Frantic City – Teenage Head

I was in Frantic City (the record store) the other day while my fiancé was shopping for wedding dresses, and I saw a copy of Frantic City (the record) for sale. I was instantly disgusted with myself for already owning it because it meant I couldn’t buy Frantic City in Frantic City, then I was disgusted with myself for not just buying it anyway so I could say I did, then disgusted that I would be enough of a freak to even think that, then embarrassed with myself for feeling bad about it….anyway, you get the picture. It was one of the more epic downward spirals of my life, right up there with realizing I wasn’t going to grow up to be the next Wayne Gretzky or Theo Fleury – hell, I would even have settled for Ron Stern, Jamie McLennan, or David Oliver. But you see what I mean, it was a rough moment.

I first heard about Frantic City from a list of the Top 100 Canadian Albums that Chart Magazine released. As an aside, can we all take a moment and thank Chart? I never would have really understood the importance of the CanRock era beyond The Hip and Blue Rodeo if it weren’t for them. Anyway, I was instantly in love with Frantic City without even hearing it because of the album cover – it’s classic punk and I really just liked the way it looked. After I’d actually purchased it at Sunrise Records (excuse me while I get the awful taste out of my mouth), I found that my love should have been even more unrequited. I was off work sick the first time I listened to it, and it was one of those summer days that are so hazy in Toronto you feel like your apartment might just float away.  I turned the volume up as high as it could go and the first three songs blew me away – ‘Wild One,’ ‘Somethin’ On My Mind,’ and ‘Total Love’ should be the standard to which all Canadian punk music is held. This is an album for the ages.

William Krueger
www.songforawintersnight.com