Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be 50 Essential Albums by LGBTQ Artists, representing a varied cross-section of genres, styles and time periods. Considering that the qualifier “LGBTQ” can often be open to various interpretations, for the purposes of this particular list, we have defined an artist as LGBTQ if he, she or they have ever publicly identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or queer. Moreover, albums by groups have been included in the list if any of their members fit the aforementioned criteria, even if some members do not.
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Wayne County & The Electric Chairs | Man Enough To Be a Woman
Safari (1978)
Selected by Chris Powers
Playing rock & roll at its most rude & raw, Wayne County And The Electric Chairs were an integral part of punk's first wave of degenerates. They fully embodied the original dream of punk, as their songs were stripped down stompers that had Lower East Side grit flowing through their veins. County (who would later come out as transgender woman Jayne County) is also a notable link between the punk and LGBTQ scenes of ‘70ss New York City, and is a bit of a living reminder of how intertwined these communities were at the time.
None of the recordings by The Electric Chairs were officially released in the USA, but if you want something closest to a definitive album by them, I would have to recommend the German pressing of Man Enough To Be A Woman. This release is a mishmash of their debut self-titled album and their Blatantly Offenzive EP, and as a result is a great combo of their best and grimiest songs.
“Max's Kansas City” and “Rock & Roll Resurrection” have primo examples of that classic savage rock beat, and songs like “Fuck Off” and “Toilet Love” do a vivid job in projecting that crude mutant energy of punk degenerates. Don't sleep on this band if you want to experience the original punk sound at its truest and crudest.
