JAWOLL - s/t LP 1982

Sexy slab by Jawoll from Kassel and it's their only full length on Mercury. Founded 1981 by Kornelia (vocals), Robert (guitars), Jochen (bass), Matthias (drums), Richard (keys/vocals) and their first 7Inch Taxi from 1982 was (and remains) their most successful hit and suddenly made Jawoll known about Kassel's borders after a television appearance on the music program Bananas. Unfortunately, little attention was paid to the band and I think the reasen is they had a lot more to say with their lyrics, more offensive, more direct and had nothing to do with the plastic ideal world which most of the other NDW bands deal and therefore became boring. You won't find any in this theater and I wouldn't count them among. On the contrary, thirteen sympathetic and interesting songs with a solid, tingling punk spirit/feeling are gathered here, all excellent performed. To that; Kornelia's refreshingly authentically and unmistakable charming voice. Rendezvous was their third 7inch from 1983, which I like even better because the lyrics somehow has something longing about it. - Underrated album! -

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DIRE STRAITS - Live @ the BBC 22.07.1978

 

New week and I'll start with something completely different, that means no punk rock but just as brilliant and when we talk about solid rock with corresponding soft elements, I can't get past this band and these guys fascinate me with their melodic and playfully impressive music, like the Wipers or EA80. Live @ the BBC is a live album by the Dire Straits which was released in 1995 but the songs were recorded on 22.07.1978 at BBC Studios in London and involved were Mark (vocals/guitars), David & Hal (guitars), John (bass), Pick (drums), Alan (keys), with one track recorded on 31.January 1981 for the BBC TV program The Old Grey Whistle Test. The album features one unreleased song, "What's The Matter Baby?", co-written by Mark and his brother David. The riffs and general structure of that song were largely recycled for the song "Lady Writer" from the band's second album Communiqué, which may explain why it was never re-recorded in the studio. Check out their '82 album Love Over Gold which is also superb.

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WIPERS - Is This Real? 1979

A permanent guest in this house is my favorite band from Portland, the Wipers, and in numerous previous posts (all re-upped) I already made clear how much I rave about the three and it's finally time to introduce their debut: Is This Real? it was recorded by Greg (vocals/guitar), Dave (bass), Sam (drums) and was originally released on vinyl in 1979 via Park Avenue Records. Info: Initially wanting to put it out through his own Trap Records, Sage decided to release the album through Park Avenue Records, hoping that it would give them slightly wider distribution. Before it was released, Park Avenue insisted that the band re-record the album at a professional studio, as it was originally recorded at the band's rehearsal studio on a four-track recorder. When finally released, the album was not promoted and received little attention, only developing a cult following in the band's hometown. Reviewing for The Village Voice in 1980, Robert Christgau wrote, "Three guys from Portland (Oregon, but it might just as well be Maine) who caught on to punk unfashionably late and for that reason sound like they're still discovering something. Which hardly makes them unique--there are similar bands in dozens if not hundreds of American cities, many of whom send me records. What distinguishes this one is Greg Sage's hard-edged vocals--detached but never silly, passionate but never overwrought--and economical one-hook construction."

A review by Stephen Howell: "The production leaves much to be desired with its tinny-sounding drums, but, fortunately, the negatives don't outweigh the positives on this album. Guitarist/vocalist Greg Sage writes fairly simplistic songs with power chords, but each melody infects your brain like a fever. Even though Sage is from Oregon, he sings in a New York-style slur not dissimilar to Joey Ramone. Throughout the album, there is a very dark and ominous feel to the material (e.g., "D-7"), but it's made interesting on tracks like "Alien Boy," which changes from 4/4 time to 2/4 time. Sage also has a unique guitar style where he strums chords and lets them sustain into feedback, which creates rich textures in the songs."

Well, as you can see, it reads all very well and anyone who knows the band will be able to confirm that without a doubt. The Wipers are extra class and play punkrock at the top, at any time and suitable for every mood. This is the CD-Version with the Alien Boy EP ('80) as bonus, with three outtakes from the album sessions. TOP!!!

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V/A - No One Left To Blame 2001

Another remarkable compilation that I ripped years ago and somehow almost disappeared is the following one and I can promise you: Great record! and a certain gentleman reviews the slab so: "This arrived from a mystery man in the same package as the more recent Staring Down The Barrel, and until Terminal Boredom’s recent article from a guy whom I believe to be the same mystery man, I thought these were both brand new, 2005 releases. As it turns out, “NO ONE LEFT TO BLAME” came out a couple years ago, and it comprised the punk 45rpm scrapings of two obsessive collectors who decided to give it one last anonymous-comp whirl, subsequently stretched into two last whirls. I like that these rabid accumulators and filtration agents were able to officially confirm for me again that once the Killed By Death and Bloodstains comp avalanche stopped, there really weren't that many choice punk 45s lef to unearth. For this one, they found some sizzlers for sure, such as the fantastic dullard stomp of Worcester, COMMANDOS and "Suburb Rock". This is the sort of dum-and-stupid two-chord classic that later trash punk bands like the SUICIDE KINGS cut their inglorious teeth on, and I love that the Commandos' ageless singer simultaneously sounds both constipated and totally loaded. You also can't lose with the tasteful "Dogshit" by ANTLER JOE & THE ACCIDENTS, nor with a great test-pressing only track from the BERLIN BRATS (here called just the BRATS) called "Psychotic".

Oh, and you reckoned "Give 'Em A Fight" from Buffalo's WRECK'N CREW would be some dumb-ass oi garbage? No way hoss, it's a '77 style screamer, from a guy named "Oil Can" or something who later moved to Chicago to form THE EFFIGIES. It's a solid, high 3rd-tier punk compilation all around, featuring stuff insanely limited and available either for fifty cents (thrift store in Lincoln, NE) or $500 (eBay) -- or whatever it takes to secure the twenty tracks here in one convenient 12" package." (Jay H. agonyshorthand)

Now enjoy this damn great compilation of twenty U.S. punk unknowns 1976-1982.

1.Guns On The Right - DV8

2.USANRK - ART OBJECT

3.Prosecution Rests - THE PROSECUTORS

4.I Don't Want Romance - MANIKENZ

5.Dogshit - ANTLER JOE & THE ACCIDENTS

6.Psychotic - BRATS

7.Suburb Rock - COMMANDOS

8.Victims Of Society - VICTIMS

9.Mary Lou - JACKIE SHARK & THE BEACH BUTCHERS

10.Go To A Party - THE FEMS

11.Silver Screen - CRITICAL MASS

12.Teddy Crashes, Blonde Dies - SINATRAS

13.Isolation - THE FINGERS

14.Suburban Addicts - RESULT

15.Give 'Em A Fight - WRECK'N CREW

16.Keep On Knockin' - DEATH

17.Hacker - THE PRESS

18.Jack The Ripper - STRYCHNINE

19.Brigham Young - THE ONLYS

20.Born To Be A Bozo - IDENTITY CRISIS

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TALK TALK - s/t' 7'' 1982

Talk Talk is one more whose albums I like listen to again & again and made a big impression on me in the early eighties. Talk Talk was formed around in London 1981. The song was originally recorded by Talk Talk singer Mark Hollis's previous band, The Reaction, as "Talk Talk Talk Talk", on the Beggars Banquet punk compilation Streets. This suberb pop single is an excellent example for new synth-pop, a new style which spread across Europe in the early eighties. They had a string of international hit singles and after ten years, the band split up in 1991, The Party's Over so to speak. "With the exception of a handful of common threads -- chief among them the plaintive vocals and haunting lyrics of frontman Mark Hollis -- there is little to suggest that the five studio albums that make up the Talk Talk oeuvre are indeed the work of the same band. After beginning their career with records virtually epitomizing the new wave era that spawned them, the British group never looked back, making significant strides with each successive album on its way to discovering a wholly unique and uncategorizable sound informed by elements of jazz, classical, and ambient music; their masterful final recordings, while neglected commercially, possess a timelessness rare among music of any genre, and in retrospect they seem the clear starting point for the post-rock movement of the 1990s," (source: AllMusic) - Mark unfortunately passed away in 2019 but his songs will still be enjoyed fifty years from now.

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VAMPA - Plugget EP 1982

Weekend and something special now from the Wanted-List and a joy for all Heavy Metal maniacs. Ultra rare Swedish D.I.Y. nugget from 1982 by Vampa from Stockholm and allow me to give you a little bit of infos about them from the re-release: They were just kids, thirteen-fourteen years old when they recorded and released their raw and very Iron Maidenesque piece of vinyl over forty years ago. The band were Robert & Ola (vocals/guitars), Robert (bass), Per (drums) and they made this all by themselves. The lyrics (sung in Swedish) is the ultimate hate for school-anthem. The boredom and frustration of (barely) teenage kids totally sick of school and its teachers has rarely been captured in a better and more enjoyable way. Even though the lyrics are in Swedish the language that grabs the listener as the needle is dropped into the groove is universal. The original EP is near impossible to find. On The Dole Records found the members and re-released this goodie in a limited edition of 500 copies in orange vinyl with new artwork by Swedish artist Oscar Nordblom, Filed under: ”beyond essential to any serious Rock’N’Roll fan”. Always nice to encounter such lost treasures, tack så mycket! 😗

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DEMON - The Unexpected Guest 1982

A band that I like to dig up over and over again is the following one, today with their second album. Demon from Leek, Staffordshire, released via Carrere/Clay Records and despite of the evil imagery and band name, they does not really fit in the heavy metal category if you want to classify the band. The style they embraced was a mishmash of old school hard rock, bluesrock and (during live performances) shock rock, spiced up with some NWOBHM fervor. A short review: "The album is dominated by guitar and vocals; bass, drums and synths play a minor part. Guitar player Les Hunt is a thoroughbred blues adept and demonstrates his choice for a wailing, good old rocking style throughout the album. Singer Dave Hill is a very passionate vocalist. His raspy, hoarse and sometimes nasal voice matches the bluesy hard rock style of the album and sounds like a frantic version of Peter Criss (Kiss). At some points his fashion becomes annoying due to the lack of depth and range, but otherwise it is ok. It's his characteristic voice and the thick, smooth guitars that define Demon's sound." Solid rock album with highs and lows and I still prefer their third album The Plague, which is terrific. Step inside!

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GENERICS - Societal Hemhorrage EP 1985

Posthumous release of a three-song demo tape from 1983 with an extra track by the Generics from Ontario and the following liner notes come from the great CitizenFreak site: Formed September '80 by Marc (vocals), Chris & Marylou (guitars), Kevin (bass), Billy (drums), first live gig a month later. Total lack of musical ability and young ages of members (average age 15) resulted in being initially ostracized by some of the more elitist members of the local punk "scene". Achieved instant local notoriety by being banned from the only remaining punk bar in the city (The Cedar Lounge) by the end of '80, after only six gigs. Threatened with legal action and blacklisted in attempts to organize all-ages shows, spent the better part of '81 writing new songs, becoming reasonably semi-proficient musicians, recruiting new band member (Billy, ex-Crash 80's drummer). Snuck onto the bill of an NFG gig at the Cedar Lounge in March, promptly banned again, managed to organize one all-ages show in May, otherwise unable to play locally for seven months, so concentrated on out of town gigs until August, when another local bar (Embassy Hotel) opened it's doors to punk/hardcore. Generics were welcomed at the Embassy and became regular headliners!

Attracted increasingly large crowds, resulting in an invitation to open for The Professionals in October, which in turn resulted in an invitation to open for the Forgotten Rebels at the Cedar Lounge. The unbanning lasted only one night as Marc Sahrmann, goaded by the bar owner's son, dove off the stage and attacked him. However, the ban was finally permanently lifted by the beginning of '82. Generics split up in disgust on February 27, 1982 after a particularly discouraging gig in Toronto that involved pretentious, more-hardcore-than-thou bands, neo-nazis, & knife wielding mohicans.

Generics briefly reformed in the summer of '83 (with new bassist John Ondrasek), planned as a one-off opening for D.O.A., but extended to another show with GBH, then a headliner, and finally to a cross country tour playing shows in Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver. While in Vancouver, four songs were recorded at Profile Studio. Booked dirt cheap into the studio early one afternoon at the last minute as a favour by the studio owner to D.O.A., recorded sober and hungover, the session is not a very accurate representation of the band's sound since it was only ever intended as a demo tape to send to clubs in the U.S. who were hesitant to book bands unless they had some they sounded like. One song, "Outcasts Of Society", was only chosen at the last minute because it was going to be dropped from the setlist and it seemed a good idea to get a decent studio recording before tossing it. Needless to say, a planned released record would have been done quite a bit differently.

While on tour, the Generics' van rolled and was totalled. Marc Sahrmann was critically injured and died from his injuries after nine months on life support. He is greatly missed. Marc's last request regarding the Generics was that the Vancouver session be released as a 7" document that we existed, so it was, including even the song that was supposed to be dropped.

Represented on some compilations, but mostly tapes or unofficial ones.

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PANZERKNACKER AG - Wir Sind Alle Panzerknacker 1981

Friends, the weekend was made perfect on Sunday, the SGE wins after more than twenty years in Munich against FC Bayern, sensational! Now I would have to post a band from Frankfurt, but I can't find one now, so we visit Berlin and meet the Panzerknacker AG. The band were Jürgen (vocals/guitar/sax), Matthias (piano/organ/synth/vocals/drum machine), Jörg (bass), Thomas (drums) and released their only slab on Schnick-Schnack-Tonträger and the record was made without the rock circus of the Berlin Senate for cultural affairs. The album came in a pretty cool gatefold cover with lyrics on it and each song is assigned to a musical genre, "Schlager/Polit Wave","Ska/Popular Wave", "Tango/Rasta Wave" or "Disco/Cool Wave" and the songs are designed accordingly, although in the end the differences are not that big because the same instruments were always used. In any case, the record is a real German rock delicacy with remnants of the punk wave. The lyrics are pretty wacky and far from the hit-and-run effusions of many later successful bands that swam along on the wave. (A.P.) - Had two appearances on compilatons and broke up in the early eighties. Was bleibt: A funny sound document from a short-lived band and the vinyl has become a sought-after rarity. ENJOY!

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THE ADICTS - Twenty Seven 1992

Tried and tested and not a bit quiet is still one of the most popular bands of the Eighties, the Adicts; And Twenty-Seven is one more great album by the Clockwork Pioneers with eighteen solid goodies in their inimitable style and their music still has irresistible catchy melodies and lyrics. The band has been on the road for over forty years, including long breaks, has released numerous albums and always a real experience live and how they kick you can find out on the Rockers Into Orbit album, which was recorded in 1986. Twenty-Seven was released in 1992 only as CD and is been re-issued as limited edition to 500 copies by Daily Records in 2018 (400 on black and 100 on green vinyl) and worth every damn cent, cool Record!

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