The Gears: Let's Go to the Beach 7" (new)

Munster Records present a facsimile reissue of Let's Go To The Beach, the debut 7" by legendary Los Angeles punk rockers The Gears, originally released in 1979. While The Gears embraced the fast and loud part of punk, they also added 1950s rock 'n' roll, surf music and garage into the mix, which made their sound a killer blend of punk speed and fury tempered with greaser cool and swagger.

Our take: Reissue of this California punk classic on Spain’s Munster Records. The Gears’ Rockin’ at Ground Zero is a personal favorite, but I’d only heard this 7” in passing. The two best songs on Ground Zero appear here—“Let’s Go to the Beach” and “Don’t Be Afraid to Pogo”—and I think these versions beat the ones on the LP. They’re a little rawer, with a primitive studio sound that reminds me of the 60s. It sounds similar to the way bands like the Sonics were recorded, and the raw sound puts the emphasis on the Gears’ knack for writing a great chorus hook. The one exclusive track, “Hard Rock,” doesn’t have as memorable a melody as the two classics, but what it lacks in catchiness it makes up for with speed and power. Maybe this isn’t an all-time classic punk 45, but if your interest in early US punk extends beyond the Dangerhouse catalog, this is well worth checking out.