Chicago's
Pegboy have been without a permanent bassist for two years, since Steve Saylors left after the first LP
Strong Reaction --
Jawbox guitarist
J. Robbins (ex-
Government Issue) even filled in on the 1992 U.S. tour with
Social Distortion. On this EP, the temp from the temp agency (yeah, right) is none other than now-famous producer
Steve Albini (ex-
Big Black and Rapeman) taking time off from his new group
Shellac. Thus
Albini gets to be pictured on the sleeve with the other three
Pegboys in the most hilarious, ridiculous Bobby Jones/Walter Hagen '20s/'30s golf attire (knee socks, old trousers, Chi Chi Rodriquez fedoras, patterned sweaters) playing golf badly on the local links (they're pictured accidentally hitting each other à la a
Three Stooges or
W.C. Fields film). The music makes no break from the LP or previous
Three Chord Monte EP material/production; Guitar God John Haggerty hasn't trifled with or altered his signature roaring Marshall sound since, oh, 1985. If you have the first three
Naked Raygun albums, you know what that means. Why modify a formula that works? None of these four tunes are as killer as "Through My Fingers," but all hit the mark, with the usual wrenching drumming from brother Joe Haggerty (ex-Bloodsport and
Effigies). Most interesting and least rote is the last lurching proto-metal (neo-
Zep) song "Jesus Christ," complete with a passage from the theme to Jesus Christ Superstar (bet a lot of younger
Pegboy fans don't recognize that bit!). The lyrics "you've begun to matter more than the things you say" are a telling look at the cult of personality from Pericles to Jesus to Rotten and
Morrissey. ~ Jack Rabid