the Main Street Saints - "Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven..."
GMM Records

First of all, I would like to state for the record - I am not biased on writing this review. Yes, I write for the bassist’s magazine. However... I have been a Saints’ fan for well over two years now, and probably own every 7" they’ve ever put out. Wait, that does make me biased. Anyhow... this CD is streetpunk to make you throw on your boots and do some damage in the pit.

Whether you’re a skinhead or not, these songs are the best punk rock drinking songs ever laid down in a studio. Every song has a chorus that begs to be shouted out with a hearty "oi!" Some of the four tracks devoted to being a skin might be hard to relate to, but if you’ve ever worked for a living (and I mean really worked), then you’ve got what they’re talking about.

Nine of the sixteen songs on this album have been released in 7" form over the past few years, but even for those that own all their old stuff (ie: me), Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven... is still well worth owning. The recording quality on this album is far better than the old releases, and the new tracks make it worth picking up alone.

Two of the best tracks to be added are cover songs. Tennessee Ernie Ford’s "16 Tons" gets changed from what it was into something new. This is what you do with a cover song - take somebody else’s tune and make it your own. The Saints take a song that was downtrodden and depressed and work into an angry anthem for the working-class people of the United States. Cock Sparrer’s "England Belongs To Me" is turned into "KC Belongs To Me," a testament of the great town of Kansas City.

In conclusion - buy this CD as soon as possible. This is a must-have for punk fans and fans of local music alike. I’d have to say that of all the releases put out in the area last year, this one kicked my ass like no other. The passion and heart behind this disc is a great testament to the work that the Main Street Saints put into all their shows, and, while being a while in the making, was well worth the wait. Oi!