Label Pays Homage to 'Repo Man'

There are two soundtracks from my youth that greatly influenced the music I would listen to for the rest of my life. The first,
'That Summer,' I wrote about in the early days of this blog. Although not every band on the soundtrack was from across the pond, with acts like Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Nick Lowe, Undertones, Ian Dury & the Blockheads and Wreckless Eric, to name a few, this album was my personal British Invasion. Nearly three decades after I bought it, it's still probably my favorite record in the collection.

I bought the second, 'Repo Man,' about a year after I found
'That Summer.' This soundtrack was my introduction to the SoCal punk scene of the early '80s. Like many teens, I fancied myself an "outsider," and anthems from bands like Black Flag and Suicidal Tendencies were so different from what was on the radio and MTV that I knew this was the music for me and my kind. I could wax poetic about the film, too. For now, I'll just say some of the best lines of all time come from that fine piece of art.

Bud: Credit is a sacred trust, it's what our free society is founded on. Do you think they give a damn about their bills in Russia? I said, do you think they give a damn about their bills in Russia?
Otto: They don't pay bills in Russia, it's all free.
Bud: All free? Free my ass. What are you, a fuckin' commie? Huh?
Otto: No, I ain't no commie.
Bud: Well, you better not be. I don't want no commies in my car. No Christians either.

I'm not alone in my love for 'Repo Man' and its soundtrack. American Laundromat Records has quite a track record of releasing fine tribute albums by various artists, such as odes to Pixies, the Cure and the Smiths. This fall, the label may top them all with 'A Tribute To Repo Man.' The entire original soundtrack will be covered by the likes of Mike Watt, Matthew Sweet and Black Francis. While we're waiting, as Bud would say, let's head back to 1984 "at a hundred and ten per."

Black Flag - TV Party (mp3)
Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized (mp3)
The Circle Jerks - Coup D'Etat (mp3)



'A Tribute To Repo Man' Tracklist
(Original soundtrack artists in parentheses)
1. Repo Man - Those Darlins (Iggy Pop)
2. TV Party - Polar Bear Club (Black Flag)
3. Institutionalized - Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra (Suicidal Tendencies)
4. Coup D'Etat - New York Rivals (The Circle Jerks)
5. El Clavo Y La Cruz - Black Francis (The Plugz)
6. Pablo Picasso - The Tellers (Burning Sensations)
7. Let's Have A War - Mike Watt (Fear)
8. When The Shit Hits The Fan - TBA (The Circle Jerks)
9. Hombre Secreto - Matthew Sweet (The Plugz)
10. Bad Man - TBA (Juicy Bananas)
11. Reel Ten - Weekend (The Plugz)