V/A - Powerpearls Vol.1 1998

🎸 In spring, I wowed you (and me) with another great collector series that some detectives created in the late 90s and this beauty focuses on PowerPop rather than Punk though a few goodies featured wouldn't be out of place on a Punk compilation; We're talking about the Powerpearls Explosion and each Volume has a healthy serving of the best from this genre (those were Hans Knut Hohlhand's words, an avowed four chord lover whose inspiration brought many hermits together to form great bands). Decent selection for the first part in my opinion and the eighteen time travelers shoot you into the weekend, and I'm sure that even the annoying corona virus will shrink back on this foamy wave and shut up for a while. 🎸

1.Everyday, Everyway - REALLY 3RD'S

2.One Out All Out - STRAIGHT UP

3.Feel The Pain - THE BUREAUCRATS

4.Language School - TOURS

5.Modern Time - THE GENTS

6.One Last Night - THE ATLANTICS

7.Nora's Diary - JIMMY EDWARDS

8.That Girl - TECHTONES

9.Who's Kissing You - FAMOUS PLAYERS

10.Fashion - TWEED

11.It Doesn't Bother Me - THE DISTRACTIONS

12.Playing With Fire - TV 21

13.The Kids Are Dancing - THE NEWS

14.It's Your Birthday - FASTBACKS

15.Susan's Day - THE ROUSERS

16.No Fear - THE SQUARES

17.Liberty - SMALL WORLD

18.Blast The Pop! - LOCAL HEROES

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FLATSCH! - Endlich Live! 1989

Today I greet all Hessian friends with one of my favorite Stöffche of the Eighties: Flatsch! Their first four albums are all classics and even after forty years it's still a pleasure for me to listen to and they manage to put a mischievous smile on my face. In 1988 the band decided to say goodbye at the climax and their last concert took place in the sold out Offenbacher Stadthalle (a few songs from this gig were used for this record). 2003 they were guests at the silver wedding of the Monotones on two evenings in a row, together with the also re-animated bands Hob Goblin and the Crackers, this was the last performance of Flatsch! On stage the funny stories about nuclear-free power plants, fat dictators, sisterhoods or confuse Kaufhaus hysteria unfold their very special effect. A brilliant mix of rock & comedy but I think, more old songs would made this album even better because they are much faster, rockier and funnier. - “We feed our Bundestag with liquid egg and cream curd. We paralyze our heart and circulation so that we can laugh. We increase the diets and cancel the diet and feed them with ham bread until nothing more is possible. We need fat dictators, nice fat men who can be blow up" - In this sense, a cold Schoppe and three points for all Eintrachters tonight. Prost!

Austrinke/Rummenigge/Messegäste/Schwester/Keske Fü Fä/Dicke Diktatoren/Katastrophenmelder-Sketch/Wir Tun Es Immer Wieder/Computerbruder/Süssmuth-Sketch/Schützt Die Kondome/Hallo Frollein/Kaufhaus/Alkoholfreies Bier/Badekapp/Männer Müssen Männer Sein/Gute Alte Zeit

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OBERKAMPF - P.L.C. 1983

Debut album by Oberkampf and given the group's influence on the local scene, the release was significant and the sound conceived in this way was vehemently continued as on their first Couleurs Sur Paris (1981). Also, Kebra and his cronies, including Joe Hell, have a good taste not to stick to simple Punkrock, they go straight ahead. “Wild” choirs, unbridled but controlled instrumentation, rhythmic which scrapes without deviating; Oberkampf has real strengths. The texts, moreover, could still, even in our time, give new food for thought. The impact is therefore only greater, they have verve. Their sound is jerky and experimental with sound effects, almost post-punk, maybe a bit cold too, and they finished the job (back then it was a struggle to get a record out, but the band didn't want to stop at anyone or anything), and that with amazing consistency. Solid record with ten songs plus a rather uninteresting Gainsbourg cover.

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SEX PISTOLS - No Future U.K.? 1989

Great compilation of demo sessions taped by the Sex Pistols in July 1976 - January 1977 and give a fantastic insight into the original line-up's rough sound. The majority of the tracks first appeared on the now infamous Spunk bootleg, released a few weeks prior to the bands only album, Never Mind The Bollocks. The songs are recorded surprisingly well and I like every single one. It's really a shame that the Pistols broke up in 1978, we all know the reasons, but with their refreshing provocative attitude they caused a sensation and stay unchallenged in the Punk olympus and this record is a perfect example. I am grateful that they were there!

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DIE TANZENDEN HERZEN - Tanzfläche 7'' 1988

Debut 7Inch from Die Tanzenden Herzen, a PowerPop trio which celebrated powerful and harmonious pieces. At the end of the Eighties the three were able to inspire not only beat-oriented audiences at many concerts in German-speaking countries and especially in their hometown of Berlin. The band was founded 1987 in Berlin by Klaus Mertens (vocals/guitar), Frank Bongers (bass/vocals) and Andreas Albrecht (drums/keyboard) as The Saturday Boys (the members had already played in numerous other bands and thus gained live and studio experience) and released a tape under this name in 1986 via the young Smarten-Up! label. Tanzfläche was recorded in January 1988 and the flip was played for the first time with wind instruments, Frank (sax). They liked it very well that it was decided to re-record the titeltrack that had already been recorded and to reinforce it with the use of wind instruments. So the release was delayed a bit, but for a summer hit in 1988 it was definitely enough.

Die Tanzenden Herzen convince with polyphonic singing, catchy guitar work, soulful harmonies, which are overlaid by powerful rhythms. Not to forget the sax & co., who give the pieces the right groove. The band plays its way into your hearts with a love to pop - directly! Two more albums followed before calling it a day in 1993.

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FALCO - Jeanny 7'' 1985

Another artist of the New German Wave was Falco from Vienna, who conquered the world with his Kommissar at the beginning of the Eighties, and was one of the most successful interpreters of this pop culture. In contrast to many other musicians, he was able to establish himself consistently with his music. After a short low phase he could build on old successes with his album Nachtflug at the beginning of the Nineties again. A bit backgound: Jeanny is the title of a series of songs, the first part of which sparked one of the greatest scandals in the history of German-language pop music. When Jeanny was published, there were allegations that the title played down or glorified rape, although the text didn't explicitly mention violence. However, it shows the perspective a rapist might have on his victim. The way in which the text is presented also allows the conclusion that it is a matter of a stalker who kidnaps his victim because of spurned love and kills him in his madness. The Newsflash part of the song reports a "dramatic increase in the number of missing people" and "another tragic case" of a nineteen year old girl who had been missing for fourteen days, where the police can't rule out the possibility of a crime.

Well, such views are typical of some moral apostle who only scratch the surface and cannot look deeper. Some radio stations fell for it and boycotted the song "for ethical reasons", absolutely ridiculous. Falco himself said in 1986: “Jeanny is alive, that is clear from the text and the video. Part II of Jeanny will prove in the fall that the man is the real victim. It's not for nothing that he ends up in the loony bin at the end, completely knocked out by Jeanny."

I say, a brilliant love song of a different kind with a lot of passion, obsession and still a classic! - On February 6, 1998, Falco died in a car accident on the road between the towns of Villa Montellano and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. R.I.P.

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HUBERT KAH - Rosemarie 7'' 1982

Today we go back to the NDW epoch in the early eighties and come to Hubert Kah. I think Rosemarie was his first 7Inch that was released in February 1982 and the group's first chart success and its breakthrough as a top ten hit in the entire German-speaking region. In June 1982 an English language version appeared under the title Rosemary. The band started as a trio, consisting of Hubert (vocals/keyboards), Markus Löhr (guitars/keyboards) and Klaus (bass) and during this time, Hubert caused quite a stir by his T.V. appearances, wearing a nightdress (splendid) or straitjacket. Numerous albums have been released to date, but the initial phase is certainly the most successful and the later albums are rather meaningless, at least for me. Anyway, I like this single and the song, it climaxes with relish.

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SPERMA - s/t 12'' 1979

Before I do some essential housework today, first a fantastic reissue of late seventies by Sperma, a four piece from Zurich and active from 1978 to 1980, consisted of Peter (vocals), Päde (guitars), Tommy (bass), Turi (drums). They were cheeky, snotty and inexperienced and learned to play on stage. In their short lifespan they released four 7inches on Another Swiss Label, the same genius which brought us so many of Switzerland’s early punk releases and in August 1979 came Sperma's second record, a 12Inch, with these three songs; Pigs (Schmier), No More Love (from the first recording session) and Radio. On Pigs they demand the death to everybody in a blue uniform. The amazing thing is that this song is never the fell victim to state censorship. One has to assume that they never heard the song to this day. At No More Love, the farewell of the "Peace & Love" generation is resolutely demanded and on the song Radio the Swiss radio is attacked. This is the new edition with an informative, twenty page booklet in an edition of 100 copies in clear vinyl. Forty-two years after its first release, the Berlin label Static Age released this superb record again for the first time." Awesome sounds from a brilliant era!

- Great Thx to Fredrik -

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ROTTING CARCASS - Egal... 1995

Finally the weekend and let's roll in with a band that didn't bring much to vinyl but played solid D-Punk that can keep up with the big combos of the early Eighties. We're talking about Rotting Carcass, a four piece from Kempten which formed 1982 by Batz & Hesse (vocals/bass), Tommy (guitars), Kurty (drums) and this nice compilation came via Six Pack Records (early copies are handnumbered on back cover) and contains the full 1984 studio session plus the few songs, a split EP and some sampler stuff, that the band released. An older review, but can also be quoted here: "They showcases a bright, fast HC sound augmented by clean and basic production, resulting in a pleasant dose of good German material." Steve Spinali (MRR #28 • Sep.1985) - That's right, enjoy eleven catchy & rare nuggets that garnish a short break from everyday life. Now it's time to open the first beer, Cheers! 

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THEATRE OF TRAGEDY - Velvet Darkness They Fear 1996

This post would certainly not coming now, but one of my ex-girlfriends introduce me to them at the end of the nineties in form of a tape sampler with two songs on it and after the separation I bought this CD twenty-five years ago. Suitable for the weather, suitable for smoldering in nostalgia, suitable for cuddling; music from Scandinavia!

Theatre Of Tragedy consisting of Liv (soprano vocals), Raymond (vocals), Geir & Tommy (guitars) , Eirik (bass), Hein (drums), Lorentz (piano & synthesizer), and was a combo from Stavanger, originally assembled in 1993 and active until 2010. They started out as a doom and death metal band before becoming more of a Gothic rock band. Velvet Darkness They Fear is their second one, released via Massacre Records, and continued the bands particular brand of this style. Their sound is particularly defined by alternating and occasionally overlapping male death grunts with spherical female vocals, and this combination, which was copied later by many metal/alternative bands, is generally known as 'Beauty & The Beast'. Singer Raymond Rohonyis continues his early modern English lyrics in the nine songs. "Der Tanz Der Schatten", which is written in German, is the exception. The songs themselves rarely have a clear story, but death, undeath, demons and similar supernatural elements are all in the foreground. The lyrics to the songs are referred to in the sleeve notes as "pieces", "poems" and a "self-talk", depending on the roles the singers play. "The record is an impressive collection of beautifully crafted anthems, but at the same time are leaner, punchier, more melodic and emotional. The result is an album that is much more accessible, memorable and enjoyable than its predecessor, which is why many consider it the high point of the band’s career. The band’s line-up is largely unchanged relative to the debut album.... interesting band anyway, that can combine feelings and music in such a way that wild beasts are transformed into tame puppies and made a beautiful chapter in the history of dark heavy music."

A real masterpiece and definitely one of the best albums in this genre. TOP!!!

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