When reading the liner notes to The CD Version of the First Two Records it's easy to get the impression that Bikini Kill were a band constantly under attack from the deadly duo of men and the media and intensive listening only serves to confirm this feeling. As the hollers that open the album calling the (presumably female) listener to revolution ("girl style") give way to the angular, cutting riff of Double Dare Ya you realise that for the next half an hour you'll be wading through punk attitude fueled by feminist fury. For a band that prided itself on its ad-hoc musicianship and sketchy but passionate performances, the first half of the album (the Bikini Kill EP) forms a surprisingly coherent slab of well-executed punk rock. Wailing pop-hooks are expertly mixed with howls of sisterly revolution and biting guitar riffs reminiscent of contemporaries Sonic Youth who don't escape reference in the bold closing track Thurston Hearts the Who. I'm still unclear as to whether any of the lyrics for Thurston Hearts the Who are sung (or spoken) in the track itself but both the abstract live jam featuring Tobi Vail giving an impromptu lesson in the art of post-punk, feminist rhetoric and the lyrics contained in the liner notes showcase Bikini Kill at their satirical best. The last seven tracks (originally released as Bikini Kill's part of the Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah EP) lack the blend of pop hooks and ferocious consistency that makes the self-titled EP stand a mile out from many other riot grrrl bands. Towards the end of the album, Rebel Girl stands out from the crowd of mediocre songs only for the album to end on a sour note with Outta Me proving that Bikini Kill were at their best when they were at their most punk.
I can't help but feel slightly uncomfortable and a little bit guilty getting this much pleasure out of something that so clearly isn't intended for men but Bikini Kill shot themselves in the foot by making music that is so instantly addictive that it doesn't matter if you agree with the message or not. While the Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah part of the album is largely disappointing, Rebel Girl makes its inclusion worthwhile and the strength of the first 6 tracks means that this is rapidly becoming one of my most played albums of the last few months. If Thurston doesn't heart Bikini Kill then he really should (grrrl style). 8.
