The Best of Brought To Life - 045

1. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'War Games' - Fowl LP - USA - 1984
Stand by for a whole bunch of tracks from this powerful album. It's called 'Corporate Picnic' and has a blue and red sleeve with the band sitting around on beat-up old sofas in an industrial wasteland. Recorded live in the studio, and it shows.
2. THE VIBRATORS - 'Judy Says (Knock You In The Head)' - Epic 7" - UK - 1978
6th single, and probably my favourite. I never expected the sax solo half way through but the guitar solo straight after it is probably the best in punk rock. Ever. Here it is live on Revolver.
3. THE KIDS - 'We Are The Prisoners' - Fontana LP - Belgium - 1978
From their second album 'Naughty Kids'. Though no longer kids, here's the band bashing it out in 2008.
4. JOSIE COTTON - 'Johnny Are You Queer' - Bomp 7" - USA - 1981
Well, he must have been if that chest didn't move him. Also released on 12" format, different labels, etc, etc. You should know the story by now. Originally a Fear song, picked up and re-written by the Paine brothers, given to the Go-Gos, taken back off them and finally making a hit with our Josie. Video here. Wasn't she in 'Grease'?
5. FLIPPER - 'Ha Ha Ha' - Subterranean 7" - USA - 1981
First single. I once said you had to be in a particular mood to listen to Flipper. Not true. Listening to Flipper can put you in that particular mood. 'What is there to do, she said, he said come on baby and i´ll show you a good time, so they went on down to one of those cheap motels and they got all gushy and wet.'
6. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'Red Flag' - Fowl LP - USA - 1984

Another mean-sounding classic from 'Corporate Picnic'. 'We're hungry, man, gonna get us something'.

7. COCADICTOS - 'Carne Para El Exterminio' - Demo - Spain - 1983
Frantic is the word. I don't think they released any records back in the day but the demos are available on a Barofia Records white vinyl (geddit?) LP.
8. BRENT FORD AND THE NYLONS - 'C'mon Everybody' - Brum Beat 7" - UK - 1978
A light-hearted covers band from Birmingham. This was from their only release, the '19th Nervous Breakdown' E.P. There's more info plus a live performance on Revolver here.
9. THE VIBRATORS - 'Automatic Lover' - Epic 7" - UK - 1978
5th single. There was an extended album version but it didn't add much to the song. There was even a Bolivian 7" version! Watch the TOTP performance here and wonder how many times Knox had to pout to win that bet.
10. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'Rebels And Infidels' - Fowl LP - USA - 1984

'Rebels and Infidels - don't switch your blade

Rebels and Infidels - don't trigger your gun

Rebels and Infidels - don't swing your chain

You got 'em - use your brains!'

11. THE KIDS - 'Don't Wanna Be A Fat Boy' - Fontana LP - Belgium - 1978
Another from 'Naughty Kids'. Why an aspiring young punk band would want to write such a song is beyond me. Must be the Belgian sense of humour.
12. FLIPPER - 'Love Canal' - Subterranean 7" - USA - 1981
The flipside of 'Ha Ha Ha'. 'We are dying, our common grave is the love canal'. Both songs laugh at the futility of reproduction while Ted Falconi seems play a completely different song on every track.
13. THE EXPLODING SEAGULLS - 'Johnny Runs For Paregoric' - Fried Egg 7" - UK - 1980
Their only single, though they did appear on a couple of compilations back in the day. Apparently, the title is a line from a gothic novel that the bass player/vocalist's sister was reading at the time. He thought the line sounded cool so he made a Subterranean Homesick Blues-style arrangement out of it. And voilà!
14. THE VIBRATORS - 'Sulphate' - Epic LP - UK - 1978
From their 2nd album 'V2'. 'He aint no commie, he aint no National Front, he's into medicine, that's all he wants'.
15. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'Modern Man' - Fowl LP - USA - 1984

A fourth from 'Corporate Picnic'. 'I want this I want that, bleed the system dry, one for one, all for none, ya steal, ya cheat, ya lie'.

16. THE SLIDE - 'Superman's Shoes' - Crash 7" - UK - 1980
Catchy powerpop single. Don't know any more about it than Bruce.
17. YOUTH BRIGADE - 'Sink With California' - Better Youth Organisation LP - USA - 1983
From the second version of their debut album 'Sound and Fury'. Also released a few years later as a single. 
18. THE KIDS - 'Naughty Boy' - Fontana LP - Belgium - 1978
Another from 'Naughty Kids'.
19. THE VIBRATORS - '24 Hour People' - Epic LP - UK - 1978
Another from 'V2'. 'They're living in the city, they know the whole thing's trash, they don't want their new subculture messed around for cash'. Maybe not, but inevitably it happened.
20. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'American Citizen' - Fowl LP - USA - 1984

And a fifth from 'Corporate Picnic'. 

21. UNTERROCK - 'Tiger Hose' - No Fun LP - Germany - 1980
From the 'Mach Mal Deine Schnauze Auf' LP. Unterrock were a staunch feminist band from Hannover who reputedly only played live for audiences of women. The words 'preaching' and 'converted' spring to mind.
22. BRENT FORD AND THE NYLONS - 'Big Rock Candy Mountain' - Brum Beat 7" - UK - 1978
Another from the '19th Nervous Breakdown' E.P.
23. FLIPPER - 'Sex Bomb' - Subterranean 7" - USA - 1981
The second single, and if you think it's long, this is the short version. I imagine this is live at Target.
24. THE VIBRATORS - 'Destroy' - Epic 7" - UK - 1978
The B-side of 'Automatic Lover'. 'Well you might just blow up the world!'
25. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'Mother's Child' - Fowl LP - USA - 1984

And a final stomper from 'Corporate Picnic'.

***BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE VIBRATORS - 'Feel Alright'

27. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'More Beer'

28. THE VIBRATORS - 'Wake Up'

29. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'Last Rites'

30. THE VIBRATORS - 'Flying Duck Theory'

31. REBELS AND INFIDELS - 'State Of The Union'

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