V/A - Powerpoppers Vol. 1 LP 

Label: On The Run Records (Unofficial); Year: 2001; Format: Vinyl LP

I've always had a hard time warming up to the Powerpop genre, maybe because I always thought that there was just too many one hit wonders and not much more to it. But those one hit wonders can truly be hits and this bootleg LP has quite a few brilliant tracks. First off though let me tell you though that the person behind this boot never made it to Vol. 2 so this remains to be the only one in this "series". Fourteen tracks from the late '70s and early '80s are to be found on this platter and while three to four of them are lame and weak the rest of them are good if not outstanding. To me the track that stands out the most is Toutes Les Nuits by all female French band Les Calamites. Said track was originally released on a single on New Rose Records. On the punkier side of Powerpop on this Compilation are The Donkeys with What I want and The Clerks with No good for me. The Donkeys material has been compiled on Detour Records and might very well be checking out while The Clerks hailed from Birmingham and it just might be one of those one offs but above mentioned track is a truly great Punk Pop smasher. Definitely worth mentioning are The Boys from Australia, yes not the much better known band from the UK. Hurt me babe is a truly great Powerpop hit and I wonder if the rest of their material is as strong. Some of the tracks to be found on here are major record releases, such as Keep in Touch by Low Numbers produced by Jimmy Pursey of Sham 69 fame. All in all this is an enjoyable compilation if you can find it cheap sitting around collecting dust in a record store. Whether you like your Powerpop on the punkier side or more on the Mod side you'll find stuff on here you will dig. 

Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto - Time's Up LP 

Label: Raven Records (Unofficial); Year: 1979; Format: Vinyl LP 

I stumbled across this record not too long ago at my local record shop up the road from where I live and didn't hesitate a single minute purchasing it. Buzzcocks are one of those rare bands that I enjoy hearing even some of the newer material of as they never lost the magic touch of coming up with great songs. So, according to the little research I have done the version I have is an Australian bootleg released in 1979 and is basically a bootleg of an earlier bootleg for history's sake. More important is the music and that was taken from a session in October of 1976 even before these Manchester lads recorded their self-released first EP. So what you get is Buzzcocks at its rawest with Howard Devoto still part of the band. Now, some people will argue that Buzzcocks have never sounded better than at this point where they really had that unfiltered early raw punk sound as opposed to the cleaner and better produced sound of their later output. Now, that is up to everybody's own taste but this LP is definitely worth getting providing you with a chance hearing tracks like Boredom, Breakdown or Orgasm Addict recorded without dubs live in a studio when those songs were just ideas the day before so to speak. I think what is really enjoyable the most about this record is hearing the spontaneity of the time, and in that regard it is hard to beat. Domino Records have released the session in recent years officially but from what I saw the tracking list is a little different. Last but not least listen to the drumming on You Tear Me up and tell me whether that is not the beginning of D-Beat. 

The Clean - Boodle Boodle Boodle and Tally Hoe reissues

Label: Merge Records; Year: 2021: Format 12" 45RPM EP

One of the many reasons I don't post often enough on this blog is the fact that I love listening to podcasts. Besides podcasts dedicated to politics or law or other subjects causing more headaches and an upset stomach I sometimes listen to Dynamite Hemorrhage Radio which I can highly recommend as it has introduced me to many a band I was unaware of with New Zealand's The Clean being one of them. I heard a song off of this originally in 1981 released EP on one of the shows and was instantly hooked and intrigued. Luckily Merge Records reissued this rarity last year so nobody needs to fork out some serious dosh on an original on the hugely influential Flying Nun record label. All five songs on this record are killer, and I mean it man! It's hard to describe The Clean's sound as they draw from psychedelic influences to punk and post-punk with a heavy bass driven sound. I wish I had been drawn to these type of bands earlier in life as the older I get the more I appreciate the edginess and artiness of bands like the Clean. The band formed in 1978 in Dunedin, NZ and has influenced countless bands in the indie scene throughout the years. I cannot stress enough how great this record is and that you too should get a copy. Comes with a nice reproduction of the original cartoon of the EP as pictured below. 

Label: Merge Records; Year: 2021; Format: 7" Vinyl Single

Honestly I wasn't even aware of this reissue until I saw it at my local Indie Record Store so I picked it up along the above reviewed 12" EP. Tally Ho is a punky/new wavy upbeat song that kicks serious ass with Platypus being a slower song definitely more in the post-punk vein. This is a classic two song single with two killer tracks hence you can't go wrong. I will have to make some time and dig deeper into the rich catalogue of the Clean to see how the band's sound evolved over the years and whether I will be buying and reviewing more of their records. End of rant. 

Glo - Diskoackel and Nerv EP Reissues

Glo - Diskoackel EP

Label: Re-Ken-Records; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

Back in the '90s Barny of Incognito Records from Stuttgart in Germany released a bunch of brilliant Compilation LPs entitled Back To Front. That's when I first heard of Glo from Asa near Gothenburg in Sweden as the song "Du For som Dom Vill" appeared on Volume 5 of above mentioned Comp Series. With both songs on this originally in 1979 released EP you get value for your money in form of upbeat drunken punk rock smashers with singer Patrik shouting on top of his lungs. Think Ramones meets Rude Kids and you know what I mean. Oh, and yes there is a third "song" on here but it's only 18 seconds long hence no need to mention it. One of the many great early Swedish punk rock gems. 

Glo - Nerv EP

Label: Re-Ken-Records; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

Thanks to Ken Records you get to enjoy the second Glo EP as well without having to dig deep into your pension fund. Personally I prefer this one over the first one and originally this came out in 1980. The production on this one is superior and louder and less muddy hence the songs are just more in your face. Musically this isn't any different from the first EP with all three songs (yes there is a fourth and it's 5 seconds long) being obnoxious straight forward punk rock hits. According to the Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk by Peter Jandreus these guys not only sounded punk but also had the look and were quite a heavy drinking bunch. Apparently on the way to a gig in Sundsvall the band managed to take apart an entire train compartment. So much for the well behaved Scandinavian youth listening to Abba... If you like your punk loud and snotty this is for you. 

Inocentes - Panico em S.P. Mini-LP

Label: WEA Brazil; Year: 1986; Format: 12" Mini-LP

In 1983 Inocentes from Sao Paolo in Brazil self-released a fantastic raw hardcore punk 7" titled "Miseria E Fome". Unfortunately even the reissue is so rare that at this point I won't be reviewing said classic. This Mini-LP was gifted to me by a good friend in Europe and while their self-titled EP was put out by the band itself, three years later Inocentes found themselves on WEA Brazil, a major. While their earlier output was influenced by Discharge, Rattus and the likes, three years later the band went much more melodic without losing its edge. The six songs on here are well produced mid-tempo punk rock smashers with great hooks and really brilliant songwriting. One can definitely hear a Clash influence but I would also compare them to '80s French bands like Camera Silens or Komintern Sect. It's pretty obvious that the members went through a phase where they started to listen to more melodic bands while taking that direction with their own songs. Interestingly enough not only UK's The Insane have a song called "El Salvador" but so do Inocentes and it's a hit as well. From the little I have heard from here on the band's releases gradually started to get poppier and far more mainstream sounding hence nothing I would seek out. This one though is a true gem and will have you pogo in your living room!

Nickey & The Warriors - Wild Cherry EP

Label: S.E.X Records; Year: 1986; Format: 12" EP

When I visited Tokyo in 1997 a Japanese friend of mine made me a tape with bands such as Sheena & The Rokkets, Nukey Pikes, Cobra or the herein reviewed Nickey & The Warriors. He obviously preferred the more melodic side of Punk Rock from Nippon and I loved that cassette. I instantly fell in love with the sound of Nickey & The Warriors and one day back in '97 above mentioned friend took me on a wild motorcycle ride with his Yokohama through Tokyo with me on the backseat fearing for my fuckin' life. When I listened to this 4-song EP today for some reason I was instantly taken back to that memory. Nickey & The Warriors started out in 1983 as the Road Warriors originally without Nickey on the mic but with Keigo of Stalin, G-Zet, Cobra fame on vocals. It was a little later that the teenage singer Nickey, who was a friend of then wife of Michiro Endo (The Stalin) joined the band. This EP and the "Born To Ride" 7" from the same year have some of the best material ever recorded by them in my honest opinion. All four songs here are well produced upbeat Bubble Punk smashers with lots of hooks and ooh ooh's and aaah aah's in the background, obviously heavily influenced by the Ramones but by no means were they ever a copycat band. Nickey's vocals could be described as cute, and they definitely have a lot of charm. As a matter of fact "I wanna be yourself" is one of my favorite songs by them, just a fantastic mid-tempo pop punk song from the '80s. At some point I will review the "Born To Ride" 7" as it's equally good. 

Label: S.E.X Records; Year: 1986; Format: Flexi One Sided 7"

This one-sided Flexi 7" was inside my copy of above reviewed 12" so when I pulled it off of the shelve today I was wondering whether it was originally included with the EP but from what I read on Discogs this Flexi was a promo from the short-lived Nickey & The Warriors official Fan Club and was sent out with the "Warriors Times" zine. The previous owner was nice enough to slip it into the 12" hence I consider myself a lucky bastard owning this one as well. Feel Good is yet another upbeat bubble punk smasher in the vein of the other songs on the 12". Definitely made my day today. 

UK Subs - The Singles 1978 - 1982 LP

Label: Abstract Sounds Ltd.; Year: 1991; Format: Vinyl LP

It was just a few days ago that Charlie Harper (born David Charles Perez) turned 78 years young. That's unbelievable considering that Charlie has been on the road performing with the Subs since 1977. I thought it was only fitting to spin one of the Subs releases from my record shelf. At first I thought about the "Another Kind of Blues" Album but I'll do that some other time. I instead opted for this compilation of their eight classic 7" EPs put out a bit over thirty years ago. At one point I had all the EPs in my collection as well, but quite frankly I really enjoyed listening to these classic tunes today in one go only having to lift my ass once flipping the sides. The UK Subs are next to Motorhead the band I have seen the most times live on stage. From the many times in Switzerland to the few times in London to the last two times I saw them in Southern California overall I always had a great time. Unlike some die-hard Subs fans I wouldn't go as far as saying that the UK Subs always delivered as Charlie had so many line-up changes throughout the decades that only true archivists of the band can provide you with that info. To me the line-up with Gibbs/Garratt always delivered and never disappointed. The tracks on this LP are taken from the classic EPs the band released from 1978 until 1982 and what you get here are true classics that are performed by the band to this day as these songs just never get boring. What one tends to forget these days is how big the UK Subs actually were around 79/80. Copies of "Tomorrow's Girls", "She's Not There" or "Warhead" sold in the tens of thousands, something well known bands can dream of today. It's hard to pick a favorite here as these 23 songs all excel in one way or another. I even like Keep on Running (Till You Burn) from 1981 where the band definitely toyed with the New Romantic look and sound. I also always loved "She's Not There", a great cover version of the Zombies track from 1965. The rest is history as they say because songs like Warhead, Stranglehold, Kicks, I live in a Car etc. are part of the UK Subs and punk rock history, period and end of. 

Back Cover of the LP: 

Original Poster from the 2000 Gig at the Sedel Club in Lucerne/Switzerland. That night the band played pretty much with the line-up seen on the poster bar the drummer. The picture is from the early '80s originally. This was probably my favorite gig seeing the band as they were on top form and played all the hits as if it were 1980 all over again. 

Harnrohrer - S/T EP

Label: Static Shock Musik; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

It was about time someone reissued this early '80s German gem as Harnrohrer are not only criminally underrated but most likely just not very well known outside of Germany. They hailed from the small city of Freiburg Im Breisgau in South Germany, a place I am very familiar with having visited on numerous occasions when still living in Europe. Originally this killer EP was released on Berlin's Pogar Records as 001 in 1982 and all four tracks are filled with great guitar hooks, fitting choruses and simply fantastic song arrangements in a real catchy way. Since this came out in 1982 and the trend in Germany was to sound like Discharge I can assure you it's nothing like that. This is more akin to '77 Punk and the production of Music Lab producer Harris Johns is top notch as well. It is a real shame these guys didn't release more material as this is Pogo-Punk at its very best. Grosse Klasse!

Abrasive Wheels - When The Punks Go Marching In! LP

Label: Riot City Records; Year: 1982; Format: Vinyl LP

Recorded and released in 1982 on Bristol's Riot City Records should give you quite a hint as to what to expect from this album. It is one of my favorite UK82 records as it just ticks many boxes. It's well produced, it's full of hits and quite frankly there isn't a single bad song on this first full length by Leeds' punks Abrasive Wheels. I haven't listened to this cracker of an album in some time but almost instantly I was able to sing along to most of the songs as they would be played on many a mixtape or punk disco after a show. Paying a bit more attention than usually it did not escape me that the album has a very '79 feel to it in the sense that while most of the songs are played at high speed with Dave's buzzing guitar sound and Shonna's aggressive singing typical in the foreground the choruses and melodies will be more reminiscent of 2nd generation punk acts like Sham 69 or Angelic Upstarts for instance. It all makes sense as I opened my copy of "Burning Britain" and read over the story of the Abrasive Wheels reminding myself that they actually had their beginnings in the late '70s hence those influences do not surprise at all. On this LP the band had also their strongest and most stable line up which led them to signing with Clay Records and releasing another LP in 1984 which in my opinion was nowhere near as good as this one having attempted to sound poppier and more accessible and failing miserably. The band reformed years later and actually released a record in the more recent years but I have never heard it. This one is a pure classic and whether you have the original or not what counts is that you have it and crank it up loud! 

Ronan Fitzsimons - I'm An Upstart - the Decca Wade Story

Publisher: Ardra Press; Year: 2013; Format: Book

Very little is known about this book, and if it wasn’t for a specific mail-order operating from the North East of England I probably would have never even heard about it. Taking into account that Mensi of the Angelic Upstarts sadly passed away this past Friday I thought it was about time to revive this blog of mine as I haven’t made an entry in literally years but always planned on keep going. It’s been a while since I even read this book, and while it’s not about the Angelic Upstarts per se, the band definitely plays a big part in it due to Decca Wade having been their original drummer. The author of this book is Ronan Fitzsimons and he draws on dozens of interviews with Decca and those who know him best. The author himself was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England and one would assume not only grew up with punk rock, but punk rock specifically from that region. The book provides readers with an excellent picture of the landscape of North East England far away from the relatively bright lights of London. In this landscape Decca was among the people who were inspired by the likes of the Clash or the Sex Pistols and who knew that they too could start a band and make something of it. The chapters on the early days of the Upstarts are a fascinating read bringing to light the many challenges the band had to endure, including a management that acted outright criminally ending in the main person actually being locked up in 1980. While Decca played an integral role in the early Upstarts days he did leave the band only to reunite with them some years down the road. The book takes us on a rather shaky road of a highly influential and gifted drummer with many a funny story shared but sadly also deals with Decca’s succumbing to alcoholism. All in all this comes highly recommended to fans of the Angelic Upstarts and/or fans of regions neglected in the history of punk rock. 

Angelic Upstarts - Live LP

Label: EMI Records; Year: 1981; Format: Vinyl LP + 7" Flexi Disc

Once this blog of mine will have established itself, and I will have gotten off my lazy arse more often in order to write about music I love and own, you will notice that there will be bands that will appear more often than others, and quite frankly for a good reason. Rest assured that the Angelic Upstarts will make future appearances on this blog since they are one of my favorite bands, or at least their early material. This LP recorded live in June of 1981 at City of London's Polytechnic University is a rare example of a great live LP. I am sure EMI was able to provide the band with the necessary technical know how to make a live LP sound great, and it sure does! At this point in their career the Upstarts have just released "2'000'000'00 Voices" so it shouldn't come as a surprise that there are quite a few tracks off said record to be heard on these live recordings which in my opinion is a good thing as I personally love that LP. Of course you'll also get to hear some of their early classics such as "Teenage Warning", "Police Oppression" or "I'm an Upstart" to name a few. If you are an Angelic Upstarts fan then you will most likely own this record, but if you're not that familiar with their back catalogue then track down a copy of this, preferably with the free flexi disc. Enough said, stay tuned until another Upstarts entry in the future.  

Panx Romana - Antartes Poleon LP

Label: Wipe Out! Records; Year: 1989; Format: Vinyl LP

There is really not all that much I know about the Greek punk rock scene, and that is truly a shame. While I have heard some of the bands from the '80s, and am well aware that Greece always had a politically minded active punk scene, it has to be said that the records released in this southern European country were hard to get. Somehow many years ago I managed to get a copy of Panx Romana's 2nd LP in a trade, and I'm glad I did. There are just records that you haven't placed on the turntable in a long time but you remember damn well that you've always liked this record. Well, this is a prime example for one of those records, and let me tell you that the more one listens to this record the more it grows on you. Thirteen songs (one of them a Ramones cover) full of '78 punk inspired songs, and very much influenced by the likes of The Clash or Angelic Upstarts, this quartet sure knew how to write catchy yet aggressive and tuneful punk songs. The melodies are addictive, the greek language suits punk rock very well, and these guys were very gifted songwriters. The little bit I was able to learn about the band told me that Panx Romana originally started out in 1982 and the singer came from another fairly well known punk band named Stress. Panx Romana continued to record after this LP but I have never heard their '90s material. For now my aim will be to track down a copy of their 1st LP, and for all of you out there who don't own this little gem here, don't waste time and get it! Oh yes, and I nearly forgot to say that the LP comes with a nice zine, albeit in greek language.

Steve Miller - Detroit Rock City: The Uncensored History of Rock'N'Roll in America's Loudest City

Publisher: Da Capo Press; Year: 2013; Format: Book

I am glad to have found this book very recently for close to nothing at a place I've never been to before in Manhattan. Rest assured though that the price tag does not reflect the quality of the contents in this book. I have heard about Steve Miller's book a while ago, and I certainly wanted to improve my knowledge of Detroit based Rock'N'Roll so having to read this one book one day was definitely inevitable. Many of you will know Steve Miller as the vocalist for much famed Lansing, MI hardcore punk band The Fix, or as the editor of the Touch and Go book that was published a few years back. Some of you might not know that he's actually a veteran when it comes to investigative journalism, and author of several books outside the music genre covering real crime. Needless to say that for a massive project such as writing on the rich history of Rock'N'Roll out of Detroit he was the right person to succeed at it. There are not many books that manage to cover as much ground as this book does, and let's be honest which other book will give you the pleasure to read about bands and artists such as MC5, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Mitch Ryder, Destroy All Monsters, Negative Approach, Laughing Hyenas, The Gories or the White Stripes, all at the same time? My guess is as good as yours, ladies and gentlemen. What I find really fascinating about this book is the fact that Steve has not only found a way to describe many anecdotes for the reader to feel like one is right there in the middle of the chaos, but at the same time he has done an outstanding job when it comes to the chronology of the debauchery that took place in Detroit and its surrounding towns. The only part I didn't really enjoy in this book was about Bob Seger, and this was when he was already a well known act on the national circuit. I yawned a lot through that part only to be awaken by more crazy stories from Wayne Kramer and other luminaries that were fed up with the status quo, and were starting to form new bands. And believe me, that was the only slow part in this book as the rest of it will take you through clubs such as Bookie's and bands associated with that scene, the early '80s hardcore punk explosion with Negative Approach on the forefront, the aftermath of hardcore and some crazy drugged stories involving John Brannon and Larissa Strickland of Laughing Hyenas, and the start, or shall we say return to garage rock from Detroit with The Gories and bands and scenes that evolved out of that time including Bantam Rooster, White Stripes or Von Bondies. Have I told you this book covers a lot of ground? Okay, there are two omissions I was disappointed with. For whatever reason the bands Death and Cinecyde get very little to no mention at all, and members from those two bands contributed little to nothing for this oral history. That sucked but still, it takes very little away from what this book gives the reader, and that is a detailed and at times mind blowing account of what was happening in Motown. This is widely available, and even your local library has probably a copy of this book, hence I really don't see an excuse for any of you out there for not reading this!

Germs - Cat's Clause Ten Inch

Label: Munster Records; Year: 1993; Format: Vinyl 10"

I intend on spending much more time talking about Paul Beahm, aka Darby Crash, when reviewing the book about his person, and the Germs. Tonight it honestly also dawned on me why I have bought this 10" in the first place all these years back because quite frankly it could not have been for the quality of the recordings to be found on this piece of wax. The prime reason of this purchase was an elaborate 20 page booklet with plenty of nice photos, flyers, anecdotes and a brief history of the Germs. Back in the early '90s in the pre internet days this was something quite special, and far more appreciated than these days. As for the packaging of this record, I love it. As for the sound quality of the live recordings on this record, I just cannot be equally enthusiastic. Side 1 was recorded at the Starwood in Hollywood and the sound quality is somewhat decent and listenable while the three songs on Side 2 taken from a gig at the Hong Kong Cafe are just pure noise. The highlights are "Circle One" and "Strange Note" which were both taken from rehearsals at the Canterbury house where many early LA punk rockers lived. By no means is this a must have, but if you're a die hard Germs fan then you'll want this, and if you're not than having read this blog entry will suffice.

Blanks 77 - Up The System Ten Inch

Label: Quality of Life Inc.; Year: 1993; Format: Vinyl 10"

I don't know how you feel about the '90s when it comes to underground music but I remember it being a rather dull and boring decade. Looking back though there were certainly some highlights, and some retro scenes really managed to spit up some great bands that were worth paying attention to. The whole UK82 punk rock sound enjoyed a fine revival, particularly on the US East Coast. New Jersey's Blanks 77 were one of the earliest purveyors of that retro sound, and were part of a whole new generation of punks and skins that celebrated long forgotten UK acts such as the Ejected, Abrasive Wheels or the Partisans to name a few amongst the many that have appeared on leather jackets around the world. In the early '90s the Blanks started to release a whole slew of 7"s while this fine 10" was released in 1993. The funny thing about this release here is the fact that I have not pulled this record off the shelve in a long time but when I put down the needle on this record tonight with a beer in my right hand while rocking back and forth in my recliner chair, I all of a sudden remembered each one of the eight songs on the record. Sure, some might say that bands like the Blanks 77 didn't create anything new and lacked in originality but rest assured that any lack of creativity on behalf of the band was made up for with plenty of enthusiasm, dedication and the deliverance of some great fucking pogo punk. There is really nothing negative I can say about this little 10" as it is a fun listen. Now, get your pogo stick out, and up the system!

V/A - Rough Mixes From Switzerland Ten Inch

Label: Konnekschen Records; Year: 1981; Format: Shaped Vinyl 10"

The older crowd amongst the readers of this blog will be in the know that Switzerland had a very active and interesting punk scene in the late ‘70s despite being a country in the middle of Europe surrounded by mountains and not much to do, but maybe that sheer boredom enforced everything even more. Zurich’s Nasal Boys really got the ball rolling in 1977 by releasing a fabulous single that many punk rock scum collectors would love to have the original of. In 1981 even the good ole’ Germans caught on that their southern neighbors were not just yodelers and fond of chocolate and cheese, but could deliver some pretty hefty punk rock tunes too. Konnekschen Records from the northern city of Hamburg released this wonderful piece of wax collecting three swiss punk records originally released in 1979 on one nice shaped and colored 10”. If you don’t want to shell out big bucks for the Sick/Chaos Split 12”, the Sperma 12” and Rudolph Dietrich’s BOF’s 7” then do yourself a favor, and pick this one up as you will not be sorry. If there is a winner amongst the three, then it is the Sick/Chaos split that would be my pick. In all fairness to the Austrians it should be noted that Chaos were actually an Austrian band from a border town near Switzerland but very active on the swiss scene at the time. If you like your ’77 punk upbeat with lots of hooks and choruses then you won’t be disappointed. Second in my book is Rudolph Dietrich with his BOFs 7”, a punk rock gem with saxophone in the background and intelligent song writing. Sperma’s 12” might be a very sought after record but at least in my opinion it is not one of the top swiss punk records at all, but still a decent record. For folks out there unfamiliar with early swiss punk rock this is a nice way to start your collection.

Testors - Original Punk Recordings New York City 1976 - 1977 Ten Inch

Label: Incognito Records; Year: 1995; Format: Vinyl 10"

There are truly not that many original punk rockers still touring the world, year in and year out. Sonny Vincent is one of the rare human species that is not only still doing that, but is still rather damn good at it too to this day. Back in 1975 Sonny formed the Testors in NYC with a guitar in his hand and lots of anger in his stomach. The band named itself after the Testors glue company, which would eventually get them into legal trouble, and set out to provoke the audience, sonically and physically. They did that with two guitarists, a drummer, and no bass player, and that seemed to work fine at venues like the CBGB’s or Max Kansas City but at one point Sonny got himself even arrested in Philadelphia for inciting a riot. The band never had any ambitions to record so thank god Incognito Records from Germany unearthed the recordings of this wild bunch that created some damn fine noise all these years back. Four studio songs, and two live songs are to be found on this 10”, and they not just kick ass, but are delivered with such furiousness and aggressiveness that many hardcore punk bands years later must have taken note of. The liner notes were penned by Cheetah Chrome and a second volume with more madness from this trio was also released on 10”, and will be reviewed in the not so distant future. 

Ramones - L.A. Explosion Ten Inch

Label: Fan Club; Year: 200?; Format: Vinyl 10"

In August 1976 the Ramones played for the first time in Los Angeles, and two of those shows took place at the Starwood in West Hollywood – a club that would be instrumental in forging many musicians’ careers in the years to come. Many moons later some bootlegger has managed to get their greedy hands on decent sounding recordings of the show from August 16 of said year, and a bootleg 10” was born by the name of L.A. Explosion. Make what you want of bootleggers but I for one am grateful for this piece of wax as it delivers twelve tracks of the Ramones in their early days yet sounding like a well-oiled machine already. The probability of these recordings to have ever appeared somewhere legitimately has always been very slim, and in this day and age with all four of the original members unfortunately no longer with us it is simply out of question. Rest assured that when putting down the needle on this little treasure you will not only feel like you are traveling back in time by nearly forty years to a period in time when the term punk wasn’t even coined, and Los Angeles was waking up from an overdose of English disco and glam rock but that you feel like you are actually witnessing a time when kids couldn't wait any longer for something new to kick off, and the Ramones had all the answers for them. We all know that it wasn't just LA that needed a proper kick up its arse, and that these four New Yorkers really got the ball rolling for which we ought to be grateful to this day. 

Cheetah Chrome - A Dead Boy's Tale: From the Front Lines of Punk Rock

Publisher: Voyageur Press; Year: 2010; Format: Book

Every fan of first generation punk rock will be familiar with Cleveland's Dead Boys and their guitarist Cheetah Chrome, no doubt. Even though throughout the years I have read many stories linked to the history of this notorious band, I was over the moon when I heard this book announced a few years back. As a matter of fact I had my then girlfriend turned wife go to one of his book readings here in New York City, and have her buy and sign the book for me while I was still lifting ales in good ole' London. But that's beside the point here, and I have just recently finally gotten around to read this tomb. And yes I do have a habit of buying a fair amount of books without reading them immediately, in case you wonder. Eventually I'll get through them all, or so I hope at least. Cheetah's book certainly didn't disappoint, and as one can only imagine it is filled with crazy, drunken and drugged up stories on life on road with the Dead Boys, as well as the numerous bands and projects Cheetah has been involved with over the years - before (Rocket From The Tombs) - and also after the demise of the Dead Boys. As with many rock autobiographies though I must say that I probably enjoyed the pages about Cheetah's childhood and his becoming an adult the most. Cheetah spent his early years in rough parts of the industrial wastelands of Cleveland where he wasn't able to find many friends until he discovered the magic of rock'n'roll. The fact that Cheetah's mother has always been generously supportive of her son shines throughout the entire book, and for that he adored and loved his mother up until she passed away which was towards the end of the book. One other person that Cheetah had unlimited love for was his good buddy and partner in crime Stiv Bators. Even though their friendship took many hits and had at times a very bumpy road ahead of them, Cheetah and Stiv had a mutual admiration for each other, and as we all know unfortunately Stiv has departed this world way too early. As for the author's alcoholism and drug abuse, you will find him openly talk about his problems, and how he eventually became a clean and sober man. I find it a great pity that Cheetah - like many other talented musicians - paid a high price by being an addict, and could quite likely have had a more fulfilling career had he not chosen that path. Still, he will always be remembered as one of the greats of punk rock, and so will the Dead Boys. The only minus of this book is the fact that the editor must have been either dead tired or dead drunk when editing this book as there is a fair amount of absolutely unnecessary grammatical mistakes. Never mind though as it won't take away from the quality and the honesty with which Cheetah has written this book, and I applaud him for that. Great read!

Los Violadores - s/t LP

Label: Fanclub; Year: 199?; Format: Vinyl LP

First and foremost, let me tell you that this full length has been officially reissued two years ago by Spanish label Beat Generation so there is absolutely no need to hunt down a copy of this counterfeit release which came out about fifteen years ago when I had obtained it. It's a good thing that many of those releases that were first bootlegged in the '90s are now slowly but surely seeing the light of official reissues, becoming accessible to old and new punk aficionados alike. And even though I do not support or particularly like counterfeit releases, in many cases it is, or at least was the easiest and cheapest way to hear certain releases that one has nearly no chance of landing an original copy of. Before I bore you to death about that issue though, you will probably have guessed why you need to check out the reissue of this outstanding release, because let me tell you, it is an extraordinary good punk rock record, and does not contain a single daft song, nope. Los Violadores started life in 1980 and there is an excellent write up about the history of this Argentinian band that I found online, so please feel free to click on the link provided at the end of this review. As for the twelve songs found on this platter I could write an entire book worth of praise, not kidding you. Why this LP does not appear on all these countless lists of best ever punk rock LPs really baffles me as honestly it should be plastered all over the place. If people were looking to the United States or the U.K. in 1983, when this LP was originally released, then they found mostly raging hardcore punk on one continent, or the relatively boring sounds of countless UK82 bands on the other side of the Atlantic. One only needed to have an open mind and venture south to Argentina where Los Violadores were from. If you like your punk rock fast, yet tuneful, filled with melodic hooks and a loud and caring bass guitar, then this LP will satisfy your punk rock needs 150%. Think of D.O.A. at their very best, or New York's Kraut, Finland's Lama, and so on, you get the picture. Plus let me tell you, Spanish is a great language, and it works well for punk rock, doesn't it? The band continued to release more records since the early '80s, and even as recent as 2009, but from what I have heard they really became far more mainstream in the '80s already, and only their 2nd LP is still worth a listen. Still, it's about this release here which should be in everybody's collection!

Band History: http://www.shit-fi.com/articles/LosVioladores