I remember John Peel playing 'Hard Case' a lot from this solid 4-tracker, but I like 'Midget' better. 'He's Got a real, real good tongue, and he's just the perfect height, so all I do is stand there, and he makes me feel alright!' Couldn't find a copy anywhere at the time but good ol' John kept playing it to prove that it existed.
2. DETENTION - 'Dead Rock 'n' Rollers' - Rigor Mortis 7" - USA - 1983
One of my top 5 tracks of all time but probably their only real song of note. Do heroes deserve to be trashed? Detention think so! ' Why couldn't it be Barry Maniloooooooow?'
3. NON COMPOS MENTIS - 'Ultimate Orgasm' - VVV 7" - USA - 1980
A perplexing song which seems to advocate putting a loaded gun to your head to achieve the ultimate high. Can't see it myself, but listen to that guitar howl!
4. NUBS - 'Job' - Businessman 7" - USA - 1980
'Hey, mom, I just quit my job!' A charming little tirade about nothing and everything with some nice guitar-acting-as-a-police-siren on the chorus. File under: Snotty punk rock.
5. THE ZEROS - 'Wild Weekend' - Bomp 7" - USA -1978
Known at the time as the 'Mexican Ramones' it sorta does a disservice to both bands. This is an adrenalin-fuelled teenage anthem of the highest order, and the B-side, though slower, is almost as good.
6. RF7 - 'Submit To Them Freely' - Smoke Seven 7" - USA - 1983
From their second 7". 3 tracks, 2 great originals and a so-so cover version. Felix, the singer, sounds murderous.
7. ED GEIN'S CAR - 'Brain Dead Baby' - Self-released 7" - USA -1984
The kings of bad taste release their first single. This one's not quite necrophilia but only a life support machine away. 'I remember when I first met ya, they brought you in on a hospital stretcher . . .' Romance at its finest.
8. THE FREEZE - 'I Hate Tourists' - Rebel Records - USA - 1980
Unlike any of their later output (except the 'Live at Cape Cod 1980' LP) this was recorded before they got into hardcore, nevertheless, it showed they had songwriting talent right from the start.
9. PLASTIC IDOLS - 'Uncircumcised Twin' - Vision 7" - USA - 1980
From the 'Einstein Experience' E.P. 'He always get's ahead cos he's got a little extra.' Love the synth-tinged intro.
10. THE REACTORS - 'I Want Sex' - Meltdown Music 7" - USA - 1979
Their only 7", though a CD full of stuff was released by Rave Up a while back. Two minutes of adrenalin-fuelled bliss, just like the act itself. Written by Shepherd Ginzburg, of course.
11. TEENAGE POPEYE - 'Life Is Cheap' - Alien Nation 7" - USA - 1981
From the 'Modern Problems' E.P. El Paso's greatest until the Rhythm Pigs showed up. 'I don't give a damn about the oil in Iran, and I can't get upset about Afghanistan, I guess I don't feel threatened by the Soviet, I just wish I had a cigarette.'
12. NON COMPOS MENTIS - 'Twist The Blade' - VVV 7" - USA - 1980
The B-side of 'Ultimate Orgasm', but I just realised that this is the better track.
13. VOM - 'I'm In Love With Your Mom' - White Noise 7" - USA - 1979
From the 'Live At Surf City' E.P. 'Got my fingers in you baby, wish they were in your mom.' It's all very juvenile.
14. MYSTERY DATES - 'Mystery Date' - Beehive 7" - USA - 1982
From their 5-song debut. Sang and penned by Frank Pugliese who was in an earlier San Antonio punk band, The Vamps.
15. THE QUEERS - 'This Place Sucks' - Doheny 7" - USA - 1984
From their 7-track 2nd 7". Though they recorded little else for the rest of the '80s they became a prolific band from the '90s onwards, releasing umpteen albums, all in a similar style.
16. THE FEEDERZ - 'Jesus' - Anxiety 7" - USA - 1980
From their sole 4-song 7". Musically very sparse, but lyrically full of vitriol. Apparently, singer Frank Discussion pulled out an assault rifle at their first show and let the audience have it. Blanks. Anyway, he'll surely burn in hell for this one.
17. MARY MONDAY & THE BITCHES - 'I Gave My Punk Jacket To Rickie' - Malicious Productions 7" - USA - 1977
From vitriol to cheesy sleazy, with real safety pins in the sleeve, this was another that John Peel played incessantly. Particularly like the sore throat vocals.
18. RF7 - 'Not Now Generation' - Smoke Seven 7" - USA - 1983
The other good track from the 2nd 7". A pounder. Nice riffage.
19. TOOLS - 'Smoke Filled Rooms' - Work 7" - USA - 1979
In U.S. political slang, a smoke-filled room is a term for a secret political gathering or round table style decision-making process. So now you know. This is the first of three solid singles the Tools put out.
20. DER STAB - 'Tracers' - demo tape - USA - 1980
This band included Rick and Frank Agnew (Adolescents, Christian Death) on bass and guitar. The vocalist was Keith Walsh and the drummer was Randy Phillips. They never did any vinyl.
21. DIE ELECTRIC EELS - 'Cyclotron' - Rough Trade 7" - UK - 1978
No, not a rogue British band but a proto-punk band from Cleveland Ohio. The faux-German presentation of the words on the sleeve is a bit of a mystery. Only played 5 public shows and never released anything while they were going, but their reputation was legendary (often using a gas-powered lawn mower on stage, for example). There's a live CD or two out there somewhere.
22. ED GEIN'S CAR - 'Naked Man' - Vital Music 7" - USA - 1989
OK, so the year of eventual release was 1989, outside the usual scope of BTL, but since they split up in 1987 this must have been recorded much earlier. And it's Ed Gein's Car, so what the hell.
23. VKTMS - '100% White Girl' - 415 Records 7" - USA - 1980
Their second platter. 'Well I aint no nazi, but you know I aint no martyr, I think I'm gonna start to wear a switch blade in my garter.' Frisco punk girls have always had attitude. Nyna Crawford passed away in 2000 after a 5-year battle against cancer. RIP.
24. THE NOTHING - 'Scream 'n' Cry' - Wide Awake 7" - USA - 1979
Check out the intro on this one. From New York City. They were pals of the Reactors, apparently. It's a very rare single though it's finally been given a much awaited re-release by Sing Sing records.
25. ISM - 'I Think I Love You' - S.I.N. 7" - USA - 1983
And to end with, a Partridge Family (who???) cover version. A slow intro takes up a quarter of the song before it blasts chaotically into the main part, interrupted only by a where-the-hell-did-that-come-from organ solo and another slow bit in the middle. Madness!
***BONUS TRACKS***
26. ED GEIN'S CAR -
'Wait 'Til Your Father Gets Home'
27. THE NUBS -
'Little Billy's Burning'
28. VKTMS - 'Hard
Case'
29. MARY MONDAY &
THE BITCHES - 'Popgun'
30. TEENAGE POPEYE -
'Expectations'
31. THE ZEROS - 'Beat
Your Heart Out'
32. THE FEEDERZ -
'Avon Lady'
33. VOM -
'Electrocute Your Cock'
34. ED GEIN'S CAR -
'Consider Being True'
GET IT HERE
No comments:
Post a Comment