While Detroit produced some of the greatest proto-punk bands to ever walk the Earth --
the Stooges,
MC5, the Up,
the Rationals, the Unrelated Segments, and
Sonic's Rendezvous Band, to name a few -- once punk rock hit for real in the late '70s, it took a while for the Motor City to start cranking out memorable bands in the faster-louder-shorter style.
The Sillies were one of the first and most active bands on Detroit's new wave scene, but their body of work hasn't stood the test of time especially well;
America's Most Wanton is a retrospective disc pulling together a dozen tunes recorded between 1975 and 1981, and for every memorable straight-ahead shot of guitar firepower, such as "Break Loose," there are several sophomoric "funny" tunes, like "Sex for the Handicapped" and "Lesbo Love," and keyboard-fortified time-killers such as "No Big Deal." Which is not to say the Sillies didn't have their moments -- "Real Live Love" is a cool, dark pop tune with a nice garagey undertow, "Punk Rock Girl" features guest appearances from noble forefathers
Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson, and "If Your Girlfriend Still Loves You When Your Car Breaks Down" is not only funny, but smarter than the title would suggest. But for the most part,
America's Most Wanton is fairly disposable stuff that seems destined for the "you had to be there" file. If you were there, though, it's a solid souvenir, and the enhanced CD content (including an extensive bio, a live video, and gallery of photos, and memorabilia) is a nice touch for longtime fans. ~ Mark Deming