The Weirdos We Got The Neutron Bomb Single & Show # 511

Released in 1978, the We Got The Neutron Bomb/Solitary Confinement single was the second single released by The Weirdos. Part of LA’s first wave of punk bands alongside bands such as The Germs and The Nerves, The Weirdos were started by lead vocalist John Denney and his brother Dix Denney who would play guitar. The rest of the band members would be in a state of flux from the band’s initial 1977-1981 run. Some of the band’s other personnel would be Dave Trout who would also play bass briefly and drummer Nickey Alexander on drums. Cliff Roman also played guitar and bass and wrote some material with the band. "We Got The Neutron Bomb" is often seen as a strong and classic single in the band’s catalog. The track itself seems to lend itself to proto punk influence such as Iggy & The Stooges, New York Dolls and Ramones while lyrically it taps into Cold War paranoia with lyrics such as “We don’t want it/Don’t blame me” and “We don’t want it/But we got it anyway” showcasing the band’s political leanings at the time. The B-side “Solitary Confinement” is a more aggressive rant. When hearing this song, one seems to think of the band’s preshow ritual, which was to cover themselves in paint and sometimes garbage.

While the band never did release a full-length album during their initial run as a band from 1977-1981, they did record a collection of demos, some with Kim Fowley. To further add to the band’s “weird” reputation, vocalist John Denney apparently delivered the band’s demos to their record label dressed in an astronaut suit, the label did not find it so humorous. After the band’s initial split in 1981, they did reform for several reunions throughout the 80s and even released a full-length album of new material in 1990 entitled Condor. A collection of the band’s early material and demos was put together on the Weird World: 1977-1981 Time Capsule compilation album and was originally released in 1991 on the Frontier record label. A second volume featuring early 1977 material and later post 1981 material was released in 2003. Both of these compilations were re-issued via Burger Records on cassette recently. Thirty-seven years after its initial release, fans can still feel the effects of The Weirdos music and second single, We Got The Neutron Bomb, minus the spacesuit or with it depending, which way you look at it.

Saturday Night Playlist:

1. The Black Angels - Sunday Evening
2. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - Running Meredith
3. The Sonics - It’s All Right
4. The Spits - 2018
5. Moondogs - Ya Don’t Do Ya?
6. Ian Rubbish & The Bizzaros - Living In The Gutter
7. No Fun - Fall For A Cliche
8. The Demics - The Least You Can Do
9. Dik Van Dykes - Road Warrior
10. Talking Heads - The Big Country (Live)
11. Twin Library - A Cruel Rodeo
12. Tire Swing Co - Forgive Me
13. James OL - Bastimentos
14. Salmon Breath - Cadillac
15. Alex Chilton - Waltz Across Texas
16. Iggy & The Stooges - Cry For Me (Pin Point Eyes)
17. Modern Lovers - I’m Straight
18. Public Image Limited - Albatross
19. Laughing Clowns - I Want To Scream
20. Spizzenergi - Where’s Captain Kirk?
21. Tanz Der Youth - Delay
22. The Soft Pack - Head On Ice
23. Tay Falco’s Panther Burns - Where The Rio De Rosa Flows
24. Sam Coffey & The Iron Lungs - Cream
25. The Weirdos - We Got The Neutron Bomb
26. Radio Birdman - Descent Into The Maelstrom

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for May 31. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.