Out of Step is the third EP[a] by American hardcore punk band Minor Threat. It was released on vinyl in April 1983 through Dischord Records. Although Out of Step has only been released on CD in limited quantities, it has been repressed on vinyl as recently as 2010.[6] All tracks from the album are available on Minor Threat's 1989 compilation album Complete Discography.
It is considered a critical release in punk rock, particularly the hardcore subgenre. Many critics and magazines have cited it as one of the best progressions in the history of rock music, which specifically helped shape the path of many genres of underground musical currents alternative music). Its influence is notorious in future bands that would boost the youth crew movement, also in other genres such as grunge, post-hardcore, 1990's skate punk and thrash metal, as well in the development of the New York hardcore music scene and aesthetics style.
This album’s increased complexity in songs, with more elaborate riffs and arrangements, is its main distinguishing factor compared to the band’s previous recordings.[citation needed] The bass octaves retain the dynamics of the guitar line. Brian Baker became second guitarist for the album, and Steven Hansgen joined the bass.
The lyrics of most songs focus on themes like self-reflection, youth frustration, personal problems, and difficulties with friendships. This is in contrast to Minor Threat's first recordings, which had a politically critical message and did not revolve around drug use.[citation needed]
Background, recording and reissues
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After a temporary break-up in 1982, Minor Threat entered Inner Ear Studios in January 1983 to record Out of Step. The album was produced and engineered by Don Zientara. The lyrics on Out of Step deal mainly with friendships and problems associated with them, unlike their previous recordings which were an outlet for MacKaye's message.[citation needed] The album artwork was drawn by Cynthia Connolly.
In May–June 1983, Southern Studios founder John Loder traveled from England to New York where Minor Threat would play a show, and there he offered the band to release Out of Step in the UK. The band knew that he was working with Crass which led them to accept the offer, starting a long-standing relationship between Dischord Records and Southern Studios.[7]
The first vinyl pressing of the album (with plain black cover) appears on the Complete Discography compilation. After the second pressing, the band remixed the album and this version remained in print on vinyl until the 2000s. The latter is distinguishable by a colored stripe with suggested retail price across the front, and "Dischord 10 UK" and "Utopia" in the dead wax. The biggest differences between the original mix and the remixed version are in the songs "Out of Step" and the initially untitled "Cashing In".
In the mid-2000s, the album was remastered on vinyl by Chicago Mastering Service, with no stripe.
Out of Step was met with positive reviews and ratings. Ned Raggett of AllMusic awards it four-and-a-half out of five stars and states: "Building on the promise and fire of the band's earlier singles, Out of Step instantly became iconic for American hardcore, not to mention for the D.C. scene, for years to come, as well as any number of bands who conflated personal and social politics."[4]
^Many sources often consider Out of Step as an EP or a studio album. Dischord Records, in an advertisement, called the record as an EP in 1985.[1] Dischord, as of 2024, also has called the record as an EP on their website.[2][3] Despite this, retrospective reviews, such as AllMusic and the Rolling Stone Album Guide, call the recording being a studio album.[4][5] This article calls it an EP for consistency with the record label.
Citations
^Dischord Records (November 1985). "Records That We Sell". Maximum Rocknroll. Vol. 30. Berkeley, California.
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