Killdozer – For Ladies Only (1989) Touch and Go
There are many stupid things I’ve done in my life. Many. Up there, in the hall of fame of stupidity, was my decision to off-load my collection of vinyl in 1997. Some very good records indeed were sold for a fucking pittance at my local rip-off indie record store. I sold those records because I decided to follow my then girlfriend overseas. At that time she was way more important than my regularly pawed copies of Die Kruezen, Big Black’s Atomizer, my mint Au-Go-Go copies of Evol and Bad Moon Rising in the plastic sleeve with bonus poster, that great 12 inch copy of Dinosaur Jr’s Just Like Heaven with the etched art on the noon-existent b-side … fuck I could go on. Three months later I was back in Australia, single and with nothing to show for my abandoned record collection but a credit card debt the size of Tasmania, self loathing and regret.
One of my favourite records that was abandoned in the purge was this one. My quest to find a new copy started three years ago but being another classic, though sadly out of print record, meant that copies now commanded rather large mounds of cash. In my quest I managed to get hold of lead singer, Michael Gerard, by email (gotta love those German fan sites). He confirmed what I already suspected. Everything was out of print and there were no plans to re-release them although he was hoping to have a “Best of” released but even that prospect was up in the air. An email to Touch and Go met with a similar response. So the hunt was on. I no longer own a record player so I had to find an affordable copy on CD. Two weeks ago the quest was successfully completed and today a nifty package arrived from the UK. The front slip looks like someone spilled a drink on it but the disc is in perfect nick.
Ah, the pleasure. For Ladies Only was originally released as a box of four, seven inch singles which I think were on coloured vinyl. Killdozer already had form for loving a good cover so they stretched the idea to the logical extreme and released their covers album. There is nothing smart or smug about For Ladies Only. It’s eight very well know songs played Killdozer’s way and it’s as if no prior thought went into how they’d approach each song. All of the songs covered here sound like Killdozer wrote them. This is no mean feat when you consider what’s on offer here. Don McLean’s American Pie, Bad Company’s Good Lovin’ Gone Bad, Deep Purple’s Hush and Elvis Presley’s Burnin’ Love. There’s a liberal dose of good humour on For Ladies Only and it backtracks significantly from the shambolic, intense punk rock infused with midwestern gothic malice of 12 Point Buck and Little Baby Buntin’.
It’s a real shame this is out of print. I know Michael Gerard has visited this blog so I wonder how that “Best of” is coming along.
Ducks Battle Satan 
January 19, 2008 at 10:49 am
Ah tis better to have loved and lost than never loved at all – well that’s the theory. As someone who got stomped a few more times than is perhaps good for the soul I can’t say I agree with it every waking hour BUT TO SELL YOUR RECORDS!!
Jesus wept & I may have got a good deal or two.
Yeah then there is the unjustness of the inability of things staying in print. As someone who struggled for many years to get a couple of projects off the ground I can suggest it comes down to a) how much time & energy people are prepared to put in and b) how much return they want/expect beyond covering costs. Luckily god created p2p for those who just wanted the music.
Its a crying shame that Killdozer isn’t in every shop expecially this one & 12 Point Buck. Both instances were the nail was certainly hit on the head.
If you are reading this review & my comment but don’t have any yet what are you waiting for. You don’t need a trashed heart, self loathing, stupidity or anything else just get into it, onto to it.
Ok, a third opinion http://www.markprindle.com/killdoza.htm
January 23, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I just remembered that you gave me 12 Point Buck and Little Baby Buntin’ which have remained pretty much unlistened to until I read this post. It’s hard to describe my reaction to it, do I like, appreciate or experience it? I’ll let you know when I’m done listening. On another note, what hasn’t Butch Vig produced?
January 24, 2008 at 12:12 am
Hey Drew. 12 point Buck is fucking amazing – lots of midwesterm gothic craziness. I’m talking about Gothic intent rather than gothic in style.
September 1, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Too bad the CD issue left off Buffalo Springfield’s/Neil Young’s “Mr. Soul” from the 7″ box…
January 29, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Way back when, I bought “For Ladies Only” at a punk record store in Salt Lake City (think Mormon kids gone bad, mohawks and safety pins, but still exceedingly polite). Not having a turntable, I took it over to a friend’s house to copy onto cassette, and upon finishing, he told me, “I never want to see this fucking thing in my house again.” Yes, Killdozer always made an impression. I, too, got rid of my record collection eventually, but I had the rare good sense to keep my singles. “For Ladies Only” is currently on loan to a friend in Oklahoma who promises to drop everything onto CD for me. Wish he’d hurry the hell up; the 50th anniversary of Buddy Holly’s demise makes me want to hear the boys do in “American Pie” again.
March 24, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I have just bought a record player again after many years and have just dug out the Picture disc version of For Ladies Only – Good Lovin gone Bad – what a classic
August 27, 2009 at 12:10 am
your story of selling your records breaks my heart because i too sold off records to a greedy indie store 12 years ago and now i regret it all. i actually get a burning sensation in my chest when i think of all the great records i got rid of. “Atomizer” was one of those records and no way am i gonna pay 70$-100$ dollars for it. turns out that the greed of the local indie store manifested itself into the shameless fuckers on ebay…. though the generosity of internet blogging makes up for the greed but somehow the pleasure of having the record in hand can not be replaced by an invisible mp3. touch and go should reissue their whole back catalog like they are doing for jesus lizard…i believe that would help them get out of the hole.