1. The Lie 2. Unplugged 3. In The Cartoon 4. On the Way Up 5. Uranium Miner’s Daughter 6. Pet of A Pig 7. The Grey Men 8. Envy 9. Theme 10. The Second Day 11. The Prey 12. Radio Promo 13. Unplugged –(Live) 14. On the Way Up (Live) 15. Outro –(Live) 16. Brains –( Live)
If you were around twenty years ago and a part or fan of the Thrash Punk scene then you were probably a follower or at least aware of the legendary band Clown Alley and their debut “Circus Chaos”. Mixing Thrash/Punk and Metal, Clown Alley burst onto the scene with a new sound and mix of genres that many believe could never be accomplished. Hailing from San Francisco, Clown Alley was formed in the mid 80’s, by four bay area punks- Lori Black on bass, Justin Clayton-drums, Mark Deutrom-Guitar and David Duran on Vocals. Clown Alley’s sound and Black and Deutrom’s association with the seminal band The Melvins, also propelled them into the big tent of Thrash-Metal Mania and firmly planted them on the thrash map along with DRI and COC. And then they were gone. One pivotal release and the band succumbed to the usual suspects of competing projects and divergent directions.
This collection is the first time the album (previously released on vinyl by Mark Deutrom in 1986) has been distributed on compact disc and features live bonus tracks and a radio interview from 1986. Is it for everyone? Not so much..you have to be a true Clown Alley fan to wade through David Duran’s haiku lyric writing and the sometimes incongruous mix of genres. Still, Clown Alley warrants a place in the sun and this collection is a well-deserved accolade to a band that proved originality in music does exist.
