THE PLASMATICS
Coup D'Etat (EMI/Capitol)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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By the time The Wendy O. Williams and The Plasmatics recorded Coup D'etat in 1982, they'd become proficient enough at the game to qualify as a real heavy metal band, which, of course, pissed off the punks. And since they were at the bottom end of the talent spectrum for real metal bands, it didn't thrill the metal bands. The novelty of a porn actress fronting a band had worn thin, and she'd run out of outrageous things to do to drum up a lot of press. (Although who among us will ever forget where we were the day we heard Wendy was touring with a clear bubble bra with goldfish in it??).

Now that it sounds like I'm saying there's nothing good about this album, which is available here for the first time on CD, I should mention that such a statement would be unfair. Sure, Wendy only had a four note range (fa-so-la and SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH), but they managed to write a few metal tunes, decent in a 80s riff n roll kind of way, that it fit well in, and there is some pretty bangarific riffage happening in tunes like "Lightning Breaks" and "Rock And Roll." Wendy apparently swallowed some honey or... you know... something... and got past the four note range for "Uniformed Guards," the album closer, with guitarist/masochist Richie Stotts tearing it up throughout the second half of the song as if he doesn't realize Wendy's there and he thinks he's filling. Perhaps something to do with all those times he smashed himself in the forehead with his guitar until he bled. Well, the fans liked it. At least he seems to recall they did.

Lest you forget, 1982 hard rock radio was dominated by AC/DC, The Scorpions, Judas Priest, Angel City and Abba. Overall, Coup D'etat falls into that sound and time period, as long as you picture the lead singer as Linda Blair juuuuust before the exorcism. Wendy O. is no longer with us, dead by her own hand, sadly, but I'm sure if she were here right now and saw this being reissued she'd blink a few times and say "you're shittin' me." R.I.P. oh wild one. Meanwhile, we'll crank up "No Class," because we don't care that it's derivative as hell. We don't care that "Mistress Of Taboo" was lifted from The Scorps "Another Piece Of Meat." Not a whit. They still smoke almost 20 years later. And they said you'd be forgotten in six months. And ya know what, Wendy? They're still wearing mohawks and they're still taking chainsaws to guitars and stage-blood filled mannequins, and YOU did that stuff first. There are a lot of big names in the biz who'd better put flowers on your grave every memorial day.

© 2001 - DJ Johnson