Track Listing

1. Business on Parade
2. Dead Cops/America's So Straight
3. Born to Die
4. Corporate Deathburger
5. Violent Rednecks
6. I Remember
7. John Wayne Was a Nazi
8. Dick for Brains
9. I Hate Work
10. My Family Is a Little Weird
11. Greedy and Pathetic
12. Church and State
13. Kill the Light
14. American Achievements
15. John Wayne Was a Nazi
16. Born to Die
17. Multi Death Corporation
18. Selfish Shit
19. Radioactive Chocolate
20. No Place to Piss
21. Kleptomaniac
22. Chicken Squawk
23. Pecking Order
24. Pay to Come Along
25. Evolution in Rock
26. Spanish Castle Magic
27. Born Under a Bad Sign

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83299 in Music
• Released on: 1995-07-01
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
MDC's terse 1982 debut was a blazing dose of funky, politically charged hardcore. Dave Dictor and company attacked issues like Phil Ochs on crack and backed up their high-speed manifestos (including "John Wayne Was a Nazi" and "Corporate Deathburger") with music that hit harder than Mike Tyson. They couldn't keep it up though, and More Dead Cops, the 1988 companion piece that fills out this disc, is a pale reminder of the band's early prime. The topics on Millions might seem a bit dated now, but none of the aggression does; Dictor jumps out of these grooves ready to rip your head off so he can pour his propaganda straight down your throat. --Michael Ruby

Customer Reviews

Thanks, Ronnie
If something positive could be said about the Reagan era, it was that it was the reason music like this existed. This is some of the the angriest hardcore ever, and some of the best protest music as well. These guys were pissed off, disgusted, and enraged, and you can really hear it. The classics are all on this disc, the Millions of Dead Cops LP, the Multi-Death Corporations EP, and the Millions of Dead Children EP. 'Death of A Nun' is here, but re-titled 'Peking Order.' It's the same studio recording, but with a different vocal track and lyrics. I preferred Death of A Nun. Once again, this is an absolute must-have for those who are seeking out the cream of the early hardcore scene crop, when "punk" refered to a true movement, not just another genre of watered down music on the radio.

Classic 80s hc album
There is a review below, "Millions of Dead Californians," that claims MDC were part of some sort of (liberal/PC) "California thing."

That's odd, considering the band is from Austin, TX, where it got its start as THE STAINS. It was during their Austin, TX, period as THE STAINS that most of the material was written: "John Wayne Was a Nazi," etc. Far from being a "California thing," MDC were actually a "Texas thing," playing with Texas hardcore legends like THE DICKS ("Bourgeois Fascist Pigs," "Dicks Hate the Police," etc.), another "PC/liberal" band that I'm sure the "Millions of Dead californians" reviewer below also hates.

MDC also had a release on CRASS Records -- home to CRASS, CONFLICT, RUDIMENTARY PENI, and other bands, as well. In light of this, to say that MDC were part of some sort of "California thing" -- or that their lyrics are particular to some kind of California zietgeist -- is just dead wrong. In fact, their lyrics reflect much of the trend in hardcore that began in the early 80s as bands became increasingly political. MDC helped spearhead this trend, and this album is one of the seminal documents of that era.

The band did eventually move to California, and from there up to Portland, Oregon, where they exist currently. This, their first album, brought a heightened political awareness that was also reflected in the pre-eminence of bands like the DEAD KENNEDYS, THE SUBHUMANS (UK), and others. Anti-racist, anti-fascist, anti-capitalist, anti-religion, anti-right wing in general -- MDC's lyrics cover it all. The music is blisteringly fast, the musicianship is adequate, hovering on the brink of some sort of chaotic abyss, trying to charge ahead before everything collapses -- and the vocals are passionate.

While not as good as contemporaries MINOR THREAT or BLACK FLAG, there is an emphasis on sheer, unadulterated speed here that sacrifices melody and catchiness in the process (save for two or three songs). If you're just getting into 80s US hardcore, there are other bands one should check out first, but this release is definitely in the top 40 hardcore albums of the 1980s.

Interestingly, MDC's first album in 11 years, "Magnus Dominus Corpus," was released at the end of 2004 [with the original lineup no less] and is worth owning as well. It's their best release since this seminal LP, and even improves upon the original by infusing a bit of melodic catchiness here and there.

this cd is one of the best punk records EVER
Blistering paced tunes about the f'up world we live in...This CD got played at least ten thousand times in my teens...At the time MDC were the KIngs of Hardcore punk...every song on this offering is GREAT, a classic!!! If you only own 1 MDC cd it should be this one. If you only want to own 1 hardcore punk cd, this one is arguably the best choice...