Ben Weasel - The Brain That Wouldn't Die

You all know Ben Weasel. Lead singer and sometimes-guitarist for legendary Chicago punk heroes Screeching Weasel; also, he of the Riverdales with his former Screeching cohorts, and of course his pair of solo albums, including 2007′s excellent These Ones Are Bitter. Now, as of 2009, he’s reformed the Riverdales, and Screeching Weasel (sans drummer John Jughead) for a handful of shows.

Earlier this year, Ben and friends played a pair of shows in Chicago, wherein the band played Screeching Weasel’s classic My Brain Hurts LP in its entirety. Now, here’s a recording of the shows, for the listening pleasure of those who- like me- couldn’t make it those nights.

First things first: this is the music you know and, hopefully, love. The album is exactly what you’d expect. Well, mostly; there are a few notable changes: the band’s cover of “I Can See Clearly Now” has been replaced by “Cool Kids,” and “Fathead” has been replaced with “This Ain’t Hawaii.” While I don’t know that I would have cited “Fathead” as a SW favorite if I was asked on the street (note: if you see me on the street, please ask me about Screeching Weasel), its omission is glaring, and the replacement with “Hawaii” really emphasizes the musical differences between My Brain Hurts and its predecessor, Boogadaboogadaboogada!, so it’s pretty glaring. Likewise, “I Can See Clearly Now” is a fan-favorite, so while “Cool Kids” is a fine song off one of the decent latter-day Weasel albums, I’d have preferred the cover. “Fathead” can be explained by, since it’s the only song on the album co-written by former drummerguitarist [I'm an idiot; Jughead was the guitarist -ed] John Jughead, perhaps not wanting to include him on the royalty checks, there’s no such reason, as I understand, to omit “I Can See Clearly Now.” Alas.

As for what is on the album, it’s My Brain Hurts. The sound quality is good for a live album; it probably sounds better than it would have if you were actually in the pit that night. There’s no real between-song banter. A could shouts of the song title, a 1-2-3-4 count, and the band hurtling through the music with an intensity befitting the material. Weasel and Vapid are perfect; Ben’s voice may have changed some in the nearly 20 years since the album’s release, but he doesn’t sound any worse for the wear. Vapid’s guitar rips, and his backing vocals are perfect.

One last minor note: the LP could have used some liner notes. This is a pretty barebones package. The clear red vinyl is pretty sweet, though.

Basically, whether or not this album appeals to you comes down to one thing: how big a fan of the original album you are. If the answer is “a huge fan,” then you should pick this up. The two omissions will be glaring, but the rest of the album makes up for their absence.