Album Notes

The Edge was one of the founding punk bands in Cincinnati, Ohio in the early 1980's. There were very few punk bands in Cincinnati in those days, and The Edge stood out from the crowd by playing louder, harder, and faster than any of them. Cuban lead singer and guitarist Victor "Johnny Cuba" Garcia-Rivera wrote melodic tunes that covered a wide array of topics: American corporate abuse, international politics, growing up and not fitting in with the crowd, the depressing homogeneity of American culture, and so on. He delivered them with a gravely wail over his adept, melodious guitar playing.

In 1984, The Edge relocated to Boston. They were quickly signed by the local indy label Throbbing Lobster, who featured the band on a compilation LP and released a 3-song EP. Things looked promising for the group as they gained some attention in and around New England. The band soon recorded a full-length album, but then disaster struck. Personal differences between the members arose, and The Edge broke up. The tapes for the LP were shelved.

Upon returning to Cincinnati in late 1985, Johnny Cuba drafted a drummer and bassist and gave The Edge a second life. The new line-up added lead vocalist Daniel Sokatch in 1986, played several high-profile gigs in Cincinnati, and traveled to Boston to record another album, which was also temporarily shelved. The band released their own single (Just An Illusion) and filmed a video that was featured on MTV's 120 Minutes.

In 1989, The Edge's Smear Records dusted off both sets of tapes and compiled them into one LP: Johnny Cuba and The Edge. Side One features the 1986 Cincinnati-based line up, and Side Two features the 1985 Boston-based line up. The LP is about 45 minutes long.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an LP, a big ol' slab of black vinyl, just like the old days. This is not a CD.