VA - Rocky Mountain Low: The Colorado Musical Underground Of The Late 1970s (2009)

Rocky Mountain Low is a unique portrayal of a late-1970s American Punk/New Wave scene. It is the first time that a Punk/New Wave scene, from its inception in 1976 through to the end of 1979, has been documented in its entirety. In their presentation of Colorado’s musical reaction to the initial wake of Punk Rock in the late 1970s, the compilers have set the bar unattainably high for future would-be historians. While Colorado’s late-1970s underground music scene was small and existed on the margins of the larger, more well-known scenes, its documentation is important in that what is being presented is a complete and accurate portrayal of part of the cultural movement that was taking place at the time. Thorough and comprehensive research viewed through an objective lens provides a previously unseen snapshot of America’s musical underground of the period. This documentation shows that the Punk movement of the late 1970s was anything but paint-by numbers—a concept that seems to have been sadly lost on younger generations. Until now, very little has been known about what transpired in Colorado’s musical underground in the late 1970s.

Did you know that Wax Trax, who later became world famous for their record label in the 1980s, started as a store in Denver in 1975? Their early story is told here. Or that Jello Biafra of Dead Kennedys fame is a Boulder native? Contained in this compilation you will find the origins of the Dead Kennedys name (see Radio Pete bio) as well as some of Jello’s pre-Dead Kennedys recordings, available for the first time ever (including a bonus, vinyl only recording of the improvised, very crude original “California Uber Alles”).

“It’s no lie to say we were shocked (SHOCKED!) by the amazing contents of Rocky Mountain Low. Superb shit.” —Byron Coley/Thurston Moore (Bull Tongue)

“"What a great compilation release! Great music, heroic effort - this is a great surprise and a necessary listen."—Henry Rollins

“This is raw art rebellion before all the rules, genres and fashion put the blinders back on.”—Jello Biafra

“This compilation presents a thriving panorama of 1970s underground “Punk” in the truest, best sense .”—Terminal Boredom

“A total knockout of a compilation.”—Maximumrock’n’roll

“Recommended to all fans of the era” (Four Stars)—Jon Savage (Mojo)

Tracklist
1 –Ravers - Goddess Of Love 3:55
2 –Radio Pete - (Just A) Patsy 2:11
3 –Radio Pete - Jackie's Song 2:08
4 –Front - Funtime 2:39
5 –Joey Vain & Scissors - That's What I Like 3:45
6 –Immortal Nightflames - All Cried Out 2:19
7 –Jonny III - Hey Baby 1:48
8 –Jonny III - Cardboard Bachs 1:50
9 –Dancing Assholes - I Wanna Kill The President 1:31
10 –Dancing Assholes - Hate Your World 1:40
11 –Dancing Assholes - Black Hole 4:08
12 –Dirty Dogs - Sorority Girl 3:54
13 –Lilly Rose & The Thorns - Fun 3:12
14 –Lilly Rose & The Thorns - I Wanna Be Loved 2:28
15 –Corvairs - TV 2:49
16 –Healers - School Bus 4:15
17 –Healers - Cruisin' 1:38
18 –Healers - Obey The Law 1:28
19 –DefeX - Tuff 2:51
20 –DefeX - Nuthin 2 Say 2:33
21 –Cells - Don't Change Your Mind 3:06
22 –Cells - You Give Me Nothing 3:23
23 –Instants - The Need 2:40
24 –Instants - Heavy Weather 1:40
25 –Guys - Hey Look 1:51
26 –Guys - Rock-A-Teens 2:01
27 –Profalactics - Always Better Than Me 1:35
28 –Profalactics - Til Death Do Us Part 2:07
29 –Transistors - Bombs Bombs Bombs 2:10
30 –Transistors - Baseball And Rock n Roll 1:25
31 –Ravers - Tear It All Down 3:39