1985's
These People was
Dicks' second and final full-length album, and it features the all-new lineup that founding vocalist Gary Floyd surrounded himself with after moving from Austin, Texas, to San Francisco a year earlier. In other words, this may as well be the work of a new band -- a significantly mellower and, to a certain degree, more accomplished band -- than the original roughneck for whom playing their instruments correctly or giving a f*ck about anything was the least of their cares. This version of
Dicks does appear to give a f*ck, and that's the fundamental difference between new songs like "Sidewalk Begging," "Decent and Clean," and "The Police (Force)," which, even with the spartan production of
Dead Kennedy's Klaus Flouride, feel ages removed -- not just five years -- from shambolic (but brilliantly so) first single "Dicks Hate the Police." Already closer to post-punk alt-rock than punk itself,
These People would thankfully bear no offspring, and, despite its occasional worthy moments, wound up signaling the final demise of
Dicks a short time later. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia