Editorial Reviews

It was 1979 when Boston teenagers Jason Shapiro and Mike McGlinchey saw the wide-open door of punk as it turned to art-punk and no wave, and scurried straight in. Shapiro was 14. McGlinchey was only a few years older. Neither had played an instrument for long when Vitamin formed. Eventually, violinist Margie Politzer and drummer Chris Gill joined to complete the line-up. Inspired by the no wave impulse to tear rock apart and build something new from the blistering pieces, Vitamin’s sound was raucous and careening but playful, with a dash of conceptualism for good measure. Truly joyful noise. Their brief life stands as a difficult-to-top example of art-making for its own sake, and a document of youthful collective creation. 1. Sarah’s Braid 2. Black Sheep 3. Sinner 4. French Fries 5. Psycho Analyzer/Bug Spray (Live at The Underground) 6. Mouse Trap (Live at The Underground) 7. Intro (Live At The Rat) 8. Mommy (Live At The Rat) 9. Bag Man (Live At The Rat) 10. Sidewalk Slip (Live At The Rat) 11. Jumping Jack (Live At The Rat) 12. Black Sheep (Live at The Underground) 13. French Fries (Live at The Underground)