A very dirty album. It sounds like there's a lot to be said, but I'm not quite sure what the overall message is. It's a rambling mess. Tunes are absent. The production is deep and fuzzy. It leaves you feeling as though you need to scrub your nails after listening. Old Nick has mellowed in the years that followed.
I love The Birthday Party, but don't feel that they ever managed to capture the raw energy of their live shows on record, save perhaps for the last two EPs. The sound here is still quite arresting, but it all sounds a little too clean. There are some great songs, but some of the lyrics (6" Gold Blade, for example) rankle even more now than they did at the time. I was obsessed with bass player Tracy Pew for a long time, and that is still the part that draws me in most here. A unique sound and style. Great in places, but not consistently.