Many dissertations, analyses, meditations etc. have concerned themselves with the consequences of “idol youth.” Most of these take the form of psuedoserious or pseudointellectual treatises which arrive at one Grand Conclusion or another. I however am a believer in primary sources, and in the case of the Born Innocent LP I present to you a primary source. The MacDonald Brothers, who also go by the All American names of Jeff and Steve, are the core of Red Cross (later Redd Kross, of course), and Red Cross are indeed an “American Band,” just as much so as the Grand Funk or any other. The MacDonalds grew up in Hawthorne California, a middle class suburb south of LA, and as they are often proud to cite the original home of another great All American group, the Beach Boys. The similarities don’t end with the hometown either. When two decades earlier the young Wilson’s and associates were free to focus their time away from school on the coolness that is playing in a rock and roll band they created sonic tributes to their obsessions, namely cars, girls and surfing in some order. Given the great American gift of free time and relative comfort (assumed, of course, from knowledge of the time and place of their existence) the MacDonalds likewise created a rock and roll band focused on their pop culture obsessions. However the pop culture obsessions that fascinated these SoCal kids in the late seventies and early eighties were decidedly more offbeat than those of their predecessors. In fact they may more accurately described as American trash culture, namely exploitation movies, girl groups, TV actresses, and the epitome of kook obsession, Charlie Manson himself.

It’s circa 1980 and Jeff (who is somewhere around 14) and Steve (only in the area of 10) pick up guitars in an environment which is the fertile ground that has already produced Black Flag, and has other hardcore heavies Circle Jerks and Descendents somewhere near or in the early stages of their existences. With bankrolling by Posh Boy and plenty of support from the always hip Rodney on the ROQ, with a future Flag yeller on drums (Ron Reyes aka Chavo Pederast) and a future Circle Jerk on guitar (Greg Hetson), their intitial EP was recorded. Highlighted by the highly enjoyable tribute to Miss Funicello “Annette’s Got the Hits,” the EP presents, in a more hardcore punk rock fashion, the themes which would be expanded on with Born Innocent two years later. By the time of their debut LP the brothers have transformed into their self-described “girl band” phase, personified by Tracy Lea on second guitar. The musical style has shifted more into New York Dolls / Iggy and the Stooges territory, and in fact a highlight from this period is a cover of “Puss ‘n’ Boots” on the original Hell Comes to Your House comp. Born Innocent’s title is a tribute to the same icon as the album’s first track, and in fact the group’s name itself is derived from an especially unforgettable scene featuring Linda Blair in her most famous roll. The movie Born Innocent is a lurid made for TV melodrama featuring Linda in her first post-Exorcist project.

In the blast that is “Linda Blair” the MacDonalds set the pace for the rest of the album. Thematically it’s another tribute to one of their favorite hot chicks, which would carry on in the future to cover the likes of McKenzie Phillips, Tatum O’Neal, and Mo McCormack. While musically it’s not as mature or adept as they would later become, it nonetheless is filled with the energy, passion, and twisted humor that carries the entire record. Born Innocent continues on in a similar fashion with sloppy and loud guitars, trashy lyrics, and tempos ranging from mid to full throttle punk. “White Trash” features one of the better tunes on the record with subject matter obvious from the title. “Everyday There’s Someone New” shifts tempos with the slower sections centered on Steve’s swooping bass licks. “Solid Gold” sarcastically predicts a future of stardom the likes of which would land them on the TV show of the same name. “Burn Out” is back to punk rock territory, and may be the song on the record which most perfectly meshes early eighties punk with the snotty Dollsesque lyrical style present throughout. “Charlie” rounds out side one and is the first of two “tributes” to the infamous leader of the Dune Buggy Attack Battalion, sung from the point of view of a member of The Family.

“Self Respect” is a great rock and roll number that kicks of the second side in fine fashion – a fun, uptempo song which succeeds musically more than any other original on the album. “Pseudo Intellectual” makes use of drop outs while lyrically mocking the out-of-the-know straight kooks of the world. “Kill Someone You Hate” is another highlight; completely sarcastic in theme and succeeding as a rock and roll song on a level similar to “Self Respect.” “Look on Up at the Bottom” covers the best song by that greatest of all girl bands, real or fictional, The Carrie Nations from Russ Meyer’s rags-to-riches sleaze classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. “Cellulite City” is another bass driven rocker that seems to heavily draw its influence from In Too Much To Soon. An odd cover of possibly the least consequential Jagger / Richards composition is next in “I’m Alright,” but Cross’ rendition, oddly enough, completely fits with the rest of the record. And finally the second Manson reference comes in the original edition’s “hidden cut,” a version of “Cease to Exist” from the Lie LP. It had previously been recorded by the Beach Boys as “Never Learn Not to Love” (with the tag line altered to “Cease to Resist”) on a 1968 B-side before the weirdness took place. The story at the time was that “Cease to Exist” remained unlisted out of fear that Charlie would come looking for royalties, but this would be chump change today compared to what Guns ‘n’ Roses later provided.

Ultimately what Born Innocent presents isn’t a great album from a technical standpoint. The musicianship is average at best, there’s a certain apparent sameness to the tunes the first few times through not uncommon to “punk rock” albums, and the production is far from top level. Those aren’t the qualities that make for a great rock and roll record though. The songs on Born Innocent are unified in theme by a high energy look into the obsessions of a couple of maybe too smart for their own good South Bay freaks, and as great rock and roll records are really about capturing a theme and presenting it in a fun and engaging fashion, Born Innocent may indeed by a great rock and roll record. The MacDonald’s carried on, gaining their chops, greatly expanding their vision, recruiting bandmates who were able to help them deliver it, and changing their name to Redd Kross under legal threat. Their next two releases, along with Born Innocent, form a trio which perfectly encapsulate the Red Cross / Redd Kross style. Recorded each with completely different groups of accompanying musicians, their rock history as covers EP Teen Babes from Monsanto (1984) and psychedelic bubblegum infused LP Neurotica (1987) are both also highly recommended.

Reviews Index