I have been writing weekly College Countdown posts for many years by now. Depending on the chart — and of course the position on said chart — my commitment to listening to can deliver some rough material into my ears. That’s precisely what happened with one of the albums that will appear this Sunday (at #988, to be precise).

So it’s good for me to remember that, on the whole, this endeavor has introduced me to more great music than bad. For example, I don’t know that I’d ever listened to — or at least really listened to — any music from the New York punk pioneers the Dictators before their cassette-only live release, Fuck ‘Em If They Can’t Take a Joke, kicked off the countdown of the Trouser Press critics’ picks for the best albums of 1981. From the opening moments of the opening track, “Next Big Thing,” which found lead singer Handsome Dick Manitoba introducing the band with raucous vigor, I was hooked.

Even if I no longer have the pleasure and privilege of presiding over a broadcast board on a regular basis (it does still happen from time to time, I’m happy to report), I’m glad I’ve orchestrated ways to replicate the sensation of pulling a well-worn album from the music stacks only to discover a new favorite.

Listen or download —> The Dictators, “Next Big Thing”

(Disclaimer: I believe the live release drawn from today has been reissued in various formats — and occasionally under more, shall we say, family-friendly titles — over the years. I’m not sure if it’s currently available in a physical format that can procured from your favorite local, independently-owned record store. If it is, you should walk, not run, to the brick-and-mortar business in question and begin the process of adding this release to your collection. It is dandy. Although I believe sharing this song in this space in this way constitutes fair use, I do know the rules. I will gladly and promptly remove this file from my little corner of the digital world if asked to do so by any individual or entity with due authority to make such a request. Because respecting the wishes of an artist and copyright holder is very punk rock.)