Everyone should have heard the name Misfits at least once. They are easily the best of the best in punk, so let’s take a look at their first collection album when the lead singer was still Glenn Danzig.
With the number of songs on this album, we are going to do things a bit differently so I can make sure to include them all. We are going to start with side one, then move on to side two afterwards.
Since it is spooky season, I need to give you some prime music for the occasion. From side one, the top for this would be “Horror Business,” “I Turned into a Martian” and “Skulls.” Those are some absolute classics from Misfits along with “Teenagers from Mars,” which is based off an old cheesy horror movie from the late ‘50s.
Continuing with the horror theme, these two songs are based off of things that were really influential in horror and gothic culture. “Vampira” is a song revolving around the real Vampira, a real life Morticia Addams who was a famous model and hosted a late-night spook show that showed horror films. “Night of the Living Dead” is of course based on George A. Romero’s classic masterpiece of a zombie flick, which surged the movie world by being one of the earliest zombie films to kick up the scare factor for that era.
Now, if you want the classic, fun, punk vibe, check out these tracks: “She,” “Hollywood Babylon,” and “Bullet.” The first side is solid, but the only song that is stale is “Where Eagles Dare.”
Moving on to side two, we of course have to get ourselves some more songs for the season. Misfits makes sure to provide us with some certified Halloween themes. There is “Ghouls Night Out,” “Die, Die My Darling,” “Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?” and “Death Comes Ripping.” These are all classic tunes perfect for a spooky time.
There are of course some more songs based around old horror movies which work for Halloween music, too. There is “Green Hell,” based on the 1940 movie “Green Hell” focused on a tribe of amazon cannibals. Then there is “Teenagers from Mars,” an iconic song of Misfits based off a movie about an alien and a girl trying to stop an alien invasion.
Similarly, “Astro Zombies,” another banger from Misfits you can’t help but have fun with unless you are watching the movie, which has some of the lowest scores I have ever seen a movie have.
One song with quite a story is “London Dungeon,” which is about their lead singer and guitarist at the time being locked up in jail. While Misfits were doing performances in the United Kingdom opening for a band called The Damned, there was a big disagreement, and Misfits cancelled the rest of their performances. Later, while lead singer Glenn Danzig was in a club, he was threatened and a fight broke out, causing him to be taken to jail along with guitarist Bobby Steele.
The last songs have more of the classic, punk vibe and did not really fit into my other categories. There’s “Devilock,” named after the hairstyle that the Misfits have, as well as “Earth A.D,” keeping the energy up. The album closes with “Wolfs Blood,” a similarly energetic song.
Overall, “Misfits Collection” is a great album packed with songs that I absolutely love, and considering there is only one song out of 20 that does not really groove, says a lot. The album is hands down a showcase of why the Misfits are so beloved and how skilled they really are.
