“Thanks to their notoriously insatiable diet of drugs, alcohol, and junk food, the members of Poison Idea all ballooned past the 300-pound mark by the time of the 1986 full-length Kings of Punk…” Jason Anken, Allmusic.
The above quote isn’t sourced and I couldn’t even make up a way to confirm or deny the statement, but it’s a pretty funny idea. The fact that Poison Idea’s guitarist went by the name Pig Champion might lend some credence to it all, but still, specious at best.
Regardless of being enormously fat, or just American, Poison Idea were one of the Northwest bands, Portland specifically, which ushered in a second wave of hardcore determined to push tempos beyond what had been the norm up through the early eighties.
The group persisted in one form or another until the eighties, with some scatter shot shows continuing on until relatively recently, but it’s the 1982 Pick Your King with its iconic cover, that the band’s still known for today. The single – despite it counting thirteen songs – has been reissued countless times with Jesus being fielded on anything from a white to red background. But his tilted head should point out that there’s something held within most aren’t going to be pleased about.
With most songs not getting past the one minute mark, it’s easy for this disc to fly by without being given proper attention. And while Poison Idea will always be affiliated with the speedier side of early eighties hardcore, the bands ability to briefly shift tempos is admirable.
“Self Abuse,” a concept never too far away from discussion, begins in typical shape – almost too fast to comprehend. And even as the track moves into what functions as the chorus, its pacing is relentless. The abrupt change, if only briefly, though exhibits a musical acumen most folks miss about this kind of music. There might not be a tremendous amount of variation at work here, but there aren’t too many folks capacious of doing this.
The same argument about contemporary art emerges as well as the point, “Well, I can do that.” Of course you can. The thing is you didn’t. These fat guys from Portland did. And they did it well.
Poison Idea probably won’t wind up becoming anyone’s entry point into the world of hardcore – that’s what Bad Brains, Minor Threat and Black Flag are for. But when Damaged gets worn out, Pick Your King’s a good a place to go as any other.