Rosemary’s Babies – Talking to the Dead

Do you remember when punk was loud, fast, and aggressive? When punk was just starting to bloom and independent recordings sounded like crap? Well Ghastly Records does, and they are trying to bring it back. What better way to do it then to compile and re-releases some lost recordings of Rosemary’s Babies in one tidy compact disc called Talking To The Dead.

For those of you, like me, who do not know who the hell Rosemary’s Babies are, here’s a little history lesson. The band formed in Lodi, New Jersey in 1981, but only lasted three short years before drummerEerie Von got a call from Glen Danzig asking him to play in Samhain and Danzig. But during those three short years, Rosemary’s Babies wasted no time and went to work on writing and recording countless songs. In 2003, Eerie Von got together with former bass player Post Mortem and selected their favorite tracks, re-mastered them and released them upon the world.

On Talking To The Dead, you get twenty five fast and furious old school punk rock songs that come flying by you in on time. Most songs barely reach the one minute mark, let alone last two whole minutes so they are able to squeeze in song after song after song (including five live ones from CBGB’s). The music is quick and hard, with a harsh vocalist that is pretty much indecipherable. Even though, they’ve been re-mastered, the sound quality on the recordings its still pretty crappy, just like most independent recordings from the eighties. The vocals seem distant at times, and the drumming is way to up front. There’s the necessary grain sounding feel to it too that gives off a really raw sound, which sometimes becoming annoying.

Basically, if you loved the punk movement of the eighties, then you should check out Rosemary’s Babies. But the songs do sound very similar and mold together easily; and even though it ends quickly, after a few listens you get really bored of it all. Although it was incredibly inventive back in 1981, now in 2005, it’s lacking a little.