Incorrect Thoughts

Released in 1980, Incorrect Thoughts is the definitive full-length statement from Vancouver’s Subhumans—an unrelenting blast of political punk that crystallized the anger, wit, and urgency of the Canadian west coast scene. The album captures the band at their most potent, issuing an uncompromising challenge to authority, nationalism, and social conformity.

Opening with the snarling “You’re A Target,” the record wastes no time in establishing its agenda: confrontational, intelligent, and completely unfiltered. From the bleak realism of “Dead at Birth” to the seething critique of militarism in “Firing Squad,” Incorrect Thoughts is a guided tour through the anxieties of a generation raised under Cold War paranoia and consumerist rot.

Perhaps the album’s most notorious moment comes with “Slave to My Dick,” a caustic and darkly humorous takedown of male sexual entitlement that rides the line between satire and provocation. It’s a prime example of the Subhumans’ ability to dissect social issues with both ferocity and intelligence.

“Big Picture” and “We’re Alive” showcase the band’s anthemic side, pairing melodic sensibilities with sharp lyrical teeth. Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble’s vocals swing from sardonic to furious, backed by Mike Graham’s slashing guitar work, Gerry “Useless” Hannah’s thunderous bass, and Jim Imagawa’s lockstep drumming.

Originally issued on Vancouver’s Friends Records, Incorrect Thoughts later found wider distribution through Black Flag’s SST label—one of the few Canadian punk records of the era to make transnational waves. Legal disputes around the original master would later prompt the band to re-record the entire album as Same Thoughts, Different Day in 2010.

Still, it’s this raw, unvarnished 1980 version that stands as a milestone. More than just a collection of raucous songs, Incorrect Thoughts is a manifesto in 12 tracks—an essential document from a band that saw punk not just as sound, but as a tool of resistance. Four decades later, its messages remain pointedly relevant, and its impact undiminished.
-Robert Williston

Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble: vocals
Mike Graham: guitar
Gerry “Useless” Hannah: bass
Jim Imagawa: drums

Produced by The Subhumans and Dick Drake
Engineered by Dick Drake
Recorded at Ocean Sound Studio, Vancouver, British Colmbia

Album Design by Bob Mercer
Front Cover Photo: ORAF
Back Cover Photos by Bev Davies and Eric Foto

Closing Credit: Bob Montgomery
Management: David Spaner