King of Punk

David Peel was one of the original punk rockers, with his minimalist approach to making music and lyrical sense. Thus, it was probably with a bit of amusement, and even some resentment, that on this album he was forced to embrace a label that was being bandied about by acts and artists who were pure poseurs. The fit between his political sensibilities and the posturing here works, but not as well as his more direct and natural musical inclinations from earlier albums. He's still great at turning a phrase or a lyrical sensibility that will make one smile or laugh, or (just as likely) make one angry — and Peel's sensibilities are gotten honestly enough that they hold across the decades — but the setting and some of the subject matter now seem more dated than much of his earlier work.