La Peste
I Don’t Know Right From Wrong: Lost La Peste 1976-1979 Vol. 1
Wharf Cat
Jul 20, 2026 Web Exclusive By Matthew Berlyant
Since their 1976-1980 existence, there have been several previous attempts to capture the recorded and live legacy of Boston’s early punk luminaries La Peste (from the Camus novel of the same name, literally meaning “the plague”), ranging from the self-titled 1996 Matador compilation to Bacchus Archives’ 2006 compilation of studio and live tracks. But since both of these have been out of print for decades now, Wharf Cat provides a public service to fans of early punk rock and does one better, releasing their material on a double 12-inch set (and single CD).
Disc 1 imagines what a La Peste LP would have looked like had they made one in their initial run, with then unreleased material mixed with both sides of their only released material during their lifetime, a sole 45 (“Better Off Dead” b/w “Black”) known primarily to KBD style collectors of early punk rock as well as to those in Boston who were there at the time. The material in this compilation comes from the studio session that produced the aforementioned “Better Off Dead” 7-inch, their 1978 session with early booster Ric Ocasek, a 1978 session at Electro Acoustic Studios, 4-track loft recordings made by Boston punks Billy Daffodil and Dave Cola in 1977, and the the band’s very first studio sessions with Curt Naihersey (Pastiche, The Kids).
Furthermore, we also get a booklet featuring liner notes from (amongst others) all three members of Mission of Burma alongside producers/engineers Paul Q. Kolderie and Sean Slade, as well as others who were there at the time, such as Malcolm Travis (then of Human Sexual Response and later of The Zulus and the recently reunited Sugar), Pat Place (Contortions, Bush Tetras), Willie “Boom Boom” Alexander, and The Cars’ Greg Hawkes. The booklet also features tons of flyers and newly uncovered photos from back in the day. All in all, this is the most complete La Peste collection to date. And given that this says it’s Vol. 1, we can only hope for more in the future given the love and care that this compilation was clearly done with. (www.wharfcatrecords.com/la-peste)
Author rating: 7/10
English (US) · 