D.C.3 — You’re Only as Blind as Your Mind Can Be

• Artist: D.C.3
• Title: You’re Only as Blind as Your Mind Can Be
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Probably when I was working at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

D.C.3 put out “You’re Only as Blind as Your Mind Can Be” in the same year as “The Good Hex.” I think they should have taken a longer break. To me, this one just isn’t as exciting. I mentioned when I logged “Hex” that it didn’t sound too jammy despite a lot of guitar soloing. Well, this record crosses the line. I was playing it while Mary and I were packing for our big move to Asheville, and she walked in the room and said “What the?!? When does this song end?” I’ll have to admit that I too was feeling pretty jammed out by the time that song ended. That said, there are a few dittys here that totally rock out and make me want to keep it. And though much of it sounds retro, even for 1986, especially in 1986 I was happy to get my hands on anything that felt like rock and roll.

D.C. 3 — The Good Hex

• Artist: D.C. 3
• Title: The Good Hex
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1986 – Bought it for myself when I worked at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

Dez Cadena is the D.C. in D.C. 3. He has been in a number of bands, but I’m guessing most people who have any idea who he is remember him as the pre-Rollins singer of Black Flag. He also played guitar on “Damaged”, which was Rollins’ debut and Black Flag’s first record to get a lot of attention.

I’m not sure how I got into D.C. 3, but I really liked this record when it came out in 1986. It’s pretty heavy rock and though there is a lot of guitar noodling it doesn’t sound too much like jam music. Some might even describe it as “classic rock”, but there is definitely something more happening here. I was surprised to read that Cadena was only 25 when they made this record.

There’s a note from Dez on the back cover that ends:

To those who ask what the difference is between the music I play now and what I used to play, I would say that there is no difference. — D.C.

My favorite song is a high speed, almost metal track that kicks off side two called “No One But Yourself To Blame.” Even the lyrics are cool.

You can never… never… blame anyone but yourself.
You can… but you’re playin’… a loooooosing game.
You’ve got no one but yourself to blame.

Or something close to that. Hard rockin’ words to live by if you ask me.

P.S. Keith, say what you will about downloaded digital music, but you can’t flip it over, there is no side two, and you can’t even take a picture of it. So what’s the point? Rock and roll is not about convenience.