For me and for most fans Weston died after Chuck Saltern left the band some time after the release of “Got Beat Up”. From this point onward the music and spirit of the band changed and not necessarily for the best. They went from writing the ultimate soundtracks for high school punkers to releasing albums so bad you could only get them in Japan (this is true). Their songs got more serious and ultimately less fun. That’s what I remember most about seeing Weston play. They were about the goofiest bunch of punk rockers you’d ever see on stage together. Their shows were always fun and in keeping with the spirit of their quirky pop punk style. If you don’t know Weston you were probably either too young or didn’t live in the area around NY/NJ/PA in the mid-nineties when the band was often mentioned in the same breath with the likes of Lifetime and The Bouncing Souls. If you fall into this category their new album probably isn’t for you. Which isn’t to say it’s bad either. In fact quite the contrary. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
A quick search for the band on Amazon tells you everything you need to know. Copies of their first two albums go for twenty to thirty bucks a pop. Copies of their last two albums can be had for as little as ninety cents. First two albums? Chuck. Latter two albums? No Chuck. It doesn’t take a crack detective to put all of this together. For further proof of how awesome and integral he was to the band pick up their other live album titled “The Stepchildren of Rock” (a split with Doc Hopper). From the second you hit play you’ll be laughing your ass of at Chuck’s stage stealing banter. From quoting Suicidal Tendencies, to talking about getting his wallet stolen at a show in Montclair where his friend Andy was attacked “by some unknown guy”, everything he says between songs is pure gold. All right so if you’re new to Weston pick up “A Real Life Story of Teenage Rebellion”, “Got Beat Up”, and “Stepchildren of Rock”. You’ll thank me later. And relax; you don’t have to pay a ton of money either as all are available used or as downloads for a fair price. If you already own these albums and like me thought the band died out somewhere around 1996 well then my friend you’re in for a treat.
“This Is My Voice and This Is My Heart – Live At Maxwell’s” marks the first good non-Chuck Weston album. Why is it so good? Well probably because ALL of the songs on it were written when he was still in the band with the exception of their one new track titled Pucker Up Baby. The band sounds like their having a good time on stage, the crowd of rabid New Jersians know all the lyrics and sing along the whole time, and the set list serves as a de facto greatest hits. Making the album even more worth checking out is that they made a limited run of 100 hand numbered hand silk-screened copies on pink and black swirled vinyl. And adding to even that they included a download coupon that gets you an extra four songs they couldn’t fit on the record. All in all a fan of the old Weston can’t ask for much more. I saw them again when they started going back out and playing shows in 2006 and it was still a good time. Apparently they got the bearded version of Keanu Reeves to replace Chuck on bass and vocals and to my dismay he was an affable welcome addition to the band. So yeah, Weston fans rejoice, you now have a new Weston album worth buying and future shows to look forward too. And if you’re still missing Chuck throw on your old records and like they say at the beginning of “This Is My Heart…”, “if you’re not in high school, you are tonight.”
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A great post for a great album of 2009.