5 become 1

Today's post discusses one of the most prominent contributors to the 1980's hardcore straight-edge scene - SSD, or Society System Decontrol.

I'll jump right in and show you a photo from the rightfully legendary Glen E. Friedman (while his friends were busy inventing skateboarding, he got to work inventing skate photography aged 12 - Seriously though the guy has shot more of the album covers in your collection and posters on your wall than you're likely aware) profiling the band's singer, David 'Springa' Spring and leader/guitarist Al Barille. I always found the expression and pose of Barille to be just about as intense as it comes, I'd easily go so far as to say this is one of my favourite photos of all time, if not the favourite.

© Glen E. Friedman

I really don't want to write too much about this photo, because I think there's only so much you can say, either it hits you or it doesn't. Also because it's late and I'm lazy.

I would say I am a fan of this band, but they don't neccessarily shine out musically by any significant amount to my mind.

I enjoy the guitars and the overall sound of the band but I think my main gripe is the lack of variation present. They have some GREAT songs ('Eighteen' being my favourite by quite a way, redefining the word "angst" in roughly 41/2 minutes), the only problem being that, while all bands obviously posess a defining sound, in the case of SSD this sound seems to be applied far to rigidly to each song, resulting in a lack of distinction from track to track.

This could be stating the obvious but I have always found vocals to be important in the way I recieve a band, I find on the whole a singer's voice either gels or it just plain doesn't. I can't give too many evidenced reasons as to why I am not so hot on Springa's vocal work. The same reason I don't like olives or films featuring Laura Linney I guess - I just plain don't like it that much. I will say however that the vocal section of SSD has always struck me as somewhat murky and difficult to absorb. This observation is not to be misplaced as a dislike of the often pragmatically incomprehensible vocal delivery, as just a quick glance over to Bad Brains' throat-maestro H.R. shows you don't neccesarily need to hand-deliver every word to successfully communicate.

Interestingly, just recently some controversy has kicked off about a possible reunion show, which apparently only Springa has associated himself with, along with a backing section of random hired goons. Barille has denounced the idea and disassociated himself and the remainder of the members from the show with the following response. It's long and I wasn't intending on posting it here but I really do recommend you read it, there's some class lines in it.

"There is absolutely no truth to any speculation that SSD will be performing this summer. The fact is original vocalist David Spring "Springa" is assembling a band of hired guns to tour and rip off the public playing under the name SSD. Due to his selfish actions David Spring has officially been terminated from ALL association with the band SSD. His attempt to recreate SSD in 2008 will utterly fail and I hope the public will not attend his performances and if they do they make it as miserable as possible for him to remain on stage safely. I know I personally will make every attempt to make him pay for his corrupt, cheating selfish actions. SSD will always be a team with integrity. It's unfortunate that a fat overweight "has been" and "nobody" will try to fool the public under the mighty moniker SSD.

His overall contribution to what made SSD such a special band is so far under the radar and almost next to zero. Anybody intimately involved and close to the band understands his contribution. The real fact is that the band had to go out of its way to compensate for his talent, work ethic and criminal behavior.

I feel bad for those fans who have been waiting for a chance to see the band but attending this Dave Springa performance is a travesty and borderline criminal. He is a terrible human being and I'm not just saying this now. He is basically the reason the band dissolved. Our relationship has been civil since we stopped playing but clearly after then band dissolved his musical and organizational ability pretty much guaranteed his ability to get to get zero accomplished. He couldn't write a song if it fell in his lap. Having said that, I have been monitoring this potential SSD ripoff roadshow for sometime and I have done my best to discourage it through various legal and illegal tactics. I have actually held off some royalties and payments to hold over his head and help him make the right decision.

He is basically following the business model laid out by Cliff from the Freeze, Chris Doherty from Gang Green, Choke from Slapshot. I can only speculate but I believe their motives are clear. I hate to throw anybody under the bus but I'm sure this support system of 40 year olds living in the past has helped David Spring organize the tour.

Motives

1) Rip off the public as 40 plus year-olds playing music made by kids and capitalize on American Hardcore Movie.

2) Make enough money to buy their alcohol, drugs and coke and whatever else.

3) Pounce on as many foreign chicks who think these American punk rock stars are special and give them 20 year old pussies. Hopefully they will give them something else as well.

4) Escape their miserable lives and US wifes and girlfriends to pursue their sexual fantisies.

5) Hopefully come back to US with enough money so they can collect unemployment and continue their life avoiding a disciplined work schedule in which you wake up and go to work. They will repeat the cycle every two years.

If it wasn't for my efforts, Springa would have justified this plan and pulled this shit sooner. It seems like he might pull it off this time but I am a fucking fighter and I don't take well to people ripping me off and tarnishing the name of my band. I am assemblng a network of supporters who will help do everything possible to make him uncomfortable and fearful for his safety at each show. If he gets close to the Boston or New York area then I will execute the plan. My goal is to make the tour fall apart due to poor attendance, hopefully get the promotors to back off after my legal representative serve papers. I would also appeal to the general public to understand when they are getting ripped off and for them to NOT BELIEVE that this lineup is SSD. It's just a fat overweight scumbag breaking ranks from the band. He must be stopped.

Please share this letter to anybody or any punk rock news outlet. It's time to put a stop to these rogue motherfuckers who have no integrity. Anyone who can help make David Spring's life miserable will be on my list of close friends who I will be entirely indebted to and hopefully I can repay the favor somehow.

Thanks

Alan Barile
Leader SSD"

I think there are some pretty erstwhile statements in that letter, many of which, as I read them, reminded me of why I keep coming back to SSD despite not being entirely blown-away by every facet of their music. It has a certain youthful intensity to it I find entertaining to read for the same reasons I enjoy listening to this guy's music.

My concluding topic is the reason I decided to use SSD as the focus of today's post. While going through the motions of your usual Friday night Wikipedia triva-felch last night, I clicked through to the article about SSD's drummer, Chris Foley. I won't detail the article here, go check it out for yourself. One thing I will say though is... Hardcore...
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While writing this post I clicked the ever-useless 'Random Page' link on Wikipedia, and got this as a result, which made me probably a little happier than it should have.