In 1991, after the Beastie Boys had become a household name, Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz revisited his hardcore punk roots by forming and playing bass in the band DFL, aka Dead Fucking Last, alongside vocalist Tom “Crazy Tom” Davis, guitarist/vocalist Monty “Monte” Messex (who had also been in the punk band The Atoms which briefly included future Guns N’ Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin), and drummer Tony Converse. (Beastie Boys’ Mike D also briefly drummed for the band at first.) They recorded their 1993 debut album My Crazy Life at the Beastie Boys’ G-Son Studios with Beastie Boys producer Mario Caldato Jr (Mario C), and released it on 7″ vinyl and CD on their own Grand Royal Records. Ad-Rock left the band after this album but produced their 1995 sophomore LP Proud to Be, which was released on Epitaph.
Now, for My Crazy Life‘s 30th anniversary, the album is getting its first-ever 12″ vinyl pressing via Trust Records. The reissue has been remastered by Mario C, and side B features the previously released live recording Live at G-Son Studios from a party the band played at their studio the same day they recorded My Crazy Life. The reissue also includes a zine that documents the band’s early days with a 20-page oral history, never-before-seen photos by Sofia Coppola, the original vinyl release images by Spike Jonze, old show flyers, and archival images by Bryan Ray Turcotte.
Messex says:
In 1993, I was obsessively listening to Bad Religion’s ‘How Could Hell Be Any Worse’. I had this beat up cassette that I’d listen to over and over and over and over again on my Walkman. That record brought me back to the early 80s hardcore scene I grew up on- that included Circle Jerks, the Germs, The Adolescents. I wanted to make a record that called back to the initial rush I got from the early hardcore scene.
I literally remember the moment when we started DFL. Adam dropped by my place in Echo Park and kinda half jokingly asked him if he wanted to start a hardcore band. To my surprise he was like, ‘uh… yeah!’ I had a few songs and we went over to G-Son. I played them for Adam and the band was born right there and then.
The ‘My Crazy Life’ era was a real moment in time for me and I feel like the record captures that. There was so much shit going on. The Beasties and Grand Royal were blowing up. There were all these crazy parties with celebs and skaters and all sorts of people hanging out. It’s almost 30 years later, but that moment has never left me.
DFL have also reunited over the years, and they’re currently active with the lineup of Tom Davis, Monty Messex, Patrick Sullivan, and Jordan Jacques.
The reissue comes out August 11 via Trust. Pre-order it here and stream two of the remastered tracks (one with a new video) below.
Side A – Original Album (Remastered by Mario C)
1. DFL
2. The Mosher
3. U Don’t Understand
4. Pizza Man (Official Music Video)
5. Metermaid
6. Monks Honor
7. Knucklehead Nation
8. America’s Most Hardcore
9. Get the Fuck Out
10. Think About the Pit
11. FFF
12. Smokebomb
13. Don’t Be a Kook
14. Creamcheese N’ Handgrenades
15. My Crazy Life
Side B – Live at G-Son Studios (Previously Unreleased)
1. Intro
2. DFL
3. The Mosher
4. U Don’t Understand
5. Pizza Man
6. Metermaid
7. Monks Honor
8. Knucklehead Nation
9. America’s Most Hardcore
10. Get the Fuck Out
11. Think About the Pit
12. FFF
