Singles Going Single #41 - No Empathy - Ben Weasel Don't Like It ep (1996, Johann's Face)

It's not easy for me to gauge the popularity of Chicago's long-put to pasture No Empathy, but I surmise their presence in the Chi-town punk/hardcore scene was of at least some significance, given they ran their own nationally distributed record label (Johann's Face). By my count, there were four No Empathy albums and tons of singles and comp appearances. I was never able to full acclimate myself to Marc Ruvolo's none-too soothing, throaty vox, but without a doubt, this ep is a gem.
 

The a-side, "Ben Weasel Don't Like It" concerns the outspoken Screeching Weasel front-man, or more precisely, his supposed punk rock "elitism," which has largely been exaggerated in my opinion. Throughout the '90 Ben was regarded as something of an arbiter of the genre, if only by virtue of his ardent detractors who inadvertently bolstered his reputation and visibility. Ironically, Ben himself contributes some brief dialogue with Ruvolo on the song.
Backing "Ben Weasel..." is a note-for-note perfect rendition of "Chasing the Wild Goose," a Bad Religion song taken from their much-maligned (not to mention collectible) Into the Unknown album. The reverse side of the sleeve is a spoof of that album cover, which should be instantly recognizable to BR die-hards. This single was also made available on CD, on Broken Rekids. 
 

 Update: I decided to share the entire ep.  Enjoy

01. Ben Weasel Don't Like It
02. Chasing the Wild Goose
03. Maps
04. Another Word For Unhappiness
05. Veteran

http://netkups.com/?d=81d85456c5531