really red: volume 2 rest in pain

Alternative Tentacles is proud to present the first-ever complete, three-volume collection of Texas punk legends Really Red. None of their catalog has been available for years—some not for decades! Really Red was the backbone of Houston’s underground from the early punk era clear through ’80s hardcore. Like The Dicks in Austin, they directly challenged an insanely violent police department at no small risk to their own lives. Their sound itself incorporated art and post-punk elements, with a musical and lyrical depth on par with bands like Mission of Burma, Wire, or Dead Kennedys. Singer Ronnie Bond (a.k.a. U-Ron Bondage) was never afraid to push intelligence or mess with Texas. Kelly Younger’s guitar style is as unique in its own way as that of The Gang of Four’s Andy Gill, while Bob Weber’s taut, precise and sometimes unorthodox drum patterns would not be heard again until the likes of John Wright of NoMeansNo. It’s all driven forward by the driving, elastic basslines of John Paul Williams. This collection presents the sound better then it has ever been, so hear them again for the first time—or the first time ever. Volume 2: Rest In Pain is the long-lost second album that hardly any Really Red fans back then knew existed! Unavailable for almost 30 years, now all tracks are restored for the first time ever, with vastly improved sound—fiercer and heavier, but still vintage Really Red. Side two shows the band’s roots with an awesome Texas psycho cover of The Red Crayola’s “War Sucks.” These guys actually saw The 13th Floor Elevators live! Rest In Pain was remastered at Fantasy by Jello Biafra and comes with part two of David Ensminger’s (Left of the Dial) interview with Bond.