“What The New Breed Say” taken from the LP ‘The Barbarians’ | (Rhino Records RNLP 008) 1979
The Barbarians | What The New Breed Say | (Laurie) 1965 | The original Barbarians may not have been the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band, but they were the baddest, most outrageous dudes of their time, and perhaps the first punk band ever.
Moulty, with the menacing hook dangling from his left arm and snide expression, wore his hair longer than anybody around. Drummers—like Ringo and Dave Clark—were more popular then, and he quickly became the symbol of the group’s determination.
The band as a whole defied convention by sticking leather sandals to their feet instead of the “in” heeled-Beatle boots.
Jerry Causi, Jeff Morris, Bruce Benson and Moulty (Victor Moulton) were truly their own men. In the vanguard of the nonconformist movement, the Barbarians vehemently urge their listeners to “Think for yourself” in “What the New Breed Say.”
The song, which utilizes a near “Green Onions” guitar riff, was maybe the first rock record to feature a double lead guitar break. The music was hard hitting, raw and primal, matching the group’s primitive name.
Blues rockers were a big influence, and the group was not unaware of what the English bands were doing. “Bo Diddley” sizzles with the fury of Them; “Memphis” the big beat of the Hollies. “House of the Rising Sun,” different but no less effective than the Animals’ treatment, combined a piercingly effective blues guitar with a tormented, desperately wailing blues vocal.
The Barbarians | What The New Breed Say | (Laurie) 1965
The Barbarians stared down controversy like an immobile gunfighter in a John Wayne movie. Mick Jagger and other rock stars seemingly cowered at the fat, uptight squares who jabbed fingers in their direction and bantered “Is he a boy or a girl?”
The Barbarians were tough enough to shove this back down their throats with ‘Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl.” The song rendered the whole threat laughably impotent; so the guy can’t tell if the person is a boy or a girl—that’s his problem!
In all honesty, the Barbarians weren’t invincible. When they suppressed their inherent aggression, bowing to the folk-rock craze, they fell short. Their version of the Byrds‘ “Mr. Tambourine Man” is far too passive.
Yet “Moulty” succeeds with a more subdued delivery, especially when contrasted with the song’s Righteous Brothers-like soulful chorus. A stirring paean of self-deter-ination—of Moulty’s achievement after losing his hand—the song warns “Don’t turn away.”
After listening to this album, you’ll know why it’s become such a collectors item, going for 150 francs in my country—about $50 U.S. (Many new fans are discovering the band for the first time from revival screenings of the T.A.M.I. Show.)
I’m very thankful that once again the album is available, and that people can experience the magic of the original Barbarians. (Joe Doissy Barbarians Fan Club, Luxemborg)
The Barbarians | What The New Breed Say | (Laurie) 1965
Don’t get nervous, it was only the Barbarians‘ group and they didn’t really invade; they just went zapping around to places like Song Hits and Ondine. “BLANGGG!!!”
And the Barbarians make – absolutely FORCE – all the people to get up and dance all night. But they don’t like New York – think it’s far behind Boston, the South and the West Coast musically and they especially don’t like playing club dates.
During a break one Barbarian said to me, “See that guy? He’s a millionaire, right?” “Wrong. He’s a menswear buyer on Seventh Avenue and he’s in debt up to his ears.” But he still wasn’t convinced.
The Barbarians are from Massachusetts, and although their records – “What the New Breed Say,” “Are You A Boy or a Girl?” – and the fact that their album is among the top ten in New England – mean they have to come to New York occasionally, they’re really much happier in Boston and on the Cape.
At first glance you’d think The Barbarians are the most far-out group ever, particularly Moulty, who has longer-than-shoulder-length hair. But they’re not; in fact, they themselves say, “We hate beatniks. We hate hippy people, especially New York hippies who wear John Lennon hats and Benjamin Franklin bird glasses.
We hate 14-year-old girls from the Bronx who go to the mod shops and say. ‘What can we get that’s English to walk around the Village in today?’ And at eleven they have to take off their John Lennon hats and go home . . . .”
The Barbarians | What The New Breed Say | (Laurie) 1965
They like: James Brown. Mitch Ryder. Cape Cod. The Beatles and Stones. The Spoonful. The M.F.Q. The Remains. Room Service – and four single rooms (“Yeah! “).
Walker’s Riding Apparel in Boston, where they get their clothes. America (“We really like it – except for New York. We’re not alienated from American life; this is our part of American life”).
Besides Moulty, who is 21, the Barbarians consist of Geoff Morris‘ 22, Jerry 22, and Bruce Benson, 19. “We started the band two summers ago, in Provincetown,” they tell me, “and two months after the band had come into existence we went on the Tami Show. We’ve played clubs all over the country and in Canada. We can’t stand ’em though – won’t go back.”
If they weren’t The Barbarians?
Geoff: “I’d be in college.”
Bruce: “I’d be stuffing chairs.”
Jerry: “I’d be in the Coast Guard.”
Moulty: “I’d be playing drums somewhere.”
“It was so simple . . . we just kind of fell into it. But there’s nothing else we’d rather be doing. We kind of scorn work.
Hobbies: Skin diving. Motorcycles. “Wimmin.”
Goals for the future: To escape from working, be rich enough to travel without any hang-ups.
Place they’d like to consider home: “Boston!” “And,” one says, “an island by myself in the Pacific,” “Yeah,” everybody choruses, “islands in the Pacific – four singles!”
Marriage: “That scares us.” “Who’s scared; we’re smart, that’s all.”
Embarrassing experiences: ‘Well, a lot of times we just play half a song or so, and the whole audience is on stage. That happened in Buffalo. All the kids got excited. We said, ‘You better hold those kids back.’ The cops said, ‘Noooo, that won’t happen here.’ Then – wow: they started coming; we left. We had to climb over the stage to get away!
The Barbarians | What The New Breed Say | (Laurie) 1965
“The first time that happened we just stood there and let ’em get us . . . after that we never did it anymore. The police escort us now. “One time in Provincetown a girl in the crowd had a pair of scissors . . . .”
What do you think of girls who chase you that way? “If they don’t we’re in trouble. If it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be anywhere. As long as you can find out how to get away if you need to. If there’s a couple hundred, and they’re coming right at you, it’s terrifying.”
Any parting words? “Buy Barbarian records.”
“And thank them all for being interested in us.
“They don’t even have to buy our records – they can just send us money.” (Song Hits, August 1966)
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