When, all of the mystery, hoopla, and rumors started swirling around Refused possibly reuniting this summer, I felt a bunch of mixed emotions at those prospects; it also ignited a spark that jogged a bunch of memories.
Like, I said, I first heard Refused in 95 or 96 after seeing the band thanked by another band (an interesting way that my friends and I found music pre-internet proliferation). I remember listening to the this album,This Just Might Be... , a bunch when I got my hands on it, particularly the song, "Pump The Brakes". It was, in my estimation, a cool song that made me want to jump around like a maniac whenever I heard it. Listening back after all these years, the album itself does little for me, but the Intro and this song still put a smile on my face.
Now, Everlasting, I actually found out of release order for the band (I had no idea that it existed), but this still has some really decent songs on it. Yet, I almost never drag this record out for a couple of spins...my loss.
Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent was the album that really made Refused for me. "Rather Be Dead", "Coup d'Etat", "Hook, Line, and Sinker", "It's Not OK"...all just hit the right way. I was bummed that I missed the band when they toured the US with Snapcase for this album. I still take this album out regularly today.
I still remember the day I bought this record. My friend Robby and I were driving to his parents' house near Edison, NJ in late winter 98; and he brought me by Curmudgeon records so that I could drop of some records while we were headed up that way. I happened to see The Shape Of Punk To Come sitting on their racks and was shocked because I did not even know that it was coming out, but I bought it immediately (this was an expensive import version because the US release was actually some time off at this point and I could not wait). While listening to the record in the car on the way back to school, I was quite shocked by all of the electronic elements that dotted the album.
It took several listening sessions with the album before it eventually sank into my thick skill, and shortly following that "epiphanic moment", songs such as "Liberation Frequency", "New Noise", Summer Holidays Vs. Punk Routine"... really the whole record began to dominate my listening habits for a while.
Following some time, Refused came to the US to tour; and I was finally able to see them at Stalag 13 in Philadelphia, PA with a handful of others (I traveled to the show alone because none of my friends could make it.) It was a good show, and I walked away so glad that I was able to see them. A couple of days later, I found out that the band decided to stop and disband. It was a huge downer as I figured that they had just dropped an inventive record (as far as I knew at the time) and opened up my mind to other musical styles as a result. It still blows my mind that so many people cite this as one of their favorite albums.
It took several listening sessions with the album before it eventually sank into my thick skill, and shortly following that "epiphanic moment", songs such as "Liberation Frequency", "New Noise", Summer Holidays Vs. Punk Routine"... really the whole record began to dominate my listening habits for a while.
Following some time, Refused came to the US to tour; and I was finally able to see them at Stalag 13 in Philadelphia, PA with a handful of others (I traveled to the show alone because none of my friends could make it.) It was a good show, and I walked away so glad that I was able to see them. A couple of days later, I found out that the band decided to stop and disband. It was a huge downer as I figured that they had just dropped an inventive record (as far as I knew at the time) and opened up my mind to other musical styles as a result. It still blows my mind that so many people cite this as one of their favorite albums.
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