Though edgier than
the Big Boys, the two bands provided larger than life -- literally, these were big men -- bookends for the early-'80s Austin, TX, punk and hardcore scene. The Big Boys have secured the greater portion of laudatory press, due most likely to their greater accessibility -- their more upbeat, swinging, funk-infused melodies. They were the more playful brother of the two. During their initial -- and most powerful -- incarnation, Gary Floyd's
Dicks were a potent, abrasive assemblage of stripped-down, gritty rock and blues, duly punked up and served viciously, carnally. Floyd -- who later went on to form the
Zeppelin-esque Sister Double Happiness and then a slew of solo efforts that gained more notoriety in Europe than the U.S. -- is a gifted vocalist with a deep, rich, natural baritone. That baritone is as menacing as it is soulful and imploring. For at least the first handful of years, the more salient trait was menace and confrontation. During their first incarnation,
Dicks were rounded out by three roughnecks who played like they looked -- cutting, hacksaw guitars, straightforward rhythms, and no-nonsense attitude. At the helm, Floyd -- often decked out in a variety of strange outfits -- bellowed out tracks like "Dicks Hate the Police," the tongue-in-cheek gay sex-shop anthem "Saturday Night at the Bookstore," and "Wheelchair Epidemic," later covered by
the Jesus Lizard. After a few years in Austin, Floyd pulled up stakes and reformed
Dicks in San Francisco with a decidedly new set of personnel. Aesthetic and musical changes ensued. The band grew into a more developed sound, blossoming with a breadth not seen prior. To some, that was to the band's detriment, but the tracks from the later period certainly give palpable evidence of what was to come with
Sister Double Happiness. Perhaps the best tracks are culled from the long out of print Big Boys and Dicks Live at Raul's, a split album featuring absolutely blazing sets from both bands.
1980-1986 may serve as an excellent best-of, and a necessary introduction to
Dicks' legendary music -- it's just a shame that the rest of the catalog is not available in any format. ~ Patrick Kennedy