This is SNFU's first album. This is no their first recording, but it is interesting that the band went straight into albums from comps. In Chris Walter's book "SNFU: ....And No One Else Wanted to Play" we learn that before seeing SNFU the Stern Brothers were aware of them because of a cassette titled "Life of a Bag Lady". So the Stern brothers from Youth Brigade would release this on their label BYO. The Stern Brothers were very involved in their releases which included the recordings so they had SNFU come down to L.A. to record at Track Records. Shawn Stern would produce what would become a landmark record for the band. SNFU trusted them because Youth Brigade had already recorded and as a consequence had some experience in the studio. In relation to the "Life of a Bag Lady" recording the songs on this album were a step removed from the short, fasts bursts on the comps, although it was more in keeping with what was on the "Something to believe In" comp.
Chris Walter's writes "The first track, 'Broken Toy,' with its fast / slow bridge, is a blueprint for the songs to follow, and sets a pace that never flags. fast but not too fast, the album never loses its sense of melody, and a controlled but furious balance is retained throughout. the infectious 'Cannibal cafe' is a perfect example of that structured power, and highlights the band's ability to pen simple but instantly memorable music. Mike McDonald remembers when Ken was writing songs for the album. "I read the lyrics to Cannibal cafe before it was a whole song. that tune is based on the submarine sandwich place where ken and I ate lunch." perhaps Ken had some doubts as to the origin of the luncheon meat."
The title for the album comes from the first line of "Broken Toy", which worked perfectly with the artwork for the album cover of the little boy holding the hand grenade. Chris Walter provides an additional metaphor which applied to punks who experienced ostracization from their peers. This fit neatly into Ken's ability to write with double and triple entendres to many titles.
When SNFU was recording, they shared the studio with Slayer who were recording their "Hell Awaits" album. This was in December of 1984 and BYO would release the record in May of 1985.
The album cover was taken from a piece of artwork done by Diane Arbus. Jello Biafra warned the band that Diane's daughter, Doon, who managed her mom's estate after she committed suicide was very protective and had already made Sex Gang Children (who would later become Culture Club) remove LPs from stores with her mom's artwork on them. On repressing the record the band initially hired a friend named Jah Rick to draw a pointillism version of the photograph. The Stern Brothers were concerned that the artwork was too close to the original, but the printd a batch anyway uner the name Better Youth Canada (BYC) to protevct them from any legal challenges. This version was only available in canada and only for one pressing. SNFU would send another cover with a gory Christmas scene incorporating a severed head of the image by Diane Arbus. Another friend, Al Wanock, drew a cover of the same little kid riding a train which was in red ink and was used for Southern Studios in the UK. The last artwork was of an illustration of a family with the kid holding a gun.
The songs on this release are:
2. She's Not on the Menu
3. Money Matters
4. I'm Real Scared
5. Joyride
6. Seein' Life Through the Bottom of a Bottle
7. Cannibal Cafe
8. Misfortune
9. Plastic Surgery Kept her Beautiful
10. The Gravedigger
11. Bodies in the Wall
12. Get Off Your Ass
13. Loser at Life / Loser at Death
14. This is the End
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