La Peste / Better Off Dead (7″ Vinyl)

Description

7″ Vinyl / 45 rpm Single

Reissue / Ltd Edition – Red Vinyl

1978-US

Format: 7″ Vinyl

#Ref: WCR 013

Release date: 2023

Release notes

La Peste’s classic 1978 single Better Off Dead b/w Black finally back in print on red vinyl! Rated as one of the best punk singles of all time and a personal favorite of John Peel… A blistering art-punk classic and years ahead of it’s time.

In their brief but storied career, Boston’s La Peste put out only one official record consisting of just two songs. First released in 1978, right between the golden age of East Coast punk and hardcore’s takeover in the early 1980s, La Peste’s “Better Off Dead” seven-inch was informed equally by raw 60s rock and roll and the dust-clearing first wave of punk in 75-76. Hugely influential to post-punk, new wave, and hardcore punk, this seminal single has a rightful place in the hands of any vinyl junkie with a taste for the harder underground offerings of the late 70s.

The A-Side’s needling intro bridges post punk and surf rock before crashing into a Damned-worthy power chord surge that never lets up or resolves. This cautionary tale, It’s a perfect sonic balance of CBGB sleaze and proto-hardcore rebellion — well-suited to the hellish scene painted by the words. The B is a moodier, bass-driven cut that forges further out towards punk’s fringe, merging Christian Death’s goth menace to Gang of Four’s righteous throb. “Better Off Dead” captures a regional darling coming into its own. It sounds at once intimidating and scared of its own strength

The record was released to massive acclaim in 1978 from punk’s critical vanguard. Robert Christgau and John Peel both approved. It quickly became a sought-after artifact, and can still fetch three figures at auction, long after the band called it quits. The title track found its way onto a Killed By Death compilation.

This recording comes directly from the original 1978 Boston reels, with a light-touch polish from Josh Bonati of New York’s Bonati Mastering that serves only to preserve the original sound while cranking the volume.

Tracklisting