Pre-order The Living's '1982' on limited translucent ruby vinyl in the BrooklynVegan shop.
Before he joined Guns N' Roses, bassist Duff McKagan carved out territory in Seattle's pre-grunge punk scene, having played in The Fastbacks and The Fartz. He also played guitar in The Living, a group that also included his Vains bandmate Chris "Crass" Utting, a future member of pre-Pearl Jam band Mother Love Bone, as well as bassist Todd Fleischman. Duff and Chris not only wrote the songs but also would switch instruments during their sets. ("It was a little awkward," says Duff.) Utting left the group and was replaced by drummer Greg Gilmore (Mother Love Bone, 10 Minute Warning), and when they added more-than-capable singer John Conte, The Living starting to gain a following and scored choice opening slots for Hüsker Dü and D.O.A. shows.
The Living never released a record during their short existence, but they did go into the studio in 1982 for a one-day session. Those seven tracks, all written by Duff, have been excavated and are finally getting released nearly 40 years later by the reactivated Loosegroove Records, the label run by Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam and Regan Hagar of BRAD & Malfunkshun.
The band were young but as these recordings show, The Living were tight and knew how to write memorable riffs and hooks, and these seven songs fall somewhere between Germs, Agent Orange and The Damned. “It doesn't matter what year this music was recorded cause it is undeniable," says Stone Gossard. "But the fact that Duff, Greg, Todd and John created these fully realized songs in 1982 gives credence to the idea that this band, The Living, are ground zero for the Seattle sound.” 1982 is a fascinating lost Chapter in Seattle's and McKagan's punk history, as well as a pretty terrific record in its own right. Get a taste for yourself by checking out the new video for "Two Generation Stand" (featuring a montage of old photos and live footage) below.
The Living's 1982 is out April 16, and we've got a BrooklynVegan/Revolver/Hard Times exclusive, limited edition translucent ruby vinyl on preorder now in the BrooklynVegan shop.
1982 Track Listing:
1. A Promise
2. Two Generation Stand
3. Live By The Gun
4. A Song For You
5. No Thanks
6. Live Is A Terror
7. I Want
