One of the original prankster/humor oriented bands, the Vandals were able to gleen maybe an short EP's worth of funny material before tapping out, as this pairing of their first two releases shows. And since When In Rome Do as the Vandals is placed first on the CD, though released later, you can easily see how far the band fell after their debut - and hilarious - Peace Thru Vandalism. Frankly, most of When In Rome is lacking both musically and in the subject matter. "Viking Suit", which is about a man who photographs little boys, is more disturbing than funny. Other tracks just tend to remind you of that class clown wannabe who tried too hard to be funny and ended up being seen as pathetic instead. Moreover, the music itself comes across as bland, even when they try throwing in turntable scratches (as on "Ladykiller") or spaghetti western influence ("Mohawk Town", which is at least moderately amusing).

However, Peace Thru Vandalism is one of my all time favorite early punk releases. Perhaps the humor was less forced but it comes across the way it was intended. "Urban Struggle" is a romping, energetic take on the cowboy scene. "H.B. Hotel" apes Elvis Presley before diving into a hateful rant about the chick who gave the singer "a crotch that itched". And of course, life would not be complete without the epic "The Legend of Pat Brown", which is the type of song designed for friends singing along while cruising around town in the car. And because of the six songs of Peace Thru Vandalism, this CD becomes somewhat mandatory for anyone into punk. Just be prepared to hit the skip button often until you reach the good stuff.

Review by John Chedsey

Review date: 02/2000

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