The Best of Brought To Life - 001

1. VILLAGE PISTOLS - 'Big Money' - Nylon 7" - USA - 1981
Crash bang wallop - this is what it's all about! They were never going to make big money playing this kind of obnoxious racket but who cares, it's a belter! And they managed to merrily destroy 'Strawberry Fields Forever' on the flipside too.
2. THE HUNS - 'Glad He's Dead' - God 7" - USA - 1979
All you need to know about the JFK story. If anyone can confirm what the lines are after: 'He took his orders from the Pope' in verse 2 and 'He sent our troops to Vietnam' in verse 3 you will make me very happy. I suspect I've been singing the wrong words for a very, very long time.
3. THE EAT - 'Communist Radio' - Giggling Hitler 7" - USA - 1979
OK so I'm starting with the popular KBD classics here, but the main purpose of the blog is to spread this music to as wide an audience as is possible, so all you aficionados will have to wait for the more obscure selections which will most certainly appear . . . eventually.
4. SHOCK - 'This Generation's On Vacation' - Impact 7" - USA - 1978
If I had to list my favourite track of all time then, as difficult as it would be, I can't think of anything better than this one. It's a pure adrenaline rush from start to finish, and red vinyl to boot, wowsa! I shudder to think how much the original goes for but there's a split CD with the Silencers available with all their stuff on it.
5. THE ENEMY - 'Trendy Violence' - King Tut 7"- USA - 1979
The flipside of their second single but the A-side is a fraction too 'rock' for me to be included over this one. They evolved from the Fruitland Famine Band in the mid-70s but took a harder edge and changed their name when punk rock hit town. And who can blame them?
6. CHILD MOLESTERS - '(I'm Gonna) Punch You (In The Face)' - Ace & Duce 7" - USA - 1979
How these guys were never locked up I'll never know. Saved by obscurity perhaps? Imagine if Johnny Moped was brought up in a southern U.S. swamp he'd probably have sounded something like this. Again, a B-side, but it was never gonna get on the radio anyways.
7. THE NORMALS - 'Almost Ready' - 'Lectric Eye 7" USA - 1978
I actually had a copy of this one back in the day. The Normals did live quite close to the Louisiana swamps but manage to sound more like a Boston power-rock ensemble with the 2 crunching tunes they put out on this majestic platter. Much comped, and there are a few CDs out there with additional demos/live stuff.
8. AUTHORITIES - 'I Hate Cops' - Selecta 7" - USA - 1982 - ('Soundtrack For Trouble' E.P.)
Well, don't we all? Police siren guitar leads, a punk rock staple.  '. . . We're doing nothing wrong, we're only shooting up, then along come the cops and say Put 'Em Up!'  No surprise that heroin use played a part in their downfall, but at least they left us with a cracking E.P.
9. NERVOUS EATERS - 'Just Head' - Rat 7" - USA - 1979
This is a prime example of the Boston power-rock I was talking about in the Normals piece. It had a similar thin paper sleeve too although this beauty eluded me. I'd heard their first single which sounded like an average bar band so I didn't get to hear this monster 'til way too late. Not for those of a feminist persuasion.
10. NASTY FACTS - 'Drive My Car' - Jimboco 7" - USA - 1981 
There appears to be no other recordings of this band to be found anywhere, yet they still managed to record three of the greatest hard-edged powerpop tunes ever committed to vinyl. Great riffage, pace, power, beat, cool female vocals and authentic car crash effects to boot! File under 'classic'.
11. DOW JONES & THE INDUSTRIALS - 'Can't Stand The Mid-West' - Hardly Music 7" - USA - 1980
I was tempted to include 'Let's Go Steady' as it's the more interesting and original sounding cut from this 7" but I know you're all punk rockers at heart and just wanna pogo so I've gone with 'Mid-West' as it has a similar jerky style but infused with a bit more speeeed!
12. THE SHIRKERS - 'Drunk And Disorderly' - Limp 7" - USA - 1978
For a long time I thought this was a Black Market Baby cover but, no, this is in fact the original, maan! An appropriately clumsy-sounding tale of another drunken night that would end in the cells, with the marvellous lyric: 'There aint nuthin' wrong with me, I'm just here holding up this tree!'
13. ACCIDENT - 'Kill The Bee Gees' - No Threes 7" - USA - 1978
Well, it appears no-one took them up on their suggestion. It was nevertheless part of the great disco backlash that didn't quite have the desired impact at the time. What an intro. Maybe goes on a bit longer than necessary but, still, there's venom aplenty.
14. THE ROTTERS - 'Sink The Whales (Buy Japanese Goods)' - Rotten 7" - USA - 1979
Another second 7" classic. The first, 'Sit On My Face Stevie Nix' managed to raise the wrath of Mick Fleetwood who allegedly got them banned in L.A. after he heard it on Rodney On The Roq. 'Sink The Whales' meanwhile, though being far superior, didn't sell squat and so many copies were dumped in the trash by the band. They'll be regretting that nowadays . . .
15. THE MOTHS - 'Magazine Look' - Kakoon 7" - USA - 1980
Can't tell you anything about this combo other than it's a jerky, quirky, synth-punk ditty with the best 'whooo' since the Vibrators 'Judy Says'.
16. THE NEXT - 'Mr Wonderful' - Sharp 7" - USA - 1979 ('Make It Quick' E.P.)
Cheap Rewards blog tells us that no-one from the band is really sure who played bass on this record. Well, they were wild times. Steve from Terminal Mind laid the track down but the next bass player may have nipped in after that. Either way, it was a toss-up which track to use and 'Mr Wonderful' won the day.
17. Spiny Norman's MIND GAMES - 'Sorry About That, Chief' - Own Label 7" - USA - 1981
Well, we all love '60s TV show-themed novelty singles, don't we? Bored Games, Shapes, Rezillos anyone? This one's an homage to U.S. secret-agent thriller 'Get Smart' and the bumbling character of Maxwell Smart played by Don Adams (who???)  Best line: 'Chaos is all the rage . . . Shut up Scott, we don't do it that way!'
18. UNNATURAL AXE - 'They Saved Hitler's Brain' - Varulven 7" - USA - 1978
Nice German beer-keller intro before lunging into a fuzzed-out mongo 3-chord stomper. The rear-sleeve states: 'Screams on Hitler's Brain courtesy of Rita Ratt.' The song was apparently inspired by some low budget B-movie from way back whenever. Hey, I wanna see it!
19. KAOS - 'Top Secret' - What 7" - USA - 1980 - ('Product Of A Sick Mind' E.P.)
Johnny Stringray from The Controllers formed Kaos after they split. This was a great little 3-tracker which had a very small pressing as a 7", most copies were on a 12" - strange for a relatively short record. 'Alcoholiday' is a great title but 'Top Secret' is the smasher.
20. THE CONTINENTALS - 'Fizz Pop (Modern Rock)' - CBS 7" - USA - 1979
Straight ahead powerpop on this one, but what a riff, produced by Tommy Ramone, no less. 
21. ICE 9 - 'Out Out Out' - Cool 7" - USA - 1979
Another great little 3-tracker recorded by Eddie Jetson, Danny Dungeon, Count Vertigo and Anonymous!  'Out of the sewer, out of the drain, out of disco, drives you insane!'
22. THE PAGANS - 'Street Where Nobody Lives' - Drome 7" - USA - 1978
So great that it just has to be their second single. They came from Cleveland and sounded like it. Stripped-down balls-out punk rock. GNARLY! ***Be warned*** if you get the official CD comp. they cut off the '1-2-3-4' intros from both the A and B-sides, and yes, it does make a difference!
23. THE MAD - 'I Hate Music' - Disgusting 7" - USA - 1979
'Eyeball' or 'I Hate Music'? I pondered this for all of 5 minutes before the toss of a coin decided the latter. Screamin' mad vocals by Screamin' Mad George! It's all completely MAD!!!
24. THE SKINNIES - 'I'm A Dullard' - 'Lectric Eye 7" - USA - 1978 - ('Kill The Beat')
Yes, New Orleans wasn't just jazz my friends, it also spawned great punk rock bands like the Skinnies. A double A-side called 'Kill The Beat' though confusingly neither track had that title.
25. THE URINALS - 'I'm A Bug' - Happy Squid 7" - USA - 1979
No doubt influenced by the previous Skinnies song, this one appeared on the second great Urinals E.P.  Everyone now, fold back your arms, start flapping and sing: . . . 'Buzz! Buzz!'
***BONUS TRACKS***

26. NERVOUS EATERS - 'Get Stuffed'

27. THE MAD - 'Eyeball'

28. SHOCK - 'I Wanna Be Spoiled'

29. THE PAGANS - 'What's This Shit Called Love?'

30. THE EAT - 'Catholic Love'

31. THE SKINNIES - 'Out Of Order'

32. THE NORMALS - 'Hardcore'

33. THE ENEMY - 'Bang Bang You're Dead'

34. CHILD MOLESTERS - 'Hillside Strangler'

35. NASTY FACTS - 'Get To You'

36. NASTY FACTS - 'Crazy 'Bout You'

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