The Effigies - Body Bag

 

  Charlie Harper resided in comparative luxury when he lived in a car, at least compared to John Kezdy who had to make do with a body bag.

  The Effigies were from Chicago and got together in 1980. The original line up was Kezdy (vocals), Earl "Oil" Letiecq (guitar), Paul Zamost (bass) and Steve Economou (drums). At that time Chicago was pretty much a barren wasteland as far as punk bands were concerned and The Effigies can justly claim to be trailblazers for that region of America. Along with Naked Raygun they were big influences for a generation of impressionable kids.

  Their first release was 1981's Haunted Town ep. This was followed up a year later with the Body Bag 7" (the title track of which is below). Their debut album was 1984's For Ever Grounded and shortly after this Letiecq was replaced on guitar by Robert O'Connor. Two more albums, Fly On A Wire and Ink followed but soon after Zamost and O'Connor left to form Machines In Motion and despite carrying on for a while and then reuniting several times since, things were never really the same.

  In 1989, a compilation surfaced called Remains Nonviewable. Whilst reviewing the album, Punknews.org described them as the greatest punk rock/hardcore band ever to come out of Chicago.

  This is Body Bag........

See what it's like to be dead 
Not a thought there to be had 
I'm just not there to just not care 

Sane's equal to mad

I live in a body bag

Plane just left O'Hare
On time flight one-nine-one
Disaster in the air
Starboard engine's gone

Human ants crawl feeling
Shocked. Prodding the snow of debris
Stopped watch. Final notification
Pending dental I.D.