Universally recognized as the first straight-edge band, SSD’s (Society System Decontrol) 1982 debut The Kids Will Have Their Say is considered a landmark release for hardcore music. However, many fans consider their 1983 sophomore effort Get It Away to be the band’s most crucial release. Most notable is the addition of guitarist Francois Levesque who joined the classic lineup of the “Boston Crew”: Guitarist Al Barile, vocalist David “Springa” Spring, bassist Jaime Sciarappa and drummer Chris Foley.
Another dramatic shift for Get It Away was the improved recording quality of this recording. While The Kids Will Have Their Say was recorded during multiple session on 8-track recorders, Get It Away was recorded on 24-tracks at Downtown Studios in Boston and produced by Mike Bastarche and Lou Giordano (the latter of whom would go on to work with everyone from Hüsker Dü to the Goo Goo Dolls). “It was much more organized as far as the sessions went and we were more prepared,” Foley explains. The result is a seven-song collection, including a cover of the Buzzcocks’ “No Reply,” that finally captured the veracity of the band’s legendary live performances. “When I listen back, it sounds like the vinyl can barely hold all the sound,” he adds.
That said, Get It Away isn’t an easy release to describe—and the fact that hardcore didn’t exist yet allowed the band to approach aggressive music in a way that didn’t sound like anyone else. From the distortion-drenched groove of the opener “Glue” to the blistering chaos of “Under The Influence” and the avant-tinged experimentation of “Xclaim,” Get It Away effortlessly captures a moment of Boston at a time before the scene was codified.
Ultimately, Get It Away is the result of five people and a confluence of circumstances that had to come together in a very specific way in order to create this sonic document. “I think sometimes the arc of a band intersects with the arc of public taste and you have a moment,” Foley says. “Whether it’s the cover art by Pushead (Metallica, Septic Death) or the pictures of us playing at CBGB on the back or maybe it’s just how unique we sounded in 1983. I think for some people it captured a moment in time.” Sciarappa adds, “When we were kids doing this stuff, I don’t remember thinking about future relevance. I’ve got to admit it’s pretty cool nowadays to hear how much the album meant to them and many have it in their top five hardcore albums of all-time, which is a nice compliment.”
Following the 2023 reissue of The Kids Will Have Their Say, Trust Records is set to re-release Get It Away on vinyl July 19 and across digital platforms for the first time ever. It features remastered audio of these songs by Dan Johnson at Audio Archiving Studios and immaculate deluxe packaging - the Trust Records touch. The album has been out of print for almost three decades and is massively in demand amongst the band’s rabid fan base – this is the first officially sanctioned repress of the album since its initial pressing back in 1983. Whether Get It Away is already one of your favorite albums or you’re hearing it for the very first time, this is the definitive version of one of hardcore’s most important releases.
