Reviews:

This is of course a legendary 7", it being the first Dischord release and the Teen Idles' rhythm section being Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson. But as much as I hate to say it, the music isn't all that good. In my opinion, the Teen Idles were an average punkrock band forced into hardcore because of what was happening in the U.S. at that time (the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, the Bad Brains etc.). So they started playing their old, mid-tempo songs like they were Bad Brains songs and did not succeed every time. 'Get Up And Go', for example, is a great song, but the earlier version (available on the third disc of the 20 Years Of Dischord box-set) just sounds much better. That's what I think anyway. Also, the lyrics to 'Sneakers' are a little too high-school to be sung like they're about nuclear warfare: 'Put away all those rings and chains/Come back and enjoy the growing pains'.
By the time this record was released however, Ian and Jeff had already formed Minor Threat and singer Nathan Strajcek was about to sing with Youth Brigade, so all is forgiven. And the cover (featuring Alec MacKaye) is simply great.
-PETER