Band: Personal and the Pizzas
Release: 3/2010
Label: Burger Records [CASSETTE]/ 1234GO! [VINYL]

1. “I Don’t Wanna Be No Personal Pizza” – B
2. “I Don’t Feel So Happy Now No More” – B+
3. “I Can Read” – B+
4. “I Ain’t Takin’ You Out” – A-
5. “Brass Knuckles” – B+
6. “Nobody Makes My Girl Cry But Me” – B
7. “Knuckles #2” – B+
8. “Pizza Army” – B
9. “Tearjerker” – B+
10. “Never Find Me” – B
11. “7.99 For Love” – B-
12. “Pepperoni Eyes” – B
13. “Don’t You Go In That Ground” – A-
14. “Toss That Pie” – C+

Comments: Wait a second while I figure out a brief survey.
DO YOU LIKE THE STOOGES? A LITTLE
DO YOU LIKE THE RAMONES? YEAH
DO YOU LIKE WEIRD AL? YEAH

So I’m supposed to like these guys. These greasy pepperoni pisans sound like textbook novelties. This is a live record of sorts recorded with, presumably, a tape recorder in an empty bar. It’s nice to know they can read. Their songwriting style resembles that of the late Bobby Ubangi and the present day Nobunny circa Raw Romance (see “I Ain’t” for reference). They obviously take cues from The Ramones, but who in the Burger in-crowd doesn’t? Personal and crew don’t really mobilize me all that much. Like, ya know, I’m not blown or anything. You have to possess a sense of humor and a degree of patience in conforming your ears to this piece of vinyl. If you aren’t paying much attention while listening or if you are like me and trying to hear this album while reading about Howard Zinn, you might mistake the first half of “Don’t You” as a mockery of mentally challenged individuals. It clicked, though! They’re talking about Jay Jay. “Reatard, Reatard, such a little Reatard, you’re dead, what did you do?”

Grade: B (85)