Blue Angel - S/T LP

Label: Polydor Records; Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl LP

A few months ago when on a quick visit to New York City my wife and I went to an interesting photo exhibition called 'New York New Music 1980 - 1986' highlighting photos, flyers and other artifacts from that time period, presenting all kinds of music of different genres, including of course punk rock. But, this entry isn't about anything punk rock related but rather about Cyndi Lauper and her first band, Blue Angel. The reason I am bringing up the exhibition is that photos of Blue Angel gigs were on the wall and reminded me that I finally need to get a copy of the LP as I have been an admirer of Cyndi since the '80s. Just this past weekend I went to a garage record sale up the street from our house and guess what, for a few bucks I got a mint copy of the Blue Angel album. Recorded and released in 1980 it is very much a New York record encapsulating the mood and state of the Big Apple in said year. With a new decade on the horizon and a fresh start palpable in every possible way it truly is a positive record in the sense that the twelve songs will instantly lift your mood, which is never a bad thing. I listened to the record this morning being off from work for Juneteenth while doing my stretching exercises to help with my joint problems, and instantly felt better, okay it's a slight exaggeration folks. Truth of the matter is though that it's a great pop record, while also being a good power pop, new wave or rockabilly record as it stylistically draws from all those genres mixing them seamlessly from one song to the next. Cyndi Lauper started to sing at the age of twelve and by the time this record was released she was already twenty-seven years old, hence there were many years in between even though at some point she was told by doctors she would never be able to sing again after having damaged her vocal cords. Needless to say those doctors were wrong, very wrong...Having grown up in the pre-Beatles era it is clear that Cyndi must have been fascinated by early Rock'N'Roll as the Rockabilly influence on this record is to be heard on several tracks. But, at the same time let's not forget that Blondie and the B-52's had already released several albums by 1980 and it would be wrong not to mention that there is a vibe throughout this record closely reminiscent of those two bands. Unfortunately, or as in the case for Cyndi actually more fortunately, the band didn't last too long as they broke up after a fall out with their manager. As a result of that the band was sued for a large sum of money which forced Cyndi to pick up odd jobs at stores and such. In 1981 while singing at a New York bar she was discovered by David Wolff, who would become her manager and the rest is history. I highly recommend tracking down a copy of this, you won't regret it. Cyndi Lauper is turning 70 years old later this week - Happy Birthday! 

Cyndi Lauper with Blue Angel (Photo taken at NY New Music 1980-1986 exhibition)

The Stiffs - "Volume Control", "Goodbye My Love" and "Four Winds" Singles

Label: 1977 Records; Year: 2002; Format: 7" Single

As you will all know Punk wasn't just a London thing as some will want you to believe, but was very much happening anywhere in the UK during the initial explosion in the late '70s. The Stiffs for instance hailed from Blackburn in the North-West and formed in 1976 by two 14-year old school friends as described in my go to UK punk bible "no more heroes" by Alex Ogg (see also Wikipedia entry for the band). In July 1978 the band was ready to record some of their own songs and early versions of "Inside Out" and "Volume Control" were the results of those sessions that took place in Oldham. Personally I don't own the "Inside Out" single hence I can't have any opinion but according to the sources I have used the single was well received after their very first "Brookside Riot Squad" EP had failed to materialize the desired results. The single reviewed herein "Volume Control" was originally released in 1980 on EMI subsidiary Zonophone. Of the three singles I have this one is the clear winner with the A-Side being a really strong and well crafted '77 Punk influenced smasher backed by loud guitars and a great production. The B-Side is almost equally good with the Jam influenced Mod stomper "Nothing To Lose". Definitely a great single!

Label: 1977 Records; Year: 2002; Format: 7" Single

Tokyo based reissue label 1977 Records was also responsible for reissuing the originally in 1981 released single "Goodby My Love" backed by "Magic Roundabout" on the B-Side. The Gary Glitter cover on the A-Side really didn't need to be recorded at all and I am not just referring to Glitter here, but the music itself as well as it's just a cheesy overblown glam rock song. The B-Side on this one is in that sense better but in all fairness the band never got to the strength of songs like 'Volume Control'. As musicians they certainly made progress and were a tight-sounding unit but at least for me it lead to sounding more lame, more poppy and more mainstream oriented lacking drive and conviction. I don't know the band's entire catalogue but for me this would be the cut off as I can't see them ever getting any more interesting unless you are a die-hard Powerpop fan, which I am not. Even a tour supporting the UK Subs did not help elevating their status and in all fairness I am not surprised. Solid but that's about it. 

Label: 1977 Records; Year: 2002; Format: 7" Single

The Stiffs continued to perform and released one last single in 1985 until 1977 Records decided to release new material when the Stiffs flew over to Japan for four dates in 2002. According to Ogg's book and the band's recollection the dates went really well and the crowds loved every second of their performances. I am not surprised that the Stiffs got such a positive reaction in Japan as the fans over there tend to be loyal and just genuine. As for the two songs recorded in 2002 I can't say I have much time for them. Both songs are well played and solid, but lack any recognition or hit potential. As with many Mod/Powerpop bands the songs have a tendency for too many hooks as well as too many breaks while nothing seems to stick. Not a bad release per se but definitely nothing worthwhile. In a way it seems the band has at times tried too hard to achieve success and failed miserably, that's at least the way I see it. 

V/A - 415 Music LP

Label: 415 Records; Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl LP

During lunch time I often either take a good walk or if the weather is not so great, which can be the case often here in Buffalo, I at least trudge up to the main library to check out the latest books. Such was the case last week when I stumbled upon "Kalifornia Kool Photographs 1976 - 1982" by Ruby Ray. After spending the entire lunch looking at the photos I decided to take the book out and inspect the wonderful photography of Ruby at home. A lot of the photos were either taken at the Mabuhay Gardens or in people's homes and are wonderful snapshots of a time that this world will never experience again. Everything seemed possible and the spontaneity in music and the arts seemed endless. While leafing through the book this past weekend it occurred to me that to round up this San Francisco centered weekend I should spin my copy of 415 Music, a compilation from 1980. Now, as always with compilations that document a particular scene and a particular time keep in mind that most of the time not all the bands are worth checking out but 415 Music gives you actually not just good value for your hard earned dollar but also a nice oversight as to what was going on in S.F at the time. Of course by 1980 the underground music scene was at a crossroads with the first wave of punk already gone and New Wave and Power Pop on the rise. What you get on this compilation is a bit of everything above with maybe two to three songs that can be categorized as lame New Wave and a waste of vinyl. The rest though is good, if not great Power Pop or New Wave of the sort I can definitely dig. Winners are The Readymates with "415 Music", The Mutants with "Baby's No Good", SVT "Always Come Back For More" and above all The VIPs with "She's a Put On", an incredibly catchy Synth Power Pop smasher. Overall this is well worth tracking down and if you want to dig even deeper into 415 and the Rise of New Wave in S.F. Hozac Books will sort you out with a book dedicated to said label. I should really order a copy for myself as well! As written on the back cover: 415 is the police code for disturbing the peace. Turn this record up and DO IT! 

Source for the Photos of the Mutants and the Offs: Ruby Ray - Kalifornia Kool Photographs 1978-1982 book. 

Peroxide - Heart Disease 10"

 

Label: Backstreet Records; Year: 200?; Format: 10" Vinyl

Firstly I never understood why a lot of the Rave Up and in this case Backstreet Records (Sublabel) releases are done so cheaply. For a release of an obscure band it would have come very handy to include an insert with some band info and photos but all we get is a few sentences on the back cover and two photos. It's really a shame. On top of that the vinyl on this release is so thin you would think you're holding paper in your hands. Well, at least with this release the live recordings are not a waste of vinyl and plastic as they are actually really worth having been put on record. Peroxide were one of many New York City based bands in the late '70s and played somewhat of a mixture between typical NY Junk Rock, Powerpop and Glam Rock. Back in 1979 they released just one Single on Shock Rock with Heart Disease being backed by Christine on Side-B. Both tracks are on this 10" and while Heart Disease is an upbeat Punky Powerpop track with keyboards very much to my liking Christine is a tack too New Wave for me but not bad either. Aside the one live track from Max's Kansas City recorded in 1979 there are also three tracks from CBGB's from the same year and they are convincing and more ass kicking. Also good are the three unreleased demo tracks and an Acetate with Jerry Nolan on drums. 'Fool From Start Shouln't Have' might very well be the best track on the entire record, just a great Heartbreaker influenced song. This isn't a record that you need to own but all in all it is quite enjoyable and worth tracking down if New York Dolls, Heartbreakers et all are your thing. 

the Blitzz - So Free and Go Now Single Reissues

Label: Sing Sing Records; Year: 2011; Format: 7" Single

The NYC based Sing Sing Record label (long-time defunct) reissued some great stuff about a decade ago and I was buying up everything in the very beginning but lost track after some time surely missing out on some goodies. In terms of information or any historical facts little to nothing can be found about the Blitzz from Holland. Apparently they released two singles back in '78 and that was it. Both came out originally on EMI-Holland and must have been widely available. So what you get with these two singles is not some KBD-type muzika but two well produced singles that are actually both very enjoyable. 'So Free' draws equally from glam rock, pub rock and power pop and is in my opinion just a great pop song whereas 'Degeneration' is probably the most '77 punk influenced song on either of the two singles. Think the Vibrators or the Boys and you'll get the general idea. I've seen comments on the Killed By Death website about these singles and they vary from good stuff to absolutely awful, but I sure as hell like them both hence on to the next one. 

Label: Sing Sing Records; Year: 2011; Format: 7" Single

The 'Second Single' is just as good as the first one ladies and gentlemen. 'Go Now' is definitely a power pop track with a tendency to be a bit on the cheesy side yet still delivered with enough conviction and drive hence it would be wrong to discredit it. 'You got what you want' on the other hand is a truly fantastic power pop song with a strong '77 punk influence, just a smasher of a track worth alone your hard earned money. As I had mentioned above I really don't know anything about this band so if anyone out there in the vast galactic of the intranet has any stories about these guys rocking out in their dutch klompen shoes then please go ahead and share them with the rest of us. 

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. 

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. 

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.

Terri Hooley & Richard Sullivan:  Music - Mayhem - Good Vibrations

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

I would assume that anybody reading this review with an interest in DIY labels and the history behind them will be familiar with Good Vibrations, and the man behind the label and the various stores associated with it, Terri Hooley. Richard Sullivan, who has been an avid follower of Terri's fortunes since he was a teenager visiting Good Vibrations store in Belfast is the co-author of this book, and with having said this, it seemed like the right choice was made in regard to Terri's co-laborator for this book, which is a fantastic account of Terri's life with all its highs and lows, and there has been many of them. Of course I personally loved Terri's memories of discovering the Undertones, Rudi and countless other great punk rock/powerpop acts of the Northern Ireland scene, but I especially enjoyed the beginning of the book and the stories of Terri as a young kid and teenager, growing up in Belfast, being a hippy, and standing up for what he believed in, something he has done throughout his entire life. Needless to say that he hasn't just made friends, and this book also talks about arson, the paramilitaries and their actions against Terri, the many different locations his shop was forced to take as a result of that, and so on. This is a great read, from cover to cover!