I first bought my copy of "We're Not in This Alone" at Home of the Hits out of the used 12" LP bin in late 1990. Scratched with no lyric sheet, I was just happy to own a copy, as I loved the "Break Down the Walls" and "Disengage" cassettes I already had worn out. Hardcore music had an energy and spirit that was unique to itself. It was similar, yet different to the thrash and death metal I had been listening to and seemed more pure than the crossover bands that led me to "HxC" in the first place. I longed for the ferocity of "Make a Change" and the Heaviness of the more recent "Disengage." I dropped the needle on the record when I got home and was surprised at what I heard.
The recording was terrible. I mean TERRIBLE. Where were the drums? Why does the guitar sound like that? Is that even in time? I was confounded, I hadn't come across a record that sounded this, well, "unprofessional" before by a "national" act. Still, I loved it and the days before internet downloading, you took what you could get from the bands you loved.
After repeated listening and deciphering of the lyrics(again, NO LYRIC SHEET) the album found its place in my heart and influenced how I perceived the world. Soon after I was Straight Edge, vegetarian and going to more hardcore shows than death metal. This band changed my world. This album meant something, this album STILL means something to me nearly 20 years later.
A few years later, I came across the "Funhouse" records press of the album and I hated it. It seems they went back and remixed or rerecorded parts of the drums and vocals but somehow made it worse. This mix has stayed through the numerous reissues and cd version that have come out over the years and I hate it.
Here's the thing about remixes and remasters: they aren't always a positive thing. Our ears get used to the sound and feel of a record, they become a part of how we, as the listener, experience and absorb every note and lyric. Changing certain records that have become etched into our beings is like changing a loved one. What if your beloved grandmother came home remixed with 38D breasts, a new face and a different voice? My guess is you'd be pretty freaked out! I think some record labels/ artists forget that once art is released, it's no longer just theirs, it's ours. The artist is a part owner at that point as the song takes on meaning and life to those of us outside of the band. To those who would argue this with me, I would quickly point to the Chain Of Strength remixes that came out in the late 90's. Terrible.
I'm sure We Bite, Funhouse and Revelation Records all meant well with their versions of "WNITA," but I'm going to stick with the original Caroline mix. The mix, though flawed, made me not only fall in love deeper with hardcore but also made me invest time and thought into a movement that was sadly, at that time, on the down slide. I love the record and though I own both mixes; one gets ignored and collects dust, where the other reminds me of why I'll always love the youthful energy that is straight edge hardcore.
