AMG Review of Hitler Bad, Vandals Good

Jack Rabid
All Music Guide

Sixteen years ago, these greater-L.A. punks released an EP everyone laughed along with (the first non-Bad Religion record on the mighty Epitaph), with its novelty underground radio hit "Urban Struggle (I Want to be a Cowboy)." Who'd have thought the Vandals would still be around, making the same herky-jerky punk, with the same sense of humor? There have been times over their LPs that they've gotten a bit coarse (but remained funny, like the sexual double-entendre here of "Cafe 405"), but their lyrics could make the straightest financial analyst laugh. "My Girlfriend's Dead" is hilarious, a nutty solution for someone who's been dumped and hates being asked what happened ("I say it's leukemia or sometimes bulimia or a great big truck ran over her")! Not only are the words funny, but just as "Urban Struggle" lampooned Western movies' music and archetypes, "Money's Not an Issue" briefly sends up the worst big oldies band ever, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, and "Too Much Drama" trashes TV sitcoms. And who wouldn't get some guffaws at the ridiculously oversentimental #The Sound of Music getting its comeuppance (ever read the story of the Von Trapps fighting over control of their resort in the U.S., and what a jerk their stepmom really was?!) on this snotty cover of "So Long, Farewell," similar to what Vandals did to a #Grease song last time? And doesn't "F'd Up Girl" give the finger to Billy Joel's "Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me"? Ha ha.