It's Not the Eat, It's the Humidity (CD - 2007)

South Florida's late, lamented punk band the Eat had their time in the sun in the early 1980s, and during their reign released a series of 7-inches and cassettes in very limited runs. This 2007 two-disc retrospective includes just about all of their recorded output, including a whole side of live recordings.

Although they don't stray too far from the typical loud/fast-rules approach, there is real musicality and imagination on display (and even some new-wavey hooks, on catchy tracks like "Young Guy"). Their absurd and humorous lyrics, featuring great titles like "Psychotic McHale's Navy" and "Nixon's Binoculars," suggest both a sophisticated level of punk poetry and requisite disdain for just about everything. The band will be missed, but this collection might just inspire a second wave of fandom. minimize