Skrewdriver "All Skrewed Up" Review

1977’s “All Skrewed Up” is the definitive pre- Nazi- era Skrewdriver album that is frequently seen by those clued up on their Skrewdriver history as that work of art that makes Ian Stuart Donaldson’s departure into Nazi territory and founding of "Blood & Honour" all the more tragic. Others feel that this album is intensely average and only receives the adulation it does due to this aspect of tragedy- and the attractive forbidden- yet- harmless factor this LP exemplifies in retrospect.  

Personally, I think this is a fine piece of work- true it doesn’t feature either of my two favourite Skrewdriver tracks but it does factor in a few runners- up such as “Antisocial” which is nothing short of a fucking classic. This is everything a Punk Rock song should be; short, aggressive and vitriolic- kicking out at mediocrity at all costs. Other highlights include the similarly seminal “I Don’t Like You” who’s dumb sentiment punches you in the mouth, busts your lip and then carries on with the dance, and “I Don’t Need Your Love” which struts a story of animalistic masculinity at a slower, more calculated (dare we say it) romantic pace!

There are a couple of low moments on this album- but that is only when compared with the finer works of Skrewdriver- when treating this as an album alone I must conclude that it’s a quality shake down of the 1977 Punk Rock scene- very much a no frills meat n’ potatoes approach. This is an album that doesn’t give a shit and will most likely redefine your music taste entirely- it certainly did mine. However, in light of what became of this once innocent pimple infected collective, one has to snigger at the hilariously unintentionally prophetic lyric “Never reckoned much to mixing” sang by Ian Stuart on “The Only One”!