Better Than A Stick In The Eye

SNFU's *Better Than a Stick in the Eye* (1988) occupies a bittersweet place in the Canadian punk pantheon. It was the band's third album, a return to a rawer sound after their more experimental predecessor, and their first for the larger Cargo Records. It was also the last studio album before they disbanded for five years, making it a snapshot of a band at a creative peak that was simultaneously fraying at the edges. ### 🎵 Music and Performance Musically, the album is a tight, relentless blend of hardcore punk and skate-punk, marked by double-guitar crunch and high-speed drumming. The band, featuring a new rhythm section with bassist Curtis Creager and drummer Ted Simm, tracked the album largely live with minimal overdubs, giving it a raw, urgent energy. Vocalist Mr. Chi Pig (Ken Chinn) delivers a distinctive, ranting, half-sung performance that fits the tighter arrangements well. Tracks like "G.I. Joe Gets Angry With Human Kind" and "Time to Buy a Futon" are blistering and immediate, while "Postman's Pet Peeve" and "The Happy Switch" show the band's knack for melodic inflection within the hardcore framework. ### ✍️ Lyrics and Themes Lyrically, the album is a mix of absurdist humor, self-reflection, and social observation—the "contrarian, ironic punk lifestyle" in a nutshell. **Absurdist Humor:** "G.I. Joe Gets Angry With Human Kind" is a perfect example: a song about a G.I. Joe action figure coming to life, attacking its owner out of envy for human reproductive power, and being sent to "hasbro hell" with gasoline and matches. It's the kind of surreal, juvenile premise that SNFU could sell with complete conviction. **Self-Reflection and Vulnerability:** "In the First Place" examines the cost of speaking your mind and the nature of real friendship, admitting, *"I went and opened my big mouth again / And I've lost myself another friend"* before concluding that true friends can argue and remain friends. "Straightening Out the Shelves (Of My Mind)" is a stark look at emotional numbness, describing walking past a car crash victim without feeling anything and questioning what that says about the narrator. ### 🎚️ Production and Sound The album was recorded at Profile Studio in Vancouver in June–July 1988, produced by Cecil English and SNFU, and engineered by English. The band chose English specifically because of his work with NoMeansNo. The production is deliberately unadorned. This was a conscious step back from the more experimental *If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish* toward a direct, live-in-the-studio sound. The result captures the band's ferocity, but it comes with a trade-off: some listeners have noted that the original CD pressing sounds "quiet and a little muddy," requiring a volume boost to really hit. ### 💥 Influence and Legacy SNFU were foundational to the Canadian hardcore scene alongside D.O.A. and the Subhumans. While *Better Than a Stick in the Eye* is not always cited as their definitive album—that honor often goes to their 1985 debut, *...And No One Else Wanted to Play*—it remains a cult favorite and a document of their most accessible and focused era. AllMusic's Vincent Jeffries gave it 4/5 stars, praising its "diverse musical exchanges". The album's influence persists in the melodic hardcore and skate-punk spheres, and it has seen multiple reissues, including a 2020 remaster by Stephen Egerton of Descendents fame, which addressed some of the original's sonic limitations. ### ⚖️ Pros and Cons **Pros:** * **Tight, energetic performances:** The live tracking and new rhythm section give the album a visceral punch. * **Strong lyrics:** A winning balance of absurdist humor and genuine introspection that avoids punk clichés. * **Mr. Chi Pig's vocals:** His unique delivery is well-served by the cleaner, more focused arrangements. * **Influential and beloved:** A key document of late-'80s Canadian hardcore with a devoted following. **Cons:** * **Inconsistent tone:** The shift to softer, more "gooey" moments on tracks like "Tears" can feel at odds with the album's aggressive core. * **Production limitations:** The original mix can sound quiet and muddy, lacking the clarity of later remasters. * **The cover of "Wild World":** The Cat Stevens cover is widely considered a weak point, with one review calling it "not that great of a cover". * **End of an era:** Its release coincided with the band's breakup, making it a document of a moment that couldn't last. *Better Than a Stick in the Eye* is a snapshot of SNFU at their most direct and, arguably, most accessible. It's not without its flaws, but its blend of blistering speed, absurdist humor, and raw honesty makes it a compelling listen for anyone interested in the harder edges of '80s punk.

2/5

Some punk silliness with better-than-punk-average guitar chops. Didn’t mind this listen.

Yeah it's kinda whatever. More late-80s/early-90s punk that doesn't overstay its welcome but also isn't anything to write home about. Feels like that's the "Random ass 80s British post-punk/new wave Robert Dimery chose by throwing darts into a record bin" of the user list.

Cool short punk album

Solid hardcore, above average musicianship. As usual with this genre keeps it short and sweet which never hurts. Lyrically a bit of it is either pretty silly or preachy/monologue-y. But pretty likeable nonetheless. Cat Steven's cover an odd capper and left me wondering what was under the choice to replace "baby baby" with "everybody" in the chorus. Just not hardcore to sing "baby baby"?

The one thing this list does not need. Shitty punk rock 1

Not list-worthy

Short and not too sour.

Pretty good canadian punk, fun cover at the end

Ahhhhhh