There aren't too many bonafide rock legends around these days that are still young and cool enough to matter. And certainly none that have recently released the best album of their lives. If you have even a passing interest in how the youngest (genuine) punk band in the U.S. grew up into great, non-conforming musicians, beating odds and banging heads along the way, here's the Redd Kross story. (If you don't, you'll probably write us whining that this space should have been devoted to Decide. Yeah, yeah, yeah,)

A BRIEF (ha ha) HISTORY

The core of Redd Kross is and always has been the brothers McDonald of Hawthorne, CA. - Jeff on vocals/ guitar and the younger Steve on bass/ vocals. In the late '70s at the advanced ages of 13 and 9, inspired by the Ramones and the New York Dolls (and local gigs they made their parents take them to), they picked up instruments, practiced, and fantasized about playing in a band. Two years later, they made their dream come true and "Red Cross" - also consisting of future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson and future Black Flag vocalist Ron Reyes (on drums) - became a part of the burgeoning L.A. punk scene. Though they got lots of attention, due mostly to their pipsqueak status, they weren't always taken too seriously, due to same (the sight of the cherubic Steve wrangling with his bass was too much for some to bear). They played gigs with contemporaries like the Germs, and released an indie EP before going into temporary retirement, caused by the pressures of hype, and magnified, no doubt, by having to go to school.

Soon, however, the lure of rocking out brought them back with a new line-up and debut LP, the punk masterpiece Born Innocent, which spawned the classics "Linda Blair" and "Burnout." Though raw, it was obvious the McDonalds were developing a sense of sarcasm and a trashy, garagey aesthetic quite removed from the hardcore direction most other L.A. punks were leaning in. Around this time, the eponymous relief agency crankily sued the band for name appropriation, and then later have been Redd Kross ever since. '84 saw the release of Teen Babes From Monsanto, a great album of cover tunes including Kiss' "Deuce" - a then revolutionary thing for a punk band to do, but Redd Kross have never worried about what they should do, opting always to stuff they liked. This has generally kept them from cashing in on passing trends, the price of consistently being ahead of their time. (They were also sporting bell-bottoms and long hair by then, totally flying in the face of punk, or any, convention.)

Neurotica, the band's first major label LP, was a more polished effort that brought them wider appeal, while follow-up Third Eye was perhaps too polished, yet displayed amazing songwriting and performing growth, something no one (including the McDonalds) could've predicted back when they were a novelty act. By this point, the band had finally settled into their current line-up of Jeff, Steve, keyboardist Gere Fennelly, drummer Brian Reitzell and newest member (since '91) guitarist Eddie Kurdziel. (Oh, yes, the brothers have also over the years, starred in a few cult type flicks, most notably Desperate Teenage Lovedolls, (a favorite of this mag's editor during her own wild youth.) Which brings us to Redd Kross '94.

PHASESHIFTER

Big, fat, boomerangin' riffs, soaring harmonies that bring a tear to your eye, clever/cryptic lyrics, and a bashing cover of (original Riot Grrrls) Frightwig's "Crazy World" (which asks the pertinent question, "Why does a missile look like a cock?"), Phaseshifter rocks beautifully and insanely, and is much closer to Redd Kross live than previous efforts. "That was part of rehearsing and preparing ourselves; we just went in and did it," says Jeff. He credits engineer John Agnello for being on the ball. "All we'd do was explain what we wanted something to sound like and he'd dial it up in two minutes. A real anal retentive engineer will keep you sitting there strumming your guitar for four hours before you can do a take. By that time, the last thing you want to do is play, you just want to go eat pizza."

One standout tune, the snide "Visionary" sounds too heartfelt to be based on anything but reality, Jeff explains. "We've seen a lot of success with a lot of bands and a lot of behind-the-scenes people like to take credit for it, like they were the true reason why this group was successful, their maneuverings and manipulations... and it's just bullshit, it really had nothing to do with those people. And a lot of them don't care how hard they work the artists, they drive them into the ground when they should be in the hospital... I really try no to write too many negative things because it always sounds kind of preachy and silly - who needs some musician telling you what's bad in this world? But that one was good, so we decided to throw it in." Though Jeff and Steve collaborate on most lyrics, “On this record I wrote more of them," says Jeff. "just because I have to sing them and a lot of the time it’s easier for me to tell if they’re good or bad. After I sing them in rehearsal for a while, if a certain line makes me twitch, I’ll lose it. Or sometimes a whole song will make me twitch and we lose that."

LIVE

A Redd Kross show is cause for celebration. Usually rollicking and always unpredictable, the band refuse to play it safe. Steve: "We write a new set list every night, which will generally stay pretty similar but we’ll change key points in the set... In England and Europe especially, a lot of kids follow us around the continent and we think about them more than anyone else: ‘Oh no, we can’t do the same set!’" Agrees Jeff, "We leave holes in certain songs to be open to mutation, so we can experiment and let an audience kind of inspire us through it." "The idea," says Steve, "Is to somehow let the audience in on what we’re doing." Jeff again (talking with the McDonalds can be like watching extremely fascinating ping pong): "We do sort of walk a tightrope and that’s why sometimes shows, if they’re going in a bad direction, are going to get worse, because we try not to control it too much; but if it’s really good, then it escalates."

FANS

"We have a fan that follows us all over the world," says Jeff. "She’s nice, but when you try to talk to her and just have a calm conversation, it’s difficult because she just shakes." Living legends they may be, but it’s hard to imagine being nervous around these guys once you’ve met them. "we have developed quite a rapport with other fans who follow us around," says Steve. "When they got past the barrier of them being a fan and us being musicians..." "...We just made friends with them and they’re all like out other friends," finishes Jeff. "It’s really cool, you trade tapes and it’s nice to see them when you get to town."

METAL

Jeff: "I always enjoyed loud, loud guitars and that’s where we fit in with the metal thing, because we grew up on Black Sabbath as well as everyone who’s playing now, but we’re not quite as angry as a lot of the new groups, or we like to work out our anger in different ways." "For me, rock ‘n’ roll’s always been about let’s celebrate something more than let’s psychically spiral downward into a really pissed off mood," says Steve. Other thoughts? "I would like to see more females in metal," notes Jeff, "not necessarily all-girl bands because a lot of times that’s just exploitation in itself. I know girls are capable of putting together metal bands because they love metal - Girlschool were great! - but it would be really nice to see a girl guitarist, or bass player, or drummer because they’re great and part of the group." Which leads to Steve wondering, "There’s this new wave that intrigues me, the muscle crossover into heavy metal." (They relate the story of a popular band whose singer, a workout proponent, wouldn’t let an opening act use the other, smaller dressing room ‘cos it housed his barbells.) "I mean Ozzy never worked out before he blew people away in vintage Black Sabbath," Jeff sums up.

ADVICE

Redd Kross are headbangers from way back; there’s always been major hair action onstage. "The first week of the tour is always torture," says Jeff. "All of us are completely stiff, moaning... but for all the kids out there who have a problem with rockneck the day after their favorite concert, the best thing for it is Advil, ‘cos it’s a muscle relaxant. But warning: it’s not to be taken on a regular basis because it can causes kidney damage." Steve has another cure for rockneck (yes, they coined the phrase): "Bang your head often, because you only need Advil if you’re out of practice." They also suggested warm-up neck rolls before and after the show, but I think they were being facetious.

ETC.

Longevity: Their only hiatus aside from "retiring" after their first EP, was when the band took some time off after former guitarist Robert Hecker quit. "Was it two months?" recalls Jeff. "I can’t imagine not playing for two months... It’s weird," he muses. "I never really thought about the fact that we never stopped for 15 years." How about the band’s eternal "outsider" status; a good vantage point? "It’s a good one and a bad one," he says. "Good because we’re still here but bad because we don’t get to indulge in the rewards of certain little trends that happen and all that goes with it. But we would be dead and gone like all the other people that were involved in them, so we just have to wait around for people to catch up with us." Amen.