SPIN experienced the fear of every writer/editor this week when a writer accidentally slipped up on one keystroke discussing a forthcoming collection of lost songs from post-punk group Fugazi. The headline: "Fugazi Are Releasing an Album of Lost Songs From 1888." The actual year would of course by 1988.
The publication made the correction quickly but not before the world could catch on. SPIN has embraced its role in the gaffe and even published some of the better Twitter responses.
"Great! Everything after 1892 was crap anyway," posted user @slinkymusic.
"Yeah, it's a wax cylinder of Ian MacKaye yelling at Quakers not to dance for about an hour," tweeted Michael Kangal.
Music Times scrounged together a list of other classic 1988 performances and wondered what would happen if those same performers had to justify their works 100 years earlier. Check out our whimsical pre-Friday Happy Hour list:
Surfer Rosa by The Pixies and Nothing's Shocking by Jane's Addiction
The alternative rockers and grunge forbearers drew plenty of controversy during 1988 for their respective album covers, both of which featured at least one topless woman. Nine major retailers refused to stock Nothing's Shocking while The Pixies caught a bit more of a break thanks to its indie status. Neither act had much luck selling its wares to a much more conservative 19th Century American culture however. Citing the 1873 Comstock Act, mobs take the bands away in chains. Perry Farrell is unable to convince a court that the statues on the cover of Jane's Addiction's album falls under the same "classic nude forms" categorization applied to Michaelangelo's "David."
It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back by Public Enemy
Public Enemy was active in fighting the racism of 1988 but finds its hands full when they reach 1888. "It takes a nation of millions to hold us back!" proclaims Flava Flav, echoing his band's classic album title. "Yes?" responds a confused white crowd, not sure why the young black man was rehashing what everyone had known for hundreds of years. Further confusion continues when the crowd is introduced to first single "Rebel Without A Pause." They don't understand why a rebel would be so supportive of black rights...isn't that the opposite of what they tried to secede for?
Viva Hate by Morrissey
Morrissey immediately begins to miss the ignorant scum of his time period when forced to deal with the ignorant scum of another time period. The crowd however takes mightily to his album's support of hatred—on religious, racial or really any grounds. "No, no, NO!" he yells at the mob. "It's satire! I mean, come on! I know dry humor hasn't caught on yet but Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' was published centuries ago! SATIRE!" He wouldn't be long for that world however. The vocalist has enough trouble staying healthy in the modern era...it wouldn't be long before he came down with typhoid or some other olde world disease.
Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A.
N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton would end up altering American history forever when the rap group presented its work to an 1888 audience. Manifest Destiny was well underway and a transcontinental railroad had just been completed but the lyrics of gun violence, drug sales and general crime presented by Ice Cube and Eazy-E to the crowd make many reconsider whether heading West to look for gold was such a smart move. "I've not heard of this Compton settlement," noted one passerby. "But I've heard much of Indian raids and Mexican rebellions. If we must deal with these sorts of hooligans as well than it is best not going!" That's why now, in the present day, California has an Alaska-esque population total (American Music Club's 1988 release California was unable to counteract N.W.A's impact).
Danzig by Danzig
Taking all of the Satanic and monster imagery out of the picture, the crowd is really not all that impressed by Glenn Danzig. "I'm Danzig!" the frontman yelled, striking intimidating poses and flexing in his tight black T-shirt. "I was in The Misfits!" The audience shakes its head, not getting the horror punk reference. Then the vocalist realizes his problem: People in the 1880's have never heard of The Misfits, thereby invalidating his primary claim to fame (Samhain didn't impact that 19th Century crowd either). He can't even use the "evil Elvis" nickname because The King hasn't existed yet either.
Tighten Up Vol. 88 by Big Audio Dynamite
"But why is it called 'Vol. 88'?" asks a confused listener. "Surely you don't have 87 other volumes?" "Of course not," replies frontman Mick Jones. "It's just a reference to this year being 199-er...1888." The crowd nods in agreement. "That makes sense," they note. Big Audio Dynamite would go on to become the biggest musical act in history, thanks to a 70-year head start on The Beatles.
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