Saturday, July 23, 1983

DOA "Right to be Wild" ep


"Right to be Wild" was the first of D.O.A.'s benefit singles. The proceeds from this single went to help pay legal fees for the Squamish Five. Gerry Useless from the Subhumans was one of the Squamish Five. They had been involved in the 1982 bombing of defense contractor Litton Industries, who at the time were supplying guidance components for U.S. nuclear cruise missiles. A dynamite-laden van, with a warning box duct-taped to the roof to avoid human casualties, was parked in front of their Toronto-area factory. With the uncanny frequency of most bombings - state or insurgent - this one backfired, detonating too early and injuring ten Litton employees.


The B-side of the single has 'Fuck You'. The A-side is "Burn It Down".

Jeff Bale from MRR reviewed the single as the following:
"The proceeds from the sale of this 45 are going into the Vancouver Five's defense fund, so that's enough reason to buy it. Still, it's a mixed bag musically. "Burn It Down" is a slow, boring rock song that I prefer to ignore, but their version of the Subhumans' "Fuck You" (written by Hannah, one of the Five) has spunk and power, which makes this a worthwhile audio investment."


(from Maximum Rocknroll #9, October/November 1983)

The Canadian pressing has a stark black-and-white sleeve, as well as an extra verse on 'Burn It Down' not found on the U.S. release. These tracks can be found on the "Punk Rock Singles" comp for DOA. Both releases are on Sudden Death.

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