent, real Hard-core punk bands....I would even consider them "Wanna-bees"....thats how terrible, boring the CD was....it was just that terrible.
Dont spend your money on this band.....YOU ARE NOT MISSING MUCH!!!
I agree with alot of what the follow person said about the band Kraut and that particular CD release,"Complete Studio Recordings 1981-1986". To be totally honest....the song "Last Chance",which was the only reason I bought the CD, is the ONLY good song on the whole CD. I rest of the album is mediocre, bland punk music. It is on the very urge of being some what good...but, it just doesnt get there.
I bought "An Adjustment to Society" twenty five years (or so) ago. I thought it was OK, but not great, kinda generic punk, not A-list but not shitty like Mcrad, or Cancerous growth. and after about a year sold it to buy other punk crap. So about two weeks ago I'm in Fort Liquordale FL. and I find a copy in a used record store (radioactive records) so I buy it and give it another listen. It is actually GOOD! I bought it to hear "All Twisted" but the whole first side rocks, "mishap" kicks ass as does "onward" I don't know why i like it better now, maybe I'm nostalgic for that muddy, underproduced sound. but I would give "Adjustment" an eight/ eight and a half . Thanks Mark for the cool site.
Mark if you remember, When KRAUT started, punk music was reinventing it self. Fuck all this labeling you guys throw at them.
They are a band inventing them self’s for what they saw around them . Putting lables on them would be an injustice! To Rock, Punk, And Hardcore!
If they wanted to be the same thing everyone else was doing, They wouldn’t have done what they done. Plain and simple..
KRAUT was a band of young guys, sick of top ten radio. KRAUT does not want to be and still does not want to be thrown into your media labeling.
KRAUT’s fan base is so much different than your run of the mill Hardcore. Punk, bands. They stand behind every move they make.
And will do so in the future!!
I think their liberal commy pinko pussy pos attitude sucks!
Buy your KRAUT cd here. i DARE you!!! (i don't really dare you)
Tired of flossing your ass with a g-string? Come to Mark Prindle's Lingerie Warehouse of Nudity!
