Avengers

Although it was released in 1983, this collection represents just about everything San Francisco's late, great recorded from 1977-1978. By contemporary standards, it's by-the-book punk thrash: 's guitar spews up hairball after hairball of distortion, while snarls in her best impression of . However, contemporary standards diminish what great music this was and what a great band were. Dozens of bands came in their wake, but few could recapture the excitement and ferocity of their sound. , who re-emerged years later as a folk-rocker, is in full fury on these 14 tracks, especially the youth culture solidarity anthem and the tale of desperation A few spins of this and you'll hear how influenced everyone from to . Yes, they were that good. A forgotten classic. ~ John Dougan