“All of these songs we’ve played too many times and you’ve heard too many times.” Vic Ruggiero‘s tongue-in-cheek description of ‘Stash Box’ may be humorous but it goes someway to doing his band a disservice. This compilation gathers some of the best songs from the 20 year history of THE SLACKERS, and one thing is certain, you can never hear these songs too many times.
Over the years, The Slackers have become somewhat a forgotten band. It’s true that the New Yorkers have built up a core fan-base, which sees their annual European jaunt packing them in, but in terms of respect and credibility, the band seems to be dismissed. Think of other acts that have lasted this sort of timeframe; Bad Religion, The Descendents, Rancid, NoFX, Bouncing Souls. That’s some pretty strong company to be keeping. 20 years on the road then tells you this is a formidable band and ‘Stash Box’ is an excellent snapshot of the incredible legacy that will one day be left.
If you’ve seen The Slackers live, this track-listing will be more than familiar. If you’ve never seen or heard the band, ‘Stash Box’ is the perfect introductory piece, chock full of the band’s trademark NYC ska, reggae, and rocksteady. ‘Watch This’ was the track that brought the band a lot of attention back in 1997 so it’s a good place to start. Check out ‘Married Girl’, ‘What Went Wrong’, and ‘Every Day Is Sunday’ for instant gratification. Then ‘Sarah’, ‘Feed My Girl’, and ‘The Nurse’ for added amazement. To be honest, there’s not a bum track on this record.
Handing out a five star rating to a best-of compilation may not be the most strenuous of deeds, but in this case it comes with a certain smug satisfaction. The Slackers are a band that has put-out at least 16 album-length releases (including live albums and collaborations), and you’d be hard pushed to find one that rates less than four stars. This is a band deserving of anybody’s attention, whilst ‘Stash Box’ proves a tremendous assortment of rich songs. Roll on another 20 years.
ALEX HAMBLETON