1995, Music

Red Medicine (1995) by Fugazi

Years ago, I gave Fugazi a try and got very confused. (Let’s say it was 15 years ago.) I believe it was Repeater I listened to. I got even more confused after I listened to Minor Threat. “Is this what’s come of Ian MacKaye?” I guess I thought, disappointed.

Years later I discovered At The Drive-In and wondered where they had been all my life. I discovered that I really did love Post Hardcore. And I convinced myself that Fugazi was Emo or, at the very least, the Sparta to the true heroes of Post Hardcore, whoever that may be.

So, um, I was wrong about that. Maybe I was in the wrong mood. Maybe I just wasn’t yet ready to listen to Fugazi. Maybe Repeater was the wrong record to try. (Haven’t re-listened to it yet.) But listening to this album is like hearing the missing link between Husker Du and ATDI. In fact, so much of what I credit ATDI for seems to be here in an incubator. I know the bands are from different scenes, but if Fugazi sounded like this before this record, and ATDI liked Fugazi, well it sure sounds like Fugazi was the impetus for what I used to think was the Post Hardcore band of the ’90s. (The relationship reminds me of Modest Mouse’s debt to the Pixies; it’s that strong.)

All of this is to say that record is awesome and I’m an idiot for ignoring this band for so long.

Read my reviews of albums released in 1995 or read my reviews of all albums by Fugazi.

9/10

All music by Guy Picciotto, Ian MacKaye, Joe Lally, and Brendan Canty.

  1. “Do You Like Me”; lyrics by Picciotto; 3:16
  2. “Bed for the Scraping”; lyrics by MacKaye; 2:50
  3. “Latest Disgrace”; lyrics by Picciotto; 3:34
  4. “Birthday Pony”; lyrics by MacKaye; 3:08
  5. “Forensic Scene”; lyrics by Picciotto; 3:05
  6. “Combination Lock” 3:06
  7. “Fell, Destroyed”; lyrics by Picciotto; 3:46
  8. “By You”; lyrics by Lally; 5:11
  9. “Version”; lyrics; by 3:20
  10. “Target”; lyrics by Picciotto; 3:32
  11. “Back to Base”; lyrics by MacKaye; 1:45
  12. “Downed City”; lyrics by Picciotto; 2:53
  13. “Long Distance Runner”; lyrics by MacKaye 4:17

  • Ian MacKaye – guitar, vocals
  • Guy Picciotto – guitar, vocals
  • Joe Lally – bass, vocals
  • Brendan Canty – drums

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