9/4/06: Good Rats: 'From Rats To Riches' (1978)

The media had decreed that the authentic voice of the working man was a street poet who said things like, "Out of our way, mister, you best keep." Meanwhile, 1978 marked a decade of the Good Rats playing rock anthems that captured the spirit of Long Island--and, therefore, the nation. They were the older and suburban version of The Dictators and The Ramones, who were busy being the authentic voice of the working youth.

The Good Rats didn't get much of Bruce Springsteen's audience. For one thing, they cultivated bad facial hair while Bruce was getting shaved and carefully tousled for post-Born To Run stardom. The band was also parting ways with the record industry. With 1978's 'From Rats To Riches,' the Good Rats sided with the regular guys whose souls were out of fashion.

"Dear Sir" is the official break-up letter, but the album ends with an epic that truly sent the Rats to Rock 'n Roll Siberia. "Local Zero" rings with disillusionment that Springsteen still can't afford. Here's a sample of the Good Rats' gift to those who dared to question union dues:

        Want to end up like that old man
        Eating dog food for dinner
        Was a union man 40 years
        Freeze his ass off in winter

        Up the local unions
        Up the bosses, too
        Scratching each others back and laughing
        At you

The Good Rats are still playing live shows--often to people who belong to labor unions which support groups that fight for the rights of illegal aliens to come into America and take jobs that we're assured that a real American would never want because it's too much to ask companies to pay a decent living wage. Happy Labor Day.  

Make it your own: The debut's nothing special, but you can't go wrong with the other Good Rats albums. 'From Rats To Riches' is generally considered to be the band's high point--with plenty of help from production by Flo & Eddie. It's getting hard to find on CD, though, so grab a copy while you can.

 

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