Waiting Room is one of the best rock songs I have heard in years. Why Fugazi is not all over the radio is beyond me. They are far better than almost any rock band out there now. If you like Fugazi, you should also check out "Tsicavo" by Braintree. Get 'em both, you will not be disapointed.

This is an important record in the overall scheme of post-punk recordings. It's not my personal favorite Fugazi record, as Fugazi continued to develop their sound and mature over their next several records, but it's still excellent. While Waiting Room is basically a straight-forward modern rock song with a punk flare, Glue Man and Margin Walker expand the boundaries of what can be expected from a rock record. I've read a number of reviews on this record, and most either laud it as "the greatest" or complain about it being "unoriginal" or "not punk enough." I've already addressed my perspective on this album regarding it being "the greatest" -- there was better to come from Fugazi. As for "unoriginal," it's true that a variety of influences can be heard, from Gang of Four, to Wire, to Mission of Burma, and much more; however, this record (and Fugazi, in general) does not sound specifically like any of these bands, but rather it sounds influenced by these bands, and from my perspective, exhibiting some characteristics of your influences is a basic element of rock music -- you'd be hard-pressed to find a rock band that doesn't. Further, these bands that are cited as being ripped-off by Fugazi really weren't so well-known/well-respected when Fugazi was starting off. Rather, Fugazi's sound has served as a gateway for many fans to discover these older, under-appreciated great bands. As for not being "punk" enough... my attitude on that is, if a band alienates people who critique music based upon how stereotypically "punk" it is, then there's a distinct possibility that the band is more punk than their narrow-minded critics will ever know. This attitude demonstrates a complete ignorance as to the true meaning of "punk." Punk has very little to do with a sound, and much to do with attitude, and an approach to creating, producing and marketing. Besides, why does it have to be "punk"? It's just good music that was unique when it came out, and is still relevant today. This record is essential if you appreciate Fugazi or post-punk, in general. If you're looking for a something that conforms to some preconceived notion of what "punk" sounds like, then this may not be what you're looking for (although I still think that this has something to offer to folks of this persuasion, as well).

if you don't have this album you should get it or kill yourself

This is the best Fugazi cd! This is my 3rd cd because I just over played the other 2! Must have for punk rockers!

Yes, indeed these EPs are absolutely incredible. I recently purchased this cd and was floored by Fugazi. This was my first Fugazi purchase and as typical with many who purchase an artist's recordings, the first impression is often the strongest. I have since purchased their discography and have enjoyed all of them, but none as much as this one. What craftmanship especially after being a Minor Threat fan all these years...they seem to had finally pulled it all together. Please do yourself a favor and buy this cd - punk ethos defined.

If you follow alternative music, I would be surprised if you havent heard of Fugazi. They are known as the epitome of a band that will not sell out. They sell all their discs at bargain prices, and their concerts are always reasonably priced, for admission. This is their masterpiece, and "Waiting Room" is their finest hour. I would recomend all their albums, but this is their best punk album. As their later discs get out, they tend to defy description. However, I think its fair to say this is the album that made them relevant.

This is probably one of the best(if not the best) hardcore punk albums of all time.The songs are filled with a passion and intensity that is hard to find. On top of that they are also often quite catchy("Suggestion,"Waiting Room")and it is clear that they are great songwriters. This is also historically important, as mant of the personal lyrics and comparibly complex guitar work (as to say,Black Flag)laid the groundwork for Emo.On top of that, not a single weak track.Highly reccomended

This record is a prototype for all the great alternative rock produced in the early to mid '90s. Period.

PS - Please try to acquire the remastered version of this album!

This is an exellent album, kind of like punk going in full circle. You can hear a lot of the music that must have influenced the Fugazi band members in their youth. Waiting room, promises and bad mouth for example brings to mind a lot of early UB40, Clash and even some early 80s Ska (Specials, Selecter) especially in the interchange of vocals between Ian MacKaye and Guy while the impressive margin walker brings to mind Stiff Little Fingers in their first 2 albums.

For anyone who has not heard Fugazi before this album is the best place to start (not least because it is their first one)for someone who has not heard any of the above mentioned bands before or whose musical tastes are more towards faster punk/hardcore music this album may need a few more listens to grow on you (if you have listened to Minor Threat and are expecting a continuation of the same sound you might want to listen to Embrace and Rites of Spring to give you an idea of what to expect on this album)

Highly intelligent lyrics, less direct than many other punk bands (Dead Kennedys, Citizen Fish etc) with the exception of suggestion. Fugazi seem to be a band that prefer their actions to speak for their politics rather than their words.

Exellent and intelligent music and lyrics well worth listening to.

I picked this CD up after my friend and i saw "FUHGAWZ" written on Kurt Cobains shoe on some poster. We looked it up on Google and found that it stood for "Fugazi." Huh, must be a band. Ok, I guess i will check 'em out. I was pretty impressed. I guess I was expecting some gay new pop-punk band but what I got was an amazing post-hardcore experience. Sounding more like Nirvana or Mudhoney, than the Dead Kennedys, Fugazi slows punk down a bit on most of their songs. The first half of the CD is especially strong with Waiting Room starting things off with that great 24 second intro then stopping.....then grabbing you and bringing you with on a 40 minute punk experience. Truly an excellent CD, thanks Kurt. Standout tracks are "Waiting Room," "Bad Mouth" and "Suggestion" which Kurt covered i might add.

The first seven songs (first EP) should be mandatory listening for anyone who claims to like rock. Actually, scratch that. They should be mandatory listening for anyone.

Oh and the rest of the CD is pretty good too.

Why don't some of you start a Fugazi tribute band. I suggest you name yourselves, Fugharriet. Get it? Ah, nevermind... anyway this is a good old good one as they used to say.

Thank You For Post Punk! A genre that flowed new hope pack in to punk and helped rock snobbs take the genre more seriously. All 13 Songs are amazing. Intelegent rock doesn't sound like this anymore.

Every song is like a standard in hardcore. It just got better for Fugazi from this point on.

Fugazi's debut is a fury of anger and frustration. Maybe not the best way to introduce yourself to the world, especially if you're already labled punk before you hit the door, but Fugazi definately has their own agenda. On 13 songs you expierence a lot of contempt for the B.S. the world has to offer but put together in a way that's almost catchy and rythmically to die for. A good one for the first time Fugazi buyer, even better for a seasoned vetran who's never got around to this one. Visit the beginning and be blown away.

Definate must listens: Waiting Room, Margin Walker, Promises, and Suggestion (hey even Nirvana covered this one).

This album got me hooked on Fugazi. They are one of the best bands ever. From the opening bass intro on "Waiting Room" to the last chorus of "Promises," it is impossible to skip a single track. "Waiting Room" starts you off with the full stop 20 seconds into the song and after that you're automatically hooked. I saw one reviewer say that it was "boring, uncatchy alternative/indie rock." That is completely untrue. That guy must have some sort of sickness that makes him immune to catchy rock, because this whole album is catchy. I find myself humming the bass riff to songs like "Waiting Room" or singing the choruses songs like of "Bad Mouth" all the time. I agree, this CD WILL change your life: it opened me up to a whole new world of indie music. YOU NEED THIS ALBUM NOW.

My friend burnt me this album from her cd collection, and when I saw them, I knew this guys would be good. This cd is awsome, a pure classic. If you like bands like Minor Threat then this is the cd for you. Every song is awsome

Ian McKaye is god. I mean lets face it. He's done more for humanity than Jesus, Muhammad or any of those fakers. He totally rules. Minor Threat rocked, Ian has maintained integrity in the scummy world that is the music business, plus Dischord Records was cool for about 3 years.

13 Songs extended His greatness back in '90. Absolutely no one sounded quite like them. They had great songs like "Waiting Room", "Bad Mouth", and "Burning Too". 13 Songs has the best Fugazi song of them all, "Suggestion". I tend to perfer the songs that Ian sings, than Guy's. Don't feel sorry for Guy because he's kind of like Jesus.

amazing, incredible... i absolutely love this cd. and yes the quote in the title is from Repeater, not this album. . . ian mackaye is incredible.. tho u may not like fugazi just based on liking minor threat. fugazi really sounds nothing like minor threat, other than ian's singing, which is awesome. every song on this cd's great. it has taken me months to fully appreciate this cd so dont give up on it after just one listen, because eventually most likely u will see the wonder of this cd. waiting room, bad mouth, suggestion, margin walker, and the same, burning too, provisional, lockdown, and promises are my favorite songs. Basicaly the entire cd is my favorite songs. I also own repeater and killtaker and love them as well, but for anyone new to fugazi i would recommend buying this album first, you won't be disappointed.... one of the best albums of the century support dischord records

These two EPs really signalled a new era in DC. Memories of Minor Threat and other bands were just that, memories, and nothing much compelling was coming out. Fugazi, however, changed all that. This is fine work that holds up over their later releases, and keeps a good energy level up all the time.

Face it kiddies and hipster oldies, Ian cannot sing or even bark right. Remember that Minor Threat and Fugazi shirts have nothing to do w/ Dischord--just so we're on a PC level here folks. Why form a band from your favorite bands rather than doing something imaginative and creative? Oh, I forgot Ian is the master of aping something and calling it his own i.e. Minor Threat--a poor Bad Brains ripoff band who had racist/idiotic lyrics--don't try covering it up, it's the truth! Sorry I cannot forgive even if Mr. Mac-eye was a youngster when this all went down. Fugazi=Gang of Four, Mission of Burma, Wire, The Clash in such an obvious and poorly executed manner that it's sickening. Props to Discord however for being so fiercely independent yet at the same time so intolerable to any other beliefs/ideas outside of D.C. or even inside D.C. for that matter. Straight edge foreverxxx.

Fugazi is one of the best bands to ever excist. Ian MacKaye is a genius and so is the rest of the band. I heard them play at the Grind when it was still open in Sacramento many years back and it was the best concert of my life. They know how to get a crowd excited with their poignant lyrics and raw energy. This is the best album by Fugazi and a must have for any punk fan. The best tracks are, "Waiting Room,"Bad Mouth," "Give me the Cure" and "Suggestion." But the best thing about this album is that EVERY song is phenomenal.

that most reviews give this five stars while a few give it one??? People have different tastes, thank God Fugazi understands this and doesn't let it affect their music.

The first 7 songs on this album are the pinnacle of "punk". Raw fury with intelligent lyrics. The next 6 ain't bad either.

For my money this is a must CD in any music lovers collection, and I'm not just saying this because I'm from D.C.

This is an amazing cd. for those of you who value the diy ethic please order from dischord.com and keep indie sacred! I am in no way affiliated with dischord records, I am just showing my love and support. Dischord makes great music, sells for cheap prices!

Oh my god, this cd is really awful. I had no idea how terrible this wuld be, I trusted in my love of former Minor Threat frontman Ian and was horribly wronged. I feel jipped, these songs are jangled, unmelodic and ridiculously crappy. I feel like I've been raped by an elephant. BUY THIS......IF YOU LIKE CRAP

Probably the best thing to come out of the nations capitol since "Bad Brains", "Fugazi" continues to fight the good fight. "13 Songs" is the combination of their first two EPs, and includes such classics as "Waiting Room", "Margin Walker", and "Bad Mouth". What makes them a great punk band, is that besides the look and the sound, they have something important to say, which is evident in songs such as "Suggestion" and "Burning Too". The only thing that bums me out when I listen to this, is that I know teens today are unaware of "Black Flag" and "Minor Threat", and they are under the impression that bands such as "Good Charlotte" and "Simple Plan" are punk.

this is Fugazi's best album in my opinon. It is quenticential indie rock and they are the band to listen to if you like indie rock. Ian McKaye and Guy Piccioto's voices collaborate very well and they both are so unique that it is almost a different style of music when each of them are singing. Fugazi is incredibly versitile and their lyrics are so intelligent. They are definatley one of the best bands ever.

If this music was ice cream, it would be plain vanilla, left in the freezer for too long.

I just don't get it. I absolutely love Minor Threat, the Minutemen, Sonic Youth, Husker Du, and many other bands Fugazi is usually grouped with on alt/indie lists, but I find this album nearly unlistenable, even after many listens. It's so bland and boring. It's like Husker Du on sedatives, writing bad songs.

The only songs that keep me from falling asleep are "Waiting Room" and "Margin Walker." The former has nice, loud bursts of guitars and the latter has a cool, uptempo, catchy chorus. All the other songs bore me to tears. They're boring, uninspired, and not in the least bit catchy.

I do, however, admore Fugazi's musical ethics. They're very non-conformist, and very punk in attitude. They have their own rules, their own music. It's just not for me.

Give this album the skip unless you really enjoy boring, uncatchy alternative/indie rock.

just out in august 2003 >So i dont have to tell ya that this album is one of the best d.c. bands of all time but if you question is the remastered version worth getting i would give it 5 stars.they really make the music come more to life with the dynamics that fugazi is really known for with there slow movement and sharp twists they were doing on these sessions. But in case you didnt know fugazi is a band from the dc music thing members of "rites of spring=embrace=one last wish= kind of a power group of sorts .classic stuff and im gald they finally did something about the sound quality it deserved it!!!

when I first heard this album I was kinda "eh..hmm..ugh..".... like I said..I'm not a punk fan really at all..but the more I listened to it the more it grew on me....eventually I got all the Fugazi albums...great stuff....this is from a guy who doesn't like punk..heh...anyways...these guys started it all for those 90s bands...do me a favor...play bulldog front...about the last 20seconds...and compared it to the break in Nirvana - Drain You from nevermind...you can see where Kurt got that idea.. great CD my personal fav from these guys! red medicine is great 2.

This is it. Right here. First time I heard this album, I went, "Unh..." Second time I heard it, I realized that I'd been heaping my expectations upon it, and when I let Fugazi tell me who they are, I discovered one of the best cds I'll ever own. If you like guitars, it doesn't get any better than this.

This is hardcore punk, but it's more than that. Influenced by reggae, Fugazi crafted an entirely new style that was imitated by EVERY guitar band in the 90s. Literally. But you can't beat the original, and this is it. Fugazi is the culmination of two incredible guitarists/vocalists/songwriters who made some amazing hardcore with their original bands in Minor Threat and Rites of Spring, but their powers had fully come into their own by the time they formed Fugazi, and the result is amazing.

Fugazi did EVERYTHING right; the right chords, the right vocals, the right melodies. They leave space when they're supposed to and let go when they have to. This band has a sense of DYNAMICS that not ONE band since them has. I'm not talking about cheap "Loud-soft" or "start-stop" dynamics. This band had much more than just two modes.

Their debut is amazing. The two singers are distinct yet complimentary, especially when they're singing together. Ian is just as amazing of a back-up vocalist to Guy as he is a frontman in his own right, and that's why this band is the best ever: the chemistry.

Stop reading and BUY THIS ALBUM NOW. It WILL change your life. If you're ready for it.

Fugazi is the fusion of two great 80's bands--the legendary straightedge hardcore act Minor Threat (led by Ian McKaye) and Rites Of Spring (fronted by Guy Piccoto). The result is perhaps one of the most original bands out there.

Fugazi has a pretty unique sound, and describing them is difficult. Are they hardcore, like Minor Threat? Not really, though they lean that way at times (especially on In On The Kill Taker). In 13 Songs, one can hear strong dub and art-rock influences along with their punk ethos. The band shows mastery of dynamics, using a wide variety of tempos and delivery. The lyrics take on similar topics as Minor Threat, but tend to be deeper and more abstract. So, what is Fugazi? I'd say simply "great."

13 Songs is grafted together from two EPs, but still feels coherent like it was recorded in one sitting. Although the material presented here is not as sophisticated as their later stuff, this is one hell of an awesome debut and possibly their most consistent effort ever. Waiting Room, Bulldog Front, Burning, Margin Walker, And The Same, Provisional, and Promises are all Fugazi standards, and the rest of this album is solid with lots of rocking basslines, great shared vocals from Ian and Guy, and sheets of angry guitar.

In short, this is punk for the thinking man. I highly recommend it, along with later albums Repeater, In On The Kill Taker, and The Argument.

For a first album (or first 2 EP's put together as one album) this is very good. It showcases a tight band and sound that would later evolve into one of the most artistic, forward-looking bands around. Fugazi's sound at this point didn't go off in as many different directions as it would later but has a more plain-song feel. The hit "Waiting Room" that everybody seems to know and love is on this album but there are many other great songs if not better, "Promises", "Give Me The Cure", "Burning", "Suggestion" etc... A good start for a band that would go on to do so much more.

For years, this album had stuck in my head, even though i didn't like it and it gave me a headache, i couldn't hear the rhythms, understand the lyrics, and the guitars were too scratchy...but for some reason, when i would run or be bored, for years without the album, i would sing the lyrical rhythms to "Waiting Room" and "Burning Too"...
Then, i picked up the album in high school again, i still didn't like it!!! hahahaha.....what was all the fuss, really??? Then, one day, after repeated listens, and it was a couple years later, i was let in...i finally understood the album as a whole, i could hear the lyrics, i could hear every rhythm, i could see that the guitar scratches were no different than Mozart changing up his tempos...and that's not a far comparison by the way...this music has no genre...it is art of the highest degree, made by rhythmic and singing geniuses...i say singing geniuses cause you can't help but feel the chemistry between Guy and Ian...and the contrasting styles as well...the angry yell and chant of Ian picked up by the smooth, cool layering of Guy...I remember when i was little, let's say 1987, there were two spray-painted bands under the bridge, probably by skaters...it was "the sugar cubes" and "fugazi"...i said, who the hell is fugazi??? Now i know, thank god, hopefully others will find out...this album is going nowhere, along with Tool "undertow" and Operation Ivy (self-title), it ranks as the albums that my kids will listen to...much like the Doors and Pink Floyd and The Who...timeless, timeless, not cause of the perfect artistry, cause of the anger, cause of the heart...

I enjoy downloading new music in order to find new bands to listen, and Fugazi was one of them. I downloaded "Waiting Room," and was completely blown away by it. So in my typical fashion I immediately went out to buy 13 Songs thinking that it would hold more brilliant songs. But lo and behold I was wrong. Fugazi had fallen victim to the dreaded disease of having one good song on an album. The rest of the album is unoriginal, and just not up to par with the first track from the album that I had fallen in love with. If you are contemplating buying this album, save yourslef the money and download "Waiting Room" instead.