The Best of Brought To Life - 130

1. THE WALL - 'Exchange' - Small Wonder 7" - UK - 1979

Originally from Wallsend, they quickly relocated to London after their debut E.P. sold bucketloads (by today's standards). This was their second single. It's hard to pick a favourite side so you'll surely get the other track later.

2. ‘O’ LEVEL - 'East Sheen' - Psycho 7" - UK - 1978

One of two singles they bashed out in '78. Each was very different, this being the punker. They describe East Sheen as a 'dirty shithole', but didn't Marc Bolan live there at the height of his success or was it just a bohemian ramshackle urban sprawl? Answers on a postcard . . .

3. THE SAINTS - 'Every Day's A Holiday, Every Night's A Party' - Harvest LP - Australia - 1978

The Saints' second album 'Eternally Yours' incorporated a brass section on the opening track. Third album 'Prehistoric Sounds' had multple brass tracks as they slowly moved away from their earlier punky sound. It just about worked.

4. THE HOAX - 'Locked Out' - Hologramme 12" - UK - 1980

One from their 'Quiet In The Sixpenny's' E.P.

5. THE DILS - 'Sound Of The Rain' - Rogelletti 2 x 7" - USA - 1980

The sound of disillusionment. The Dils were also ditching their punk sound on this their third release called 'Made In Canada', but why it came out as a 3-track double single with one side blank is anyone's guess.

6. THE ANTI-BAND - 'Biplane' - Zebian LP - USA - 1983
From this L.A. band's only album which also contains the 3 tracks from their earlier 7".

7. STEVE TREATMENT - 'Change Of Plan' - Backbone 7" - UK - 1979
Not only was Steve Treatment a Marc Bolan fan but he managed to sound exactly like him on this, his third E.P.  The flipside tracks are with backing band Zodiac Fassions.

8. THE PREFECTS - 'Things In General' - Rough Trade 7" - UK - 1979
This was the flipside of 'Going Through The Motions' - their only single and worst track they ever recorded. This track was taken from their 1978 Peel session.

9. THE SMALL ADS - 'Small Ads' - Bronze 7" - UK - 1981
The first of three singles they recorded that year. Quite the cockney knees-up, this one.

10. THE DISHRAGS - 'Love Is Shit' - Modern 7" - Canada - 1979
From their debut E.P. 'Past Is Past'. An all-girl trio from Victoria.

11. SKREWDRIVER - 'A Case Of Pride' - TJM 7" - UK - 1979
From the flipside of third single 'Built Up, Knocked Down'. Is it possible to separate art from the artist? Do you even care?

12. THE ANTI-BAND - 'Success' - Zebian LP - USA - 1983
Another from 'The Anti-Band's Only Album'.

13. THE WALL - 'Kiss The Mirror' - Small Wonder 7" - UK - 1979

The equally good flipside of 'Exchange'.

14. THE SAINTS - 'Security' - Harvest LP - Australia - 1978
Another track from third album 'Prehistoric Sounds' which was also released as a single. Horns aplenty!

15. THE PREFECTS - 'Escort Girls' - Peel session - UK - 1978
Another track from their 1978 Peel session. Sounds like they had lots of experience.

16. SPECIAL DUTIES - 'Violent Society' - Charnel House 7" - UK - 1981
Their first single, far better than the Rondelet version.

17. THE CLUES - 'Footsteps' - Clues 7" - UK - 1981
Advertised as a mini-album, this was in fact a 33 1/3 rpm 7". Their only release

18. THE MISFITS - 'Cough/Cool' - Blank 7" - USA - 1977
Who'd have though the Misfits first single would be guitar-less?

19. THE DEVILS HOLE GANG - 'Isn't It?' - Slow Burning Fuse 7" - UK - 1979
From the flipside of sole release 'Free The People'. Is that Roy wood on the rear sleeve? Twice?

20. THE BUTTOCKS - 'Law And Order' - Konnekschen 7" - Germany - 1980
One from their second E.P. 'Vom Derbsten'. They were actually from Hamburg.

21. STEVE TREATMENT - 'Head Of A Raven' - Backbone 7" - UK - 1979
Another from the 'Change Of Plan' E.P.

22. THE SAINTS - 'Everything's Fine' - Harvest LP - Australia - 1978
Another from 'Prehistoric Sounds'.

23. THE PREFECTS - 'Faults' - Peel session - UK - 1979
From the second Peel session. Available on the CD 'The Prefects Are Amateur Wankers'.

24. ‘O’ LEVEL - 'O' Levels' - Psycho 7" - UK - 1978
The third (uncredited) track on the 'East Sheen' 7". Available on the retrospective CD 'A Day In The Life Of Gilbert And George'.

25. THE DILS - 'Red Rockers' - Rogelletti 2 x 7" - USA - 1980
Another track from 'Made In Canada' which inspired the New Orleans band of the same name.

***BONUS TRACKS***
26. THE ANTI-BAND - 'Krazimanifesto'

27. THE PREFECTS - 'Agony Column'

28. THE MISFITS - 'She'

29. SKREWDRIVER - 'Breakout'

30. THE WALL - 'Suckers'

31. THE DILS - 'It's Not Worth It'

32. THE SAINTS - 'Save Me'

 Get it here

The Best of Brought To Life - 129

1. DIE TOTEN HOSEN - 'Knecht Rubrecht's Letzte Fahrt' - Totenkopf 7" - Germany - 1983

Their fourth 7" was a Christmas E.P., and with Christmas a mere 4 weeks away, why not?

2. THE UNDERTONES - 'Teenage Kicks' - Good Vibrations 7" - UK - 1978

I guess this one needs no introduction. From the first E.P.

3. SPIZZ OIL - '6,000 Crazy' - Rough Trade 7" - UK - 1978

Another debut release. Who needs drums (or bass, for that matter)? Minimalist genius.

4. JOY DIVISION - 'Failures' - Enigma 7" - UK - 1978

One from 'An Ideal For Living'.

5. THE URGE - '(Oh Yeah) It's Getting On My Nerves' - Demo - UK - 1979

This one was finally released on a 7" in 1990 by German label Incognito before the band reformed and bashed out an album.

6. RED TAPE - 'TV Heaven' - Ultra Trec 7" - USA - 1981

From their sole release. From Texas. Get the whole E.P. here.

7. TOTAL CHAOS - 'There Are No Russians In Afghanistan' - Slam 7" - UK - 1981

First single. Not to be confused with the later American band of the same name. This lot were from Gatesheed.

8. TIPI & MINISTERIT - 'A.T.K.' - Outo Studio 7" - Finland - 1980

One from their sole E.P. of which 200 were made. They were from Kuusankoski and a couple of them went on to join Maho Neitsyt. 
9. THE SUBS - 'Gimme Your Heart' - Stiff 7" - UK - 1978

Sole single. From Glasgow. Read more here.

10. MITTAGSPAUSE - '3x Nordpol' - Pure Freude 2 x 7" - Germany - 1979
From their debut release, a (generally) average 11-song double E.P.

11. SPIZZ OIL - 'Cold City' - Rough Trade 7" - UK - 1979
Things were getting complicated by Spizz's second record. Percussion (of sorts) was creeping in. A full band was inevitable . . .

12. THE CRAVATS - 'I Hate The Universe' - Small Wonder 7" - UK - 1979
From their second E.P. 'The End'. 'Your dads drive Marinas down cul-de-sacs while your sons creep around in plastic macs'. Not a pretty picture.

13. CHARGE - 'No-One Knows' - Kamera 7" - UK - 1982
One from the 'Destroy The Youth' E.P.

14. THE SCREAMING DEAD - 'Valley Of The Dead' - Skull 7" - UK - 1982
Their first single. Fast gothic-punk, the type that's bearable.

15. THE UNDERTONES - 'Smarter Than You' - Good Vibrations 7" - UK - 1978
Another fast one from their debut E.P.

16. DIE TOTEN HOSEN - 'Schӧne Bescherung' - Totenkopf 7" - Germany - 1983
Another seasonal delight from the E.P of the same name.

17. CRIMINAL SEX - 'Steal Your Car' - Flexi Tits 7" - UK - 1985
The best track from their first E.P.  From Chesterfield.

18. MALE - 'Clever And Smart' - Rondo 7" - Germany - 1979
Like Die Toten Hosen, this lot were from Düsseldorf. Their debut single had a fetching group pic of them all in their underpants. Now don't all rush . . .

19. DEAD MAN'S SHADOW - 'Neighbours' - Pig 7" - UK - 1981

I think I stuck the album version in a previous post, but this one from their debut E.P has a certain charm too.

20. JOHN COOPER CLARKE - 'Innocents' - Rabid 7" - UK - 1977
Generally John's poems didn't work that well with music, but this, from his first E.P., is an exception. 'The tepid shallows of a failing brain . . .'

21. SPIZZ OIL - 'Platform 3' - Rough Trade 7" - UK - 1979
Another from the 'Cold City' E.P.

22. THE SUBS - 'Party Clothes' - Stiff 7" - UK - 1978
The flipside of 'Gimme Your Heart'.

23. TOTAL CHAOS - 'Factory Man' - Volume 7" - UK - 1982
The title track from their second E.P.

24. MITTAGSPAUSE - 'In Der Tat' - Pure Freude 2 x 7" - Germany - 1979
And another from the double E.P.

25. THE REAL KIDS - 'All Kindsa Girls' - Sponge 7" - USA - 1977
Their debut single, released in Europe with a different B-side.

***BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE UNDERTONES - 'True Confessions'

27. RED TAPE - 'Businessman'

28. JOY DIVISION - 'No Love Lost'

29. CHARGE - 'Can I Go To Heaven Now?'

30. THE SCREAMING DEAD - 'Lilith'

31. SPIZZ OIL -' Red And Black'

32. THE UNDERTONES - 'Emergency Cases'

33. DIE TOTEN HOSEN - 'Willi's Weisse Weinacht'

Get it here 

The Best of Brought To Life - 128

1. THE NECROS - 'Police Brutality' - Touch And Go 7" - USA - 1981

From their debut 'Sex Drive' E.P.  Get it in Maumee. Get it anywhere.

2. SOCIAL DISTORTION - 'It's The Law' - Restless LP - 1988

From the second album, 'L.A. Prison Bound' which is much more understated and mature than the first. This track is a re-working of one of their early tracks 'Justice For All' which appeared on 'The Future Looks Bright' compilation.

3. THE POINTED STICKS - 'Out Of Luck' - Stiff 7" - Canada - 1979

Faster than the Quintessence version. Live from Dennis Hopper's 'Out Of The Blue' here.

4. NEW MATH - 'Die Trying' - Reliable 7" - USA - 1979

Debut single, from Rochester, New York.

5. NO ALTERNATIVE - 'Rockabilly Rumble' - Subterranean 7" - USA - 1980

From the 'Backtracks' E.P.  The 'Johnny Got His Gun '78 - '82' CD is where you wanna be.

6. THE HOT NASTIES - 'Invasion Of The Tribbles' - Social Blemish 7" - Canada - 1980

Sole single. Probably hilarious but the vocals are unintelligible screams and no-one's had the common sense to post the lyric sheet on the 'net as yet.

7. THE EFFIGIES - 'We're Da Machine' - Ruthless 12" - USA - 1983

From the E.P of the same name. Chicago's finest.

8. THE BRAINIACS - 'Don't Tell Me Why' - Mental Health 7" - USA - 1979

The opening track from the first E.P. - a nice anti-people song. Visit their Facebook page here.

9. THE ASTRONAUTS - 'All Night Party' - Bugle 7" - UK - 1979

Their Magnum Opus from the first E.P.  'I just came back from where good and bad collide'.

10. THE ANGRY SAMOANS - 'They Saved Hitler's Cock' - Homophobic 7" - USA - 1981

Released under the pseudonym 'The Queer Pills'. The idea was to con Rodney into playing it after they slated him on their first record. Sadly, it didn't work.

11. BLACK RANDY & METROSQUAD - 'Trouble At The Cup' - Dangerhouse 7" - USA - 1977

After an excellent start ('Dicks! Fight! Banks! Hate!') this hits you with some unusual rhythms and instrumentation but, what the hell, how can you not like anything of Black Randy's?

12. HÜSKER DÜ - 'What Do I Want?' - New Alliance 7" - USA - 1982

'What do I want? What'll make me happy? NOTHING!'

13. NO ALTERNATIVE - 'Dead Men Tell No Lies' - Alternative Tentacles 2 x LP - USA - 1982

One of the highpoints of the 'Not So Quiet On The Western Front' sampler.

14. THE TEARJERKERS - 'Murder Mystery' - Back Door 7" - UK - 1980

Second single from this Northern-Irish powerpop combo.

15. THE SINNERS - 'Attitude Is Everything' - Rude 7" - Canada - 1980

From the 'No Brains (Required)' E.P. - their only release.

16. THE EFFIGIES - 'Bodybag' - Ruthless 7" - USA - 1982

If memory serves me, this was the only 7" they did amongst all their E.P.s and albums.

17. THE ANGRY SAMOANS - 'Todd Killings' - Homophobic 7" - USA - 1981

Another from the 'Queer Pills' E.P.

18. THE ASTRONAUTS - 'Everything Stops For Baby' - Bugle 7" - UK - 1979

Another from the debut E.P. which stopped punk rock parenthood right in it's tracks. In our house, anyway.

19. THE BRAINIACS - 'Take Me To Paris' - Mental Health 7" - USA - 1979

Another track from their first E.P.

20. THE NAILS - 'Cops Are Punks' - Screwball 7" - USA - 1977

One of those bands which flirted with many a genre, but they never bettered this spunky little track: 'There goes one now, he's busted your stash, now he's gonna sell it to some junkie for some cash.'

21. HÜSKER DÜ - 'Statues' - Reflex 7" - USA - 1980
Their debut recording. I hated it back in the day as their other records towered over it, but now, it's not so bad.

22. BLACK RANDY & METROSQUAD - 'Idi Amin' - Dangerhouse 7" - USA - 1978
'He's my panda from Uganda, he's my teddy bear, they say bad things about him but I don't care, Idi Amin, I'm your fan, Idi Idi, Idi Amin, Idi Idi, Idi Amin, they're talkin' about Hitler, but he was in the past, Idi we love you, we know you'll make it last, everything is greater cause Idi's a dictator,' etc, etc, . . . Pass the dust . . .

23. THE POINTED STICKS - 'Somebody's Mom' - Stiff 7" - UK - 1979

Another faster version from the Stiff E.P.

24. SOCIAL DISTORTION - 'Backstreet Girl' - Restless LP - USA - 1988
Another from 'L.A. Prison Bound'. A Rolling Stones cover, I believe.

25. THE TEARJERKERS - 'Heart On The Line' - Back Door 7" - UK - 1980
And the flipside of 'Murder Mystery'.

***BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE ANGRY SAMOANS - 'You Stupid Jerk'

27. THE EFFIGIES - 'No Progress'

28. THE NECROS - 'Better Never Than Late'

29. HÜSKER DÜ - 'M.I.C.'

30. BLACK RANDY & METROSQUAD - 'Loner With A Boner'

31. THE SINNERS - 'No Brains (Required)'

32. THE POINTED STICKS - 'What Do You Want Me To Do?'

33. THE ASTRONAUTS - 'Survivors'

34. THE ANGRY SAMOANS - 'Time To Fuck'

Get it here 

The Best of Brought To Life - 127

1. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE - 'One Big Lie' - Disorder LP - USA - 1986

The first release from the Mr. T Experience was 'Everyone's Entitled To Their Own Opinion' -  a very good LP indeed. This was the opening track. It was picked up a couple of years later by Lookout!

2. ALL - 'Pretty Little Girl' - Cruz LP - USA - 1988

Another opening track from another debut record was this one, from their 'Allroy Sez' album. As catchy as Odell Beckham Jr.

3. THE MOONDOGS - 'She's Nineteen' - Good Vibrations 7" - UK - 1979

And here's another, from the Moondogs first single. Way before the TV show.

4. PETE FENDER - 'I'll Never Believe You' - Xntrix 7" - UK - 1980
After the Fatal Microbes split, Pete released the 'Four Formulas (For The Eradication Of Microbes)' E.P.  Geddit?

5. SEIZE - 'Everybody Dies' - Why Not? 7" - UK - 1982
From their second E.P. - when they were still playing punk.

6. THE MOONDOGS - 'Baby Snatcher'- Real 7" - UK - 1981
The flipside of their 'Imposter' single.

7. ANOREXIA - 'Rapist In The Park'- Slim 7" - UK - 1980
Their first of two singles. Rumour has it that an early version of Wham! once opened for them at gigs. I shit you not!

8. DISGUISE - 'Juvenile Delinquent' - Chiswick 7" - UK - 1978
One-off single, from Hartlepool of all places. Read more here.

9. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE - 'Surfin' Mozart'- Disorder LP - USA - 1986
A nice little instrumental from 'Everyone's Entitled . . .'

10. RUDI - 'I Spy' / 'Genuine Reply' - Good Vibrations 7" - UK - 1979
Two tracks for the price of one here, which is nothing. From their second 7".

11. THE NEWTOWN NEUROTICS - 'Oh No' - No Wonder 7" - UK - 1980
From the flipside of their second single 'When The Oil Runs Out', when Steve was still a bushy-haired hippie.

12. THE CRACK - 'Making The Effort' - JSO 7" - UK - 1980
Sole single. From the Hull area.

13. V2 - 'Nothing To Do' - Bent 7" - UK - 1978
One from their debut E.P.  You can get it and everything else on an Overground comp, if you're lucky.

14. THE SCREEN GEMZ - 'Teenage Teenage' - Inflatable 7" - UK - 1979
The superior flipside of sole single 'I Just Can't Stand Cars'. They were Welsh, I believe.

15. THE INTROZE - 'Kids In Uniform' - Monarch 7" - UK - 1982
The flipside of sole cockney knees-up 'Doin' The Lambeth Walk'.

16. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE - 'Danny Partridge' - Disorder LP - USA - 1986
A third from 'Everyone's Entitled . . .' Oh poor Danny!

17. MARTIN AND THE BROWNSHIRTS - 'Boring' - Lightning 7" - UK - 1978
The flipside of deadpan classic 'Taxi Driver'.

18. THE MOONDOGS - 'Overcaring Parents' - WEA 7" - UK - 1980
And yet another flipside (of 'Who's Gonna Tell Mary?')

19. LOCKJAW - 'Journalist Jive' - Raw 7" - UK - 1978
Second and final single. It was considered that good!

20. SEIZE - 'In For Me' - Why Not? 7" - UK - 1982
One from the flipside of 'Everybody Dies'.

21. ANOREXIA - 'Pets' - Slim 7" - UK - 1980
One from the flip of 'Rapist In The Park'.

22. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE - 'Pleasant Valley Sunday' - Disorder LP - USA - 1986
And a fourth from 'Everyone's Entitled . . .'  A Monkees cover, no less!

23. THE CRACK - 'Easy Street' - JSO 7" - UK - 1980
The flipside of 'Making The Effort'.

24. THE MOONDOGS - 'Ya Don't Do Ya?' - Good Vibrations 7" - UK - 1979
The flipside of 'She's 19'. It's flipside mania on this comp!

25. ALL - 'Just Perfect' - Cruz LP - USA - 1988
And another from 'Allroy Sez'.

***BONUS TRACKS***

26. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE -  'Disconnection'

27. SEIZE - 'Out Of Order'

28. LOCKJAW - 'A Doonga Doonga'

29. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE - 'Just Your Way Of Saying No'

30. ANOREXIA - 'I'm A Square'

31. SEIZE - '17 To 11'

32. THE MR. T EXPERIENCE - 'Sheep'

Get it here