The Go

Whatcha Doin' - (Sub Pop)

Something like this could only come out of Detroit.

Where else but the home of The MC5 and The Stooges could the birthplace of The Go possibly be? Oh - a quick rock and roll lesson: "Detroit" plus "rock and roll" equals "a good thing". A good thing is exactly what Whatcha Doin' is.

This is the real McCoy, folks - rock and roll every bit as dangerous and rebellious as it was meant to be. Virtually every song here serves as a soundtrack to fathers locking up their daughters to keep them away from the likes of The Go. The Go are prepared for this obviously, evident by their opening Meet Me At The Movies (hell, they sure can't go to her folks place!), one of the more Stooge-ified tracks here musically. Later, they beg Suzy Don't Leave (love the handclaps) and promise You Can Get High - all wrapped in fuzzy guitars, the self-assured vocal of Bobby Harlow (is THAT a rock and roll name or what?!), remarkably authentic production from Outrageous Cherry's Matthew Smith (that bootleg-feel permeates throughout - it's actually reminiscent of Sonic's Rendezvous Band in parts), and a whole heap of attitude.

Tracks like But You Don't Know and Keep On Trash show that tunefulness can indeed have a place in The Go's wild rock and roll world. Also noteworthy is the downright weird It Might Be Bad - odd because of it's stomping rhythm behind an organ groove and Harlow's choppy vocal. Still, it all sounds great.

Add The Go to the list - you know, that list with The Stooges, MC5, New York Dolls, and Radio Birdman. Rock and roll rarely gets wilder.

7.8