The Best of Brought To Life - 110

1. THE STUPIDS - 'It's Fun To You' - C.O.R. LP - UK - 1985

The opening track from debut album 'Peruvian Vacation'. See how many music genres you can find in this masterpiece.

2. ANGRY SAMOANS - 'I Lost (My Mind)' - PVC LP - USA - 1988

Only one genre here: psyche-rock. The opening cut from 'STP Not LSD'.

3. THE DISCO ZOMBIES - 'Punk A Go-Go' - Uptown 7" - UK - 1979

One from the 'Invisible' E.P. Pogo sex - quite a novel idea.

4. THE X-CERTS - 'Queen And Country' - Demo - UK - 1979

Nice chorus. Find out more and buy the album here.

5. 100 FLOWERS - 'Dyslexia' - Happy Squid 7" - USA - 1982
From the 'Presence Of Mind' E.P.  Post-Urinals with keyboards.

6. LENNY & THE LAWBREAKERS - 'Suzie D' - Rip-Off 7" - UK - 1979
The flipside of 'Me and Bobby McGee'. See if you can work out who it's about.

7. NICKY & THE DOTS - 'Never Been So Stuck' - Small Wonder 7" - UK - 1979
Their sole single. Jaunty, I think you'll find.

8. THE NIPPLE ERECTORS - 'Nervous Wreck' -Soho 7" - UK - 1978
The superior flipside of 'King Of The Bop'.

9. PUBLIC DISTURBANCE - 'S & M' - Mutha 7" - USA - 1983
A lot of shouting in this one, a bit like an S & M dungeon . . . erm . . . apparently.

10. THE GUILTY RAZORS - 'Hurts And Noises' - Polydor 7" - France - 1978
Despite the fucked-up start, this turns out to be a solid rocker. From the flipside of 'I Don't Wanna Be A Rich'.

11. ANGRY SAMOANS - 'Wild Hog Rhyde' - PVC LP - USA - 1988
One of the more upbeat tracks from 'STP Not LSD'.

12. THE STUPIDS - 'So Much Fun' - C.O.R. LP - UK - 1985

Another thrasher from 'Peruvian Vacation'.

13. THE DISCO ZOMBIES - 'Drums Over London' - South Circular 7" - UK - 1979
Debut single, which was recorded after the 'Invisible' E.P. All about racial tensions. ***Note*** Spear & Jackson is a popular brand of gardening tool. Other brands are available.

14. THE STUPIDS - 'Wipeout' - C.O.R. LP - UK - 1985
'So Much Fun' was way too short, so here's another equally short Stupids thrasher.

15. THE SATELLITES - 'Urbane Gorilla' - Rewind 7" - UK - 1980
'Eeeya eeya wahoo wahoo!'

16. NICKY & THE DOTS - 'Linoleum Walk' - Small Wonder 7" - UK - 1979
The flipside of 'Never Been So Stuck'.

17. THE NOW - 'Into The '80s' - Raw 7" - UK - 1979
Second single. Slightly better guitars with added sax.

18. THE BLEACH BOYS - 'Stocking-Clad Nazi Death Squad Bitches' - Zombie International 12" - UK - 1983
On the flipside of 'That Neutron Taste'. So much better than their much earlier debut 'Chloroform'.

19. THE EDGE - 'Macho Man' - Albion 7" - UK - 1978
Their debut single, which they never bettered.

20. THE DIALS - 'All I Hear' - Scene 7" - UK - 1979
Sole single. A nod to the Neon Hearts, I think.

21. THE DISCO ZOMBIES - 'Heartbeats Love' - South Circular 7" - UK - 1979
The flipside of 'Drums Over London'.

22. THE STUPIDS - 'Born To Built To Grind' - C.O.R. LP - UK - 1985

This one has the feeling of a cover version, but apart from the Springsteen sample, is not.

23. THE PENETRATORS - 'Teenage Lifestyle' - Fred 7" - USA - 1979
Second single. 'I'm losing my mind and loving it too'.

24. THE BLEACH BOYS - 'Death Before Disco' - Zombie International 12" - UK - 1983
Another raucous effort from the flipside of 'That Neutron Taste'.

25. ANGRY SAMOANS - 'I'll Drink To This Love Song' - PVC LP - USA - 1988
And another from 'STP Not LSD'. Love gone wrong - it's happened to us all.
Thank you and goodnight.

*** BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE STUPIDS - 'You Shoulda Listened'

27. THE NOW - '9 'o Clock'

28. THE DISCO ZOMBIES - 'Mary Millington'

29. ANGRY SAMOANS - 'STP Not LSD'

30. THE STUPIDS - 'I Scream Inside'

31. THE URINALS - 'Surfin' With The Shah'

32. THE SATELLITES - 'High Rise Hillbillys'

33. ANGRY SAMOANS - 'Lost Highway'

Get it here

The Best of Brought To Life - 109

1. THE STUPIDS -' Elephant Man' - C.O.R. 7" - UK - 1985
I didn't care much for the 'Let's Be American' attitude, but their early stuff ripped. This is from their debut 'Violent Nun' E.P.

2. THE NEGATIVES - 'Stakeout' - Look 7" - UK - 1979
Their sole single, from Bradford. 1,000 original copies, but another 500 re-issued more recently on Paramecium.

3. THOSE NAUGHTY LUMPS - 'Iggy Pop's Jacket' - Zoo 7" - UK - 1979
Meanwhile in Liverpool, the same year, the Lumps released this quirky little ditty.

4. THE OVENMEN - 'Rock Against Racism' - Oven Hot 7" - USA - 1981
Over to New York now for something a bit different. Is the guitar being played through an organ amp or vice versa?

5. RAZAR - 'Ascension Day' - Polydor 7" - UK - 1978
The first of 2 singles, not to be confused with the Australian band of the same name.

6. TAPEWORM - 'Break My Face' - Hermaphrodite 7" - USA - 1978
Sole single. From Stamford, Texas. Sounds like the recording equipment was in Arizona.

7. JOHNNY & THE SELF ABUSERS - 'Saints And Sinners' - Chiswick 7" - UK - 1977
Another sole single by the band who famously evolved into Simple Minds.

8. THE IDEALS - 'Shut Yr Face' - Wow! 7" - USA - 1982
From their 4 song 'High Art' E.P. Recorded Live at Raul's.

9. THE MODELS - 'Freeze' - Step Forward 7" - UK - 1977
Another sole single featuring Marco Pirroni on guitar.

10. VICE CREEMS - '01-01-212' - Tiger 7" - UK - 1978
The first of two singles. Full story here.

11. DANSETTE DAMAGE - 'The Only Sound' - Shoestring 7" - UK - 1978
I posted the other side last time around but this one has it's merits too. A double 'B' side. Arf.

12. HUMAN THERAPY - 'Domesticated People' - Doctor Dream 7" - USA - 1982
The lead track from the first of 2 E.P.s. From California.

13. MAGGOT SANDWICH - 'Gut Bomb' - KML 7" - USA - 1985
One from the 'Dead To My World' E.P. 6 tracks of cool riffage.

14. FRANK DETAILS - 'False Pretences' - Buzz Bomb 7" - UK - 1980
Another one-off curiosity.

15. ELTON MOTELLO -' Pogo Pogo' - RKM 7" - Belgium - 1977
The other side of 'Jet Boy Jet Girl' - released all over the world.

16. THE STUPIDS - 'Skid Row' - C.O.R. 7" - UK - 1985
Another track from the 'Violent Nun' E.P.  Live here.

17. ED NASTY & THE DOPEDS - 'You Sucker' - Sexo 7" - USA - 1978
The least musical outfit to ever come out of Jackson, Mississippi. Flipside of sole single 'I'm Gonna Be Everything'.

18. THE ANGRY SAMOANS - 'Different World' - Bad Trip 12" - USA - 1986
Later re-issued as 'Yesterday Started Tomorrow' on PVC. This sure is a different world to the earlier Samoans releases, the whole record reeking of '60s psyche.

19. THE SQUAD - '8 Pound A Week' - Squad 7" - UK - 1978
The flipside of 'Red Alert' about getting fined for nicking a car. He got off pretty lightly in my opinion.

20. THE PACK - 'King Of Kings' - Rough Trade 7" - UK - 1979
Kirk Brandon attempting to bring down Jesus Christ with this 'punk epic'. He failed, of course.

21. INTERNATIONAL Q - 'Small Talk' - Queue Music 7" - USA - 1981
Complete gibberish, but better than their songs with real words.

22. THE TIGHTS - 'Howard Hughes' - Cherry Red 7" - UK - 1978
Second single which didn't sell enough to save them.

23. THE STUPIDS - 'Sleeping Troubles' - No Label flexi-disc - UK - 1985
From the 'Putrid Evil' flexi - a split affair with Septic Death and Civil Dissident - released by Shane who went on to create Earache records.

24. THE STAINS - 'John Wayne Was A Nazi' - R Radical 7" - USA - 1981
The sole single by this MDC precursor band. I prefer the Stains version of the A-side but the MDC version of the B-side.

25. THE BAD ACTORS - 'Love Song' - Plastic Speech 7" - UK - 1980
I disregarded this track first time around but, trust me, it's definately a grower.

***BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE NEGATIVES - 'Love Is Not Real'
27. TAPEWORM - 'Blues For An Insurance Salesman'
28. HUMAN THERAPY - 'Is Everybody Gone?'

29. THE STUPIDS - 'So Much Fun'

30. THE ANGRY SAMOANS - 'Psych Out 129'

31. VICE CREEMS - 'Won't You Be My Girl?'

32. THE OVENMEN - 'Reagan And The Reaganites'

33. THE IDEALS - 'High Art'

34. MAGGOT SANDWICH - 'Everything I Touch'

35. THE STUPIDS - 'What Happens Next'

Get it here 

The Best of Brought To Life - 108

1. S.A.S. (SPEAK AGAINST SOCIETY) -' Intro / The Sport of the Gentlemen? / Meaningless Name' - Self-Released 7" - UK - 1985
We'll start this one with a triple-headed thrasher. Scarborough straight edge. But they meant it!

2. OPERATION IVY - 'Knowledge' - Lookout LP - USA - 1989
One from their sole 'Energy' LP. They were soon offered a major EMI deal and promptly split up. Kudos for that! And I assume you already know that Matt and Tim went on to form Downfall and then Rancid.

3. THE EXPLOITED - 'Army Life' - The Exploited Record Company - UK - 1980
The debut single, love 'em or hate 'em. My overriding memory is going to see 'em play in Middlesbrough around 1981. Wattie had a throat infection and couldn't sing but the rest of the band played on regardless and invited audience members up on stage to do the vocals. A great night.

4. LOCAL PRODUCT - 'Die Hard' - Aberrant LP - Australia - 1985
2-chord genius from the 'Why March When You Can Riot?!' compilation album.

5. THE FEATURES - 'Floozie Of The Neighborhood' - Paradox 7" - USA - 1979
Sole single, post Fingers, though Rave Up did a retrospective album a while back.

6. THE FILTH - 'Freedom' - Go Round 7" - UK - 1980
From a Teesside split E.P. with Discharge (no, not that one). Police harrassment. It was rife at the time.

7. THOUGHT CRIMINALS - 'Fun' - Doublethink 7" - Australia - 1978
Probably the best track from their debut 'Hilton Bomber' E.P.

8. TOXIC REASONS - 'Noise Boys' - Risky 7" - USA - 1981
From the flipside of 'Ghost Town', their second single.

9. OPERATION IVY - 'Sound System' - Lookout LP - USA - 1989
A ska-tastic tune from the 'Energy' LP.

10. THE LATIN DOGS - 'Killed In Jail' - Self-Released 7" - USA - 1982
Opening track from their sole 6-song E.P. From Michigan.

11. JOHNNY DOLE & THE SCABS - 'Lucky Country' - Demo - Australia - 1977
A non-patriotic song from these early Sydney punks. Available on the 'Scab Animal' CD - if there's any still available. Here's some early footage.

12. X-X - 'You're Full Of Shit' - Drome 7" - USA - 1979
This band had a mostly off-kilter experimental sound, but this one's a nice straight-on punker. From the flipside of their first single. John Morton of the Electric Eels on vocals.

13. BITCH - 'Big City' - Hurricane 7" - UK - 1979
I posted the flipside 'Wild Kids' last time. This one's less aggressive and more tuneful, I suppose.

14. THE EXPLOITED - 'I Believe In Anarchy' - The Exploited Record Company - UK - 1980
From the flipside of 'Exploited Barmy Army'. Later re-issued on Secret.

15. OPERATION IVY - 'Vulnerability' - Lookout LP - USA - 1989
Another goodie from 'Energy'.

16. QUEEN ANNE'S REVENGE - 'Catholic Raygun' - Aberrant LP - Australia - 1983
One of the highlights from the 'Flowers From The Dustbin' compilation album. Nice mob chorus.

17. THE X-CONZ - 'Do Dead People Tan?' - Edge 7" - USA - 1981
Title track from their sole 4-song E.P. Curious material for a pop song, but delightful nonetheless.

18. EATER - 'Thinking Of The U.S.A.' - The Label 7"/12" - UK - 1978
From the 'Get Your Yo-Yo's Out' live E.P. I prefer this version to the studio affair on the second single.

19. THE ROCKS - 'Hanging On' - Point Blank 7" - Australia - 1981
The last of 6 tracks on the 'You're So Boring' E.P.  Ramones-style, but tougher.

20. THE FEATURES - 'I Wanna Be Your Man' - Paradox 7" - USA - 1979
Haven't had a cover version for a while. This was the flipside of 'Floozie Of The Neighborhood'.

21. THOUGHT CRIMINALS - 'O Bleak TV' - Doublethink 7" - Australia - 1978
Another from the 'Hilton Bomber' E.P., possibly referencing the Victims singles. 'You'll never hear a television mentioned in this song'. Hilarious.

22. OPERATION IVY - 'Smiling' - Lookout LP - USA - 1989
A fourth from 'Energy'.

23. PSYKIK VOLTS - 'Horror Stories No.5' - Ellie Jay 7" - UK - 1979
Did goth start here? Possibly not. Sole single, but there's a Damaged Goods album from 2007 too. Anyone got it?

24. TOXIC REASONS - 'Killer' - Risky 7" - USA - 1981
The other track from the flipside of 'Ghost Town'.

25. THE EXPLOITED - 'Dead Cities' - Secret 7" - UK - 1981
Fourth single. We were all amazed and exhilarated to see them on Top Of The Pops.

***BONUS TRACKS*** 

26. S.A.S. (SPEAK AGAINST SOCIETY) - 'Scapegoats' 
27. OPERATION IVY - 'Bombshell'

28. THE LATIN DOGS - 'World Powers'

29. OPERATION IVY - 'Bankshot'

30. LOCAL PRODUCT - 'Magenta'

31. OPERATION IVY - 'Gonna Find You'

32. THE EXPLOITED - 'Crashed Out'

33. OPERATION IVY - 'Missionary'

34. THE FILTH - 'Rise Of The Mods'

35. PSYKIK VOLTS - 'Totally Useless'

 Get it here

The Best of Brought To Life - 107

1. THE TOOLS - 'Hard Wark' - Subterranean 7" - USA - 1980

Their second single. An anti-war piece if you're wondering what 'Wark' means. Think about it.

2. THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE - 'Love Detective' - Chiswick 7" - UK - 1977

The flipside of 'Television Screen'. Corny but cute.

3. LES SPURTS - 'Je Suis Fiere De Mon Grand Père' - Le Kiosque D' Orphee 7" - France - 1982

The flipside of sole 7" 'Petit Papa Fasciste'. 
4. THE QUEERS - 'At The Mall' - Doheny 7" - USA - 1984

A track from their 'Kicked Out Of The Webelos' E.P. Crash those cymbals!

5. ED GEIN'S CAR - 'Too Old To Die Young' - EGC 7" - USA - 1984

From the flipside of 'Brain Dead Baby'.

6. THE DODGEMS - 'My First Divorce' - Demo - UK - 1979

From their 'Anthology' CD. Get it here.

7. THE VAINS - 'School Jerks' - No Threes 7" - USA - 1980

'School work, I'm going beserk!' With a great horror comic sleeve.

8. V.S. - 'Leather Complex' - Monkey 7" - USA - 1980

Starring Olga de Volga, pre-Lewd. Not sure the vocals work 100% but what the hell.

9. ELECTRIC DEADS - 'Order' - Electro Static 7" - Denmark - 1982

The opening track from their first E.P.

10. THE REBELS - 'Mental Disaster' - Musk Project 7" - Switzerland - 1979

One from the flipside of 'Mayday'.

11. KALASHNIKOV - 'Læderhalse' - Hub 7" - Denmark - 1984

That's more like it - sung in Danish - welded vowels and all!

12. THE FEEDERZ - 'Stop, You're Killing Me' - Anxiety 7" - USA - 1980

One from the 'Jesus' E.P. Quirky jerky madness.

13. THE RADIATORS - 'Million Dollar Hero' - Chiswick 7" - UK - 1978

5th single, having long since shortened their name. Their masterpiece. Should have been a hit.

14. THE DODGEMS - 'Lord Lucan Is Missing' - Peel Session - UK - 1979

They recorded umpteen versions of this song. I plumped for the Peel version. 'I don't know!'

15. ELECTRIC DEADS - '30 Years' - Electro Static 7" - Denmark - 1982

The opening track from their second E.P. A musical progression which didn't stop there.

16. THE PRAMS - 'Don't Drop Any Bombs On Me' - Wabbit 7" - UK - 1981
A hilarious ramble, the flipside of 'A's OK'. Let Bruce tell you more.

17. THE QUEERS - 'I Don't Wanna Work' - Doheny 7" - USA - 1984
Me neither. Another from the 'Webelos' E.P.

18. KALASHNIKOV - 'Schlüters Kabinet' - Hub 7" - Denmark - 1984
Another from their 3-song 7".

19. THE HATED - 'Seize The Middle East' - Stress 7" - USA - 1981

Still topical, 33 years later! The superior flipside of 'Innocent People'.

20. THE DOGS - 'Rot 'n' Roll' - Rave-Up 7" - USA - 1977
Not the Detroit Dogs but the Iowa Dogs. Nevertheless, a similar Stooges-type affair.

21. VANDAALIT - 'Vaimosi On Noita' - Poko LP - Finland - 1981 
From their second album 'Raaputtamalla Rokkia'. Quite generic, but the handclaps make it worthy.

22. THE TOOLS - 'Adopted Procedure' -Work 7" - USA - 1979
The flipside of debut single 'Smoke Filled Rooms'. Nice guitar.

23. THE RADIATORS - 'Enemies' - Chiswick 7" - UK - 1977
Second single released after the name change.

24. V.S. - 'Magnetic Heart' - Monkey 7" - USA - 1980
The other side of 'Leather Complex'. A little lacklustre but Olga took it on to The Lewd who completely nailed it on 'American Wino'.

25. ELECTRIC DEADS - 'Anti-Sex' -Electro Static 7" - Denmark - 1982
The title track from the second E.P.

***BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE DODGEMS -' Lord Lucan Is Missing' (Demo)

27. THE FEEDERZ - 'Terrorist'

28. THE VAINS - 'The Loser'

29. THE PRAMS - 'A's O.K.'

30. ELECTRIC DEADS - 'Compact Chaos'

31. KALASHNIKOV - 'Ødelæg & Hærg'

Get it here