Track Listing

1. Strike a Blow
2. You Alone
3. In Defense of Dorchester
4. Back to the World
5. Tale of Mass Deception
6. Drink Tonight
7. Stagger
8. White Collar Fraud
9. Patrick
10. Pull the Pin
11. Hands Down
12. Unions and the Law

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #104700 in Music
• Released on: 2005-01-25
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Once again, amazing.
Mike was always near and dear to me, back in his Dropkick days and I must say, when he left and Bruisers boy Al Barr took over, I never quite felt the same (though I continue to LOVE the Dropkick's and have everything they put out). When Street Dogs came along, and I heard what they were laying down...I knew that what I'd been waiting for, for so long, had come around. Once again, with this release, they do not fail to deliver the goods that never fails to reach right into me and touch me every time.

Let it also be said that I, as a US Marine, picked up a couple of extra copies of these and sent them back to my brothers who are still doing their duty in Iraq. Lets them know that these boys carry them right in their hearts and souls, and it did the same for me. I had the luxury of hearing it on US soil however, something that is priceless. But this is something that Mike's been doing ever since day one, make no mistake about it.

I can't really express enough how much these boys mean to me, and to my brothers. Just trying to piece together a few bumbling lines here on Amazon, but definitely want to tell you that if you're thinking about getting this, think no more. Just get it, and you'll be glad you did.

Punk rock music for the thinking man
The Good
There's no denying that each track on Back to the World is loaded with plenty of catchy and somewhat predictable punk riffs and rhythms, but it was the lyrics that had the biggest impact on me. "Strike a Blow" is about how rock music needs to take back radio as it did in the nineties. "You Alone" inspires you to believe in yourself. "In Defense of Dorchester" has McColan paying homage to his hometown. You gotta love that whooh-whooh chorus section. "Back to the World" is about a homesick U.S. solider serving his country in Iraq, while "Tales of Mass Deception" basically lashes out at our President for sending him there under false pretences.

It's not all seriousness for Street Dogs; "Drink Tonight" is a one-minute punk explosion about having a good time. On the other side of that coin is "Stagger", a song about that old man at the end of the bar that eventually drinks himself to death. "White Collar Fraud" is about how people can get sucked into corporate greed and forget where they came from. If you're not sure how alcohol can ruin someone's life, listen to "Patrick". He used to be a promising young man until he hit the bottle and became an angry failure. "Hands Down" tackles the issue of abusive relationships.

The Bad
Are you kidding me?!

The Verdict
Street Dogs' latest release is punk rock music for the thinking man. Each song tackles a different issue that many of us can relate to in our own lives. That's how music is supposed to affect us, and McColan has a firm grasp on that concept. To drive these well-written thoughts and views home, Street Dogs set them to catchy and enjoyable music that's sure to burn into your head.

There's still life in punk rock...
I got this album because I heard "Tale of Mass Deception" on the radio and was instantly hooked. The fact that I've been a Dropkick Murphys fan since the mid 90s probably helped as well, but I don't want to belabour the point.

In short, this is a decent album. It lacks the musical variety and celtic instrumental feel that characterized more recent efforts by bands like the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly and as such those hoping to get another round of Swagger or Sing Loud, Sing Proud should probably look elsewhere (or listen to this album with those reservations in mind). However, the music is solid and the lyrics are meaningful, possibly even catchier than the tunes themselves (and I'm the kind of person who cares more about the way a song sounds that what it says).

There is some valid criticism that many of the songs are by the numbers and seem like slightly grittier versions of pop-punk, but after a few listens this aura quickly burns away leaving you with a good taste in your mouth. The songs all address serious subjects like alcoholism, drugs, unemployment, war, corruption, misery of the working poor and the struggle to unionize. If you're looking for trendy, sugary hymns to skating, getting drunk, goofing off, and making out with a hot punk chick, you'd best stick to other more mainstream bands. If, on the other hand, you want catchy, thoughful punk with a message and are willing to accept the fact that some songs are stronger than the others and have a tendancy to sound alike, this just may be your album. Good tracks include "In Defense of Dorchester," "Patrick," "Tale of Mass Deception," and "White Collar Fraud."