Wretched Ones - S/T LP; Live EP; Tributes Suck EP and Live on a Five Single 

Label: Headache Records; Year: 1993; Format: Vinyl LP

I had planned to do this Wretched Ones entry quite a while back as May 23 of this year marked the 25 year anniversary of seeing them in Hamburg, Germany supporting the Angelic Upstarts. Anyway better late than never so here we go with a longer entry dedicated to this quartet from Midland Park in New Jersey. Not too long ago I posted about one of the Headwound EPs on Headache Records and had a bit of a look on their FB page since they seem to be still going strong. There I stumbled upon a German podcast dedicated to Headache Records, which was run by Pit, the singer in the Wretched Ones. Quite frankly not much is to be found on the worldwide intranet about the New Jersey '90s Oi scene, or the Wretched Ones in particular, but in a way I really like that even though the band deserves much more recognition for their output. In said podcast the guys talked about quite a few bands that appeared on Headache Records, but I was really mostly interested to hear what they had to say about the Wretched Ones. It was no surprise that they too thought the band brought a fresh wind to the Oi genre. I have never been much of a fan of Oi per se but during the '90s the Wretched Ones from the East Coast and Bonecrusher from the West Coast were two of my favorite bands, both capable of fusing elements of '80s hardcore punk with mean and raw Street Rock'N'Roll. In that sense the American Oi bands set themselves apart from the more traditional '80s UK Oi sound, which in my opinion was more often than not quite lame in contrast. The Wretched Ones have a history in hardcore punk as two of their members, Pit on vocals and B.T. on guitar, were members of The Burnt who released an LP on Mutha Records back in 1985, followed by a few EPs on Headache Records. The band transitioned into the Wretched Ones as early as 1988, but it wasn't until 1993 when the first LP was released, and what a cracker of an LP it is. I am nearly ashamed to say that at one point I had almost the entire catalogue of the Wretched Ones in my collection but when I needed money the records exchanged hands and wandered to a friend of mine in the UK, at least they are in good hands. Luckily some years ago I was able to find a copy of this LP for cheap and I will continue buying back whatever I don't have anymore. The 16 songs on the LP can be described as American Oi classics, and I do mean each one of them. Stand out tracks are "Going down the Bar", "Working Man" or "Time marches on" but again they're all brilliantly simple yet ass-kicking songs. The Wretched Ones had a habit of writing as many songs as possible about drinking beer and working bonebreaking jobs without ever getting boring, and I mean that as a compliment. In all fairness Schaefer Beer should have paid the guys large sums for their free advertisement and the Toxic Avenger should have hailed these guys when saving New Jersey from the next chemical disaster. Fill your fridge with beer and give this one a spin, you won't regret it.  

Label: Knock Out Records; Year: 1999; Format: Picture 7" EP

God knows how many days I have lived now in my nearly fifty three years of existence on this screwed up planet, but in all fairness how many of those days do I or any of us remember? I think it's fair to say not many. But, there are those days which we'll never forget, and for me May 23 of 1998 is certainly one of them. On said beautiful Spring Saturday I boarded a train heading from Zurich, Switzerland to Basel early in the morning and from there I got on a Deutsche Bundesbahn express train that got me to Hamburg by around 4pm. I recall heading straight to the Hafenstrasse by Hamburg's vast port and there was already a large contingent of Punks and Skins drinking cans of beer and generally having a good time. A friend of mine from Switzerland was meant to come along on the trip but had to cancel last minute. I had no problem going up to Hamburg on my own as up to that point I had never seen the Upstarts and the Wretched Ones alone would have made that trip worthwhile for me hence it was a no brainer. On top of that the gig took place at Grosse Freiheit 36, a renowned venue that hosted early Beatles gigs and is up to this day one of the most famous locations for live music in Hamburg. The atmosphere leading up to the gig in front of the venue was absolutely electrifying as people from around Europe had made the trip to Hamburg to witness an unforgettable evening. It so happened that at some point I was approached by a group of Skins who had made the trip from the Eastern parts of Germany (former GDR) asking me where I came from. Somehow they were fascinated by the fact that I had come up from Switzerland and bought me several rounds of beers throughout the night which I definitely didn't mind. What can be said about the gig, and in particular the Wretched Ones? I thought all bands put in a great shift, including Oxymoron who jumped in last minute to replace the Dropkick Murphys. By 1998 the Wretched Ones were not as unknown in Germany as one would think as Mosh of Knock Out Records has licensed the first two LPs by the band and as a result of that the guys from New Jersey had a dedicated fan base in Europe, mainly in Germany. The fact that the band was flown in just for the one show in Hamburg baffles me to this day, but I am glad they were. The Wretched Ones sure as hell didn't disappoint and the crowd of more than 1'000 thanked them loudly. The four songs on this Live EP are proof for the remainder of this civilization that New Jersey produced some fine music, and the Wretched Ones are never to be forgotten for that. After the gig I joined some of the people of Klasse Kriminalle from Italy, members of Red London and B.T. from the Wretched Ones on a trip to a bar on the famed Reeperbahn and I'll never forget how B.T always ordered two beers at the same time, one to down really fast and the other one to last a bit longer. After a long night of great live music and drinking I walked down to Hamburg's train station and took a train to Cologne to catch Motorhead the next day, a Sunday night. It wasn't until Monday morning that I finally returned to Switzerland, tired and with my ears ringing, but full of memories I will never forget. Cheers! 

Back of the Live EP as well as the ticket to the gig and to my surprise I even kept the train ticket in the record, great memories!

Label: Headache Records; Year: 1998; Format: 7" EP

In 1998 the Wretched Ones and Headache Records had enough of waiting on some labels to release Tribute records and decided to put their contributions on an EP appropriately called "Tributes Suck". The four songs enshrined on this EP are all classics in their own right, and I'll be a lazy bastard and just type up what the back of the EP says: 

1. Pirate Love - Originally recorded for Sky Krebs Records (who?) over four years ago. This guy was gonna put out the best tribute ever, blah...blah...Last we heard the master tape was stolen out of his car (yeah right). 

2. Just To Get Away - We agreed to get this in right away, the release date, after all is already next month. Half a year later we get word it's out. We are lied to a few more times that copies are in the mail. We figure we'll never see it. (Note: we got 'em now as this goes to print, thanks)

3. No More Heroes - Recorded for Elevator Records, this guy has bullshited us along for two years now that this thing would be out in another "month or two" Our feeling is he's about an hours drive away from a punch in the head. 

4. America The Beautiful - Dictators! OK now we're cooking. What song do you want us to do? What's that? America? That's note a Dictators song. Huh? It was on a Japanese 45 or in a movie? Can we do something else? Oh well OK we'll do this if it's that important. Well it's been way over a year ago, we've heard nothing about a release date, and our contact has since quit the label. Serves us right I guess. 

Well, hopefully in the end the band got copies for all those wonderful Tribute records, but even if not, this EP rules as the Wretched Ones obviously paid tribute to those songs the right way. 

Label: Headache Records; Year: 1996; Format: 5" Single

Well, time to grab a beer, some food and finish this off with the last record for this extended Wretched Ones blog entry. And guess what, it's a 5" record, and the only one in my collection. Two live songs are to be found on this tiny piece of vinyl with "We're not stopping now" recorded live in Wanaque, NJ by Harry Baggs one one side, and correct me if I am mistaken but I think that's the place I looked up when reviewing the Headwound EP hence the show was probably with them. And by the way the town seems almost as small as the 5" record. On the other side you get "I hated school" recorded live in Newark, NJ by an unknown audience member. Who knows and maybe this blog entry will solve the mystery and we'll finally find the unknown audience member. Please contact the HQ of HFTP as soon as you can! Cheers! 

Exodus - Bonded by Blood LP

Label: Century Media/Combat; Year: 2022; Format: Gatefold Vinyl LP

Every music genre has defining records on offer and when it comes to Thrash Metal then "Bonded by Blood" by Bay Area Thrashers Exodus is one of them, and in my opinion probably the album that defines Thrash Metal at its best. If someone out there without any idea about Thrash Metal asked me to describe the genre I would simply suggest to put this record on as it is without exaggeration a masterpiece from the second the needle drops. It is almost needless to say that at one point I did own an early pressing of this album but as it goes I got rid off it in my haze believing that I would never feel the need to listen to Metal ever again. How wrong I was all those decades ago as quite a few of those albums that I sold or traded for next to nothing are collector items and hard to get these days. Well, let me not bother you for too long with my so called dilemmas as thankfully there are reissues and so I am again an owner of this album and this time it will stay with me until I drop dead I suppose. The other night I watched "Murder in the Front Row" again, a powerful and insightful documentary about the early days of Bay Area Thrash Metal. Exodus played a huge role in the development of a scene that started out around a record store where Metal Heads would meet to buy and exchange the latest imports from around the world. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal with bands like Motorhead, Iron Maiden, UFO or Saxon were the primary influence for a lot of the kids in the Bay Area and it wasn't long before bands like Venom or Discharge started to make the rounds in tape trading circles signaling a change in Metal towards a faster, more direct and more brutal sound influenced by NWOBHM and Hardcore Punk alike. I nearly laughed my head off when Gary Holt and co. were describing the scenes at Ruthie's Inn where Exodus and especially their singer Paul Baloff (RIP) would encourage to rip people's Hair Metal shirts off their bodies as to signal that only real Metal was accepted and posers were not welcomed. It brought back memories of my own youth and my buddies in Suburban Zurich, Switzerland. We acted so tough and evil without being evil and made fun of posers ourself, but to be fair we didn't advocate for any harsher actions. Speaking of Ruthie's Inn I recall reading about the club some time ago and thought it was fascinating to learn that the former owner Wesley Robinson (RIP) was an original jazzer who just happened to have an extremely open mind, a big heart and definitely a lot of patience by having opened the doors to a scene that was young, loud and obnoxious but generally speaking good natured. Back in the Mid-80s when I started to get into more extreme music "Bonded by Blood" had far more appeal to me than say the Sex Pistols or the Clash. My friends and I were looking for bands that could shock, would piss off our parents and stood apart from everything else. Exodus was one of those bands and it speaks volumes if an album can still live up to the hype nearly forty years after its original release. When I sat down to listen to the album tonight I felt pretty much the same excitement as all those years back and the nine songs were over with in no time. My favorite tracks have always been 'Bonded by Blood', 'Metal Command' and 'Piranha' but there really are no fillers on this album and in 2023 I can probably proclaim that I love this album even more than I ever had. Play loud and go wild!

V/A - The End of an Era (The Best of Rot Records) 2-LP

Label: Rot Records; Year: 1988; Format: Vinyl 2-LP

Rot Records was started in late '83 by members of Mansfield band Riot Squad and my assumption is that first and foremost the goal was to release their own music as the first three Rot Releases were Riot Squad EP's, all classics in my opinion. The label went on to release an array of interesting and diverse releases from bands such as Paranoia (see blog entry for review of their LP), Resistance 77, Varukers, English Dogs etc.. In my opinion Rot Records sought out the bands that were maybe being ignored by labels such as No Future or Riot City but were equally good as the bands on said labels. In that sense Rot Records filled a gap and had quite a few of their releases played on Radio One, such as in the case of East London Act Animal Farm who were scheduled to support New Model Army on their tour only for it to be canceled last minute. The label was also in the right place at the right time to pick up the highly talented English Dogs and releasing their excellent "To The Ends Of The Earth" 12" but ultimately losing the band to Under One Flag Records. It is needless to say that Rot Records had a good run and released a slew of under appreciated minor indie hits, but by 1988 it was all over with and the label came to an end. I remember vividly that it was in that year when I picked up my copy of this 32 track Double LP at Jama Rico Records in Zurich, Switzerland. As you can see on the photo of the back cover I even marked which tracks I liked more or less, but that was in 1988 when I was first and foremost into faster hardcore punk stuff. Yesterday I sat down to listen to all four sides and loved each and every track leading me to the conclusion that Rot's catalogue has aged rather well. While thirty five years ago for the most part I enjoyed bands like Riot Squad, Varukers, Oi Polloi, Rattus et al yesterday I made a mental note to myself that I must dig deeper into the catalogues of bands such as Reality from East Anglia, Butcher from posh coastal town Bournemouth, Picture Frame Seduction, Cult Maniax as well as above mentioned Animal Farm. Said bands have all a unique style on their own and deserve more attention in the wider sense. The truth of the matter is that most of the Rot releases have become very collectible and expensive to buy but some of the material has been reissued. I am always shocked to see the prices on Discogs and for how much these records go for, it's pure insanity. I suppose that over the decades more and more people all over the world have caught up to these records pushing up prices. My guess is that many of you folks out there don't mind streaming music and I am pretty sure you can find this Double-LP online as I highly recommend it if you are not so familiar with Rot's catalogue. Whether you like UK82 punk, more melodic '77 punk inspired '80s punk rock or Metal influenced hardcore punk you'll find plenty of it on this collection. Last but not least I think Rot Records should be more in the conversation when recollecting early '80s UK punk history as they sure as hell released some forgotten gems. Cheers!

Schund - S/T LP

Label: Hoehnie Records; Year: 2003; Format: Vinyl LP

Fans of worldwide KBD Punk will most likely be familiar with Schund from Vienna, Austria, a band that existed for just a brief period of time and managed to self-release an EP in 1982, limited to just 500 copies. There weren't too many punk rock acts from Austria, and years ago I reviewed "Es Chaos is die Botschaft! on this blog, a great compilation of early Austrian punk and hardcore punk. Before I sat down to listen to this LP tonight I read a lengthy interview with Schund's singer Doris over the weekend and discovered some highly interesting facts about the band and the history of early '80s punk in Vienna (link to the interview in German at the end of this entry). I for instance didn't know that Doris was actually not from Vienna, but instead hailed from Braunschweig in Germany. Doris was into music at an early age and at some point heard about this new wild trend from England called punk rock. In 1979 she got to visit London through a chapter of the Youth Red Cross which organized a bus trip to England's capital. Doris really wanted to see punks in real life and through a funny coincidence at the hotel where she and her group were staying she met Kodak, a punk from Vienna who was also visiting London buying punk records and clothes to bring back to Austria. The two of them became eventually a couple and after Kodak had visited Doris in Braunschweig Doris picked up and left for Vienna after she finished school. Her and Kodak lived with his parents for a little while before finding a home at GaGa, an alternative centre on Vienna's Gassergasse 1, maybe comparable to Copenhagen's Christiana. There she met Bobby, Stefan and Harry who have been jamming for some time and were looking for a female singer. Doris was in their opinion perfect as she spoke high German without a Vienne's dialect.

Reproduction of 'Das Kleine Massenblatt', an independent Publication from Vienna. This particular issue deals with the history of GaGa. 

After having hooked up with the three guys at GaGa Schund was born and kicked off with full steam. Musically the band was influenced by Slime from Germany as per Doris but to be honest it is hard to define Schund's sound as it is definitely not '77 Punk but neither Hardcore Punk. Back in the early '80s, and especially in more remote scenes such as Vienna, bands still developed their own sound and in that sense I'd say Schund stood out to a degree but were unfortunately never able to record properly in a studio. The four songs off of their EP and six other songs that are on the "Studio-Side" on this LP were all recorded by Kodak in the band's rehearsal room and mixed at his home. While the sound quality is not great by any means there is a charm to these songs that one cannot resist. The lyrics are very typical for the time period and for bands from German speaking countries dealing with police oppression, weekend punks, beer & pogo and generally speaking shoving everything up the lame society's ass. The "Live-Side" is interesingly enough almost better than the Studio side with eight tracks having been recorded at the Popodrom in 1982 where Schund participated at a band contest. The story goes that during Schund's fifteen minutes of fame some chairs and table flew in their direction and that the soundman was freaking out wanting to stop the band immediately from playing. Apparently a lot of people did like their set and most likely also some of the excitement as the band came in 3rd place. If crude and raw early '80s punk is your thing you will love this record despite the somewhat rudimentary sound quality. The songs could have only have been recorded during a very intense and unique period in our history and Vienna is amongst the cities that have changed drastically since then. Schund are part of Vienna's cultural past as much as Falco in my opinion, hence do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this LP if you can. Es wurschtln es!

Interview with Doris in German Part 1: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index.htm

Interview with Doris in German Part 2: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index2.htm

Crazy Cavan 'N' The Rhythm Rockers - Rockability LP

Label: Charly Records; Year: 1976; Format: Vinyl LP

Let me tell you straight off the bat that it sure as hell isn't easy to do many blog entries during the summer months as I am not someone whose energy levels feed off of hot weather, actually quite the opposite. Luckily I don't live in one of those States where it's constantly 110 degrees, otherwise I'd have to hide in a freezer for the remainder of the summer. Anyway let's get down to business, and with that I am talking music and to be more specific Crazy Cavan 'N' The Rhythm Rockers. Since I was a little kid I've always had a bit of an ear for Rockabilly as my father had a little stack of LPs of artists like Buddy Holly, Bill Haley & His Comets and a few others hence I was exposed to the music early on and it stuck with me ever since, at least to a degree. Teddy Boys on the other hand were not exactly the best friends of punks, at least not in Europe where I grew up. As a result of that I had very little to no exposure to local Rockabilly scenes with the exception of a few people that were open minded and frequented the punk scene as well. It must have been 2010 or 2011 though when I did see Crazy Cavan with his band at the 100 Club in London and I remember having a blast. My friend and I kind of stuck out with our rather casual clothes as most people were dressed in their Teddy Boy and Girl uniforms rocking out to the tunes of Crazy Cavan. I discovered Crazy Cavan through a good friend of mine back in Switzerland as he's always been a big fan and is a good few years older than myself having experienced the Rockabilly revival scene first hand. Cavan Crogan (aka Crazy Cavan) got his band together as early as in the late '60s celebrating long forgotten American artists like Charlie Feathers. They played their socks off in little clubs during the early '70s and were eventually discovered by two DJs in London's East End. After having released two 7"s on their own Crazy Rhythm label and the first LP on Rockhouse Records the band eventually signed to Charly Records in February of 1976 and "Rockability" was the first record to have come out on said label and was the beginning of a lengthy collaboration. One thing I would like to bring up as food for thought is the fact that when it comes to the months and years pre-dating the punk rock explosion it is often glam rock or pub rock that are mentioned as the main influence of early UK bands. I don't remember ever hearing or reading much about the rockabilly revival scene and their influence on punk rock, maybe due to both fractions viewing each other with contempt. Musically as well as fashion wise though it should be said that without a doubt rockabilly has definitely had an influence on early punk rock acts, at least in the UK, leading to quite a few punks discovering said roots in the early '80s through bands like the Stray Cats for instance. As for "Rockability" I really love the album and can't think of even one song that could have been scrapped. Whether you like your rockabilly up-tempo in songs like 'Stompin' Shoes' "Nobody Else Like you" or my favorite "Knock Knock" or you prefer the more swooning songs such as "Delores" or "Sweet Little Pretty Thing" you will find plenty of both on this full length. For now I own just this one LP by the band but I definitely keep my eyes out for their first and third LPs so stay tuned for more. Unfortunately Cavan Crogan passed away in 2020 (RIP), aged 70 years old. Should you want to find out more about the band's history please click on below link for an interesting article in Vintage Rock Mag. 

https://www.vintagerockmag.com/2020/07/crazy-cavan-a-rockabilly-star-in-heaven/

Deborah Curtis - Touching from a Distance (Ian Curtis and Joy Division)

Publisher: Faber and Faber Limited; Year: 1995; Format: Softcover book

Very recently when reviewing the Warsaw "An Ideal For Killing" LP I had mentioned that I was reading Deborah Curtis' book about her life with Ian and of course Joy Division. Since it's a short read I thought I better review it immediately before my memory lets me down and my brain's hard drive gets too overloaded with information nobody really needs to know, including myself. Back in 2007 when I moved to London from Switzerland I remember that the movie 'Control' was just about to come out and was highly anticipated by the movie and music press alike. It was then when I became more intrigued about Joy Division's history and music alike as I have to be honest but throughout the decades somehow I never caught on the hype about the band which in retrospect is a shame but then again it's never too late and it's not like I have missed some great re-union show because of the laziness on my part. A good while ago I read Jon Savage's "This Searing Light..." book about Joy Division and highly enjoyed it hence I can recommend that one if you want to get a good feel about those particular times in Manchester's music history. Deborah's book is much older than the Savage one and was recently given to me by my favorite local record store proprietor (Cheers Jerid!). In all fairness it's a great short read if you are interested in the relationship between husband and wife and really how conflicted it was from the very beginning. Of course one could say that with Ian having died the reader gets to hear just one side, but I have no doubt that Deborah did not see any reason to lie or exaggerate. To be very fair to her I did not find her tone to be condescending or unfair in any shape or form. Actually it is quite the opposite where Deborah clearly has a feeling that she and others could have helped to prevent the tragic death of Ian. What I found most fascinating about the book is Deborah's very detail oriented memory where she would remember exactly what happened on a certain day or night or what record Ian would be crazy about in the year 1975 for instance. If time travel was possible then going back to '70s Manchester would be a highly fascinating trip, albeit a depressing one in many ways. Judging from the book and how serious Ian was about music and the bands he adored it all makes sense why Joy Division sounded the way they did. One thing must be said and that is that Ian knew very early on that the band he was to front will stand apart from others and I think we all agree that Joy Division achieved that. Something I can read about over and over are those very early days of punk where a handful of people were in the know and aware that something was bubbling under the surface waiting to explode and Deborah's book gives you a really good idea as to how everything evolved in and around Manchester. Of course you also get Deborah's view about how Ian connected with Annik and eventually destroyed their marriage, and even there Deborah takes a very fair and distant approach. If you are interested in the history of Ian Curtis and Joy Division than this is a must-read, but even from an outsider point of view this is a great read about a very unique time period in music history. 

Hated - 4 Song EP and Pressure/Stereotyped 7" Single Reissues

Label: Meat House Productions; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM 7" EP

If you are like me and love the early Southern California sound of bands like T.S.O.L, Agent Orange, Adolescents, Shattered Faith et al then you are in for a treat with Hated who hailed from Huntington Beach and released three 7"s in the very early '80s. As it goes with those records they cost in the hundreds and are collector items and unfortunately not to be heard by the vast majority of us punk record nerds. Luckily Meat House Productions has finally made these gems available again for everyone to be able to buy for a few bucks and that's just what the world needed. I sure as hell have come across Hated, but whether it was this Hated or another one, I really don't recall. The band really doesn't get much mentioned in all the books and documentaries on Southern California punk history that are out there now while they really should be up there with the likes I name dropped earlier on. Originally released on the band's own Stress Records in 1982 the four songs are nothing short of superb and had they been produced better and especially louder the record would be even better as it already is. Angst-ridden vocals combined with the typical surf music influenced punk guitar sound of Southern California and an equally aggressive yet melodic bass and drum sound are all the ingredients a perfect record needs and they are to be found in abundance on all four songs. My personal favorite is "Enemy", but in all fairness I could pick any of them. Brilliant EP!

Label: Meat House Productions; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM Single

I don't know which of these two records came out first in 1982 but just like the 4 Song EP this two song single containing 'Pressure' and 'Stereotyped' is an absolute scorcher. Interestingly across the front cover from left to right the letters read in German "ich kann ihn nicht leiden", meaning I cannot stand him. Who the band was referring to is unknown to me but considering Hated were part of the early '80s hardcore punk contingent from Huntington Beach I imagine they had lots of enemies in the general population by just looking somewhat different from the rest. Hard to think that these days just about anyone walking down the Huntington Beach pier looks somewhat punky, well slightly exaggerated but not that far off from the truth me thinks. In comparison to the 4 song EP the two songs on this single are better produced and while they are stylistically very similar I cannot help to hear a bit more of an Angry Samoans vibe in both songs. Maybe I should mention that bass player Chalmer Lumary went on to join Vandals and I am not one hundred percent sure whether another member, Joe Wood, is the same person that would go on to front the second incarnation of T.S.O.L and married Jack Grisham's sister. Maybe someone out there knows? Hopefully I can find a copy of the reissue of the band's first record from 1981 and from what I saw on the Hated official FB page a new record is to come out on Puke'N'Vomit as well. Unfortunately Hated's singer Steve Reehl aka Steve Real passed away last year, RIP. Get these reissues while they last!

Cuckoos Nest Poster and Live Shot stolen from the band's FB page.

Crow - Who Killed Dove? EP

Label: Prank Recors; Year: 2022; Format: 33 1/3 7" EP

Judging by some of my more recent entries one might conclude that I have lost the plot and gone Soft Rock. Ladies and gentlemen, wrong. I certainly couldn't listen to stuff like Crow on a daily basis, for that I just feel too old, but I sure as hell still feel the need to up the ante more often than not and blast a true '80s Japanese Hardcore Punk gem for instance. It's a good thing some of us stay interested in the past forever and when prompted just re-activate some old information stored away in the the most remote area of the brain, like in my case. Crow from Osaka are a band that have been on my radar for many years but with Japanese records having sky rocketed in value over the decades there is little to no hope of owning an original of many of those records I would love to hear and own. On top of that little did I know that Prank Records was actually still active hence a big cheers to Ken for putting this one out and making it available again for a few bucks in its original artwork. I wish I could tell you more about the band, but then again maybe I'd just waste your precious time so never mind. What matters most is that you get four raw, dark and crusty D-Beat smashers that were originally released in 1985 on the band's own Crow Records and that they certainly don't disappoint. Personally I prefer Side II with both, 'Last Chaos' and 'Who Killed Dove' being outstanding Discharge influenced rippers that will destroy your candle light dinner with your significant other in no time. The lyrics are simple, dark and considering they were written nearly forty years ago one could argue prophetic when it comes to the state of our planet and humanity. Grab yourself a copy and play loud!

Ace - Five-A-Side LP

Label: Anchor Records; Year: 1974; Format: Vinyl LP

So, here a bit of a peculiar one in the sense that I probably would never have gotten this LP unless I stumbled upon it somewhere. The reason I have a copy now is thanks to a friend of mine in Switzerland (Thanks Pat!) who was kind enough to think of me when he spotted a copy at a record shop in Europe knowing that as a Liverpool FC supporter I would appreciate the gesture, which I absolutely do and even more so since he's an Arsenal FC supporter. He kindly told me that with that front cover he couldn't help himself but that most likely the music sucks to which I replied that we shall see and I'll post about it. So this week I familiarized myself not just with Ace's music, but a little bit with their history as well. The band formed in late 1972 in Sheffield, UK and had somewhat of a successful stint during the '70s, mainly thanks to their hit single "How Long", which I must have heard a million times on the radio not knowing who it was. I must say that as skeptical as I was sitting down to listen to the LP I came away thinking that it's not a bad LP at all. As a matter of fact in my opinion there is a real hidden gem to be found on the record with "24 Hours", a really strong heavy Funk number of which I wish the record had more of. Also quite enjoyable are the first two tracks "Sniffin' About" and "Rock & Roll Runaway", both decent Pub Rock songs leaning on the tame side but never the less still rockin' and rollin'. The rest of the LP is listenable but let's be honest somewhat forgettable. Interestingly enough two of Ace's members used to be in the '60s Mod band The Action, a band whose catalogue I might explore at some point. Ace relocated to the United States in the '70s and released their third and final LP on this side of the pond disbanding in 1977. Paul Carrack who was the main singer and pianist in Ace went on to have a successful solo career as well as joining Mike & The Mechanics during the '80s. His re-recording of "How Long" in 1996 landed the song in the charts again and must be bankrolling him up to this day. Since I became a Liverpool FC supporter around 1983 as far as I remember I looked up the team of 1974 recognizing players like Ray Clemence, Emlyn Hughes and of course Kevin Keegan amongst others. Judging by the five white and blue scarfs waving Ace members plugged into the sea of Liverpool supporters on the front cover I would assume the band were Sheffield Wednesday FC fans and with that I just say "You'll Never Walk Alone". 

Warsaw - An Ideal For Killing LP

Label: Galaor Records (Unofficial); Year: 2002; Format: Vinyl LP

I am currently reading Deborah Curtis' "Touching from a Distance" book which was published a long time ago and was gifted to me a few days ago. More about the book when I do a review, so stay tuned. When I woke up this morning I scratched my bald head and was wondering what record I should review today as I intend to put in a shift for the blog. It then dawned on me that I have an old Warsaw bootleg LP and that it would make an ideal soundtrack to what I am reading, so here we go. As many of you will certainly know before Joy Division became known under said name they went by the name Warsaw, which in turn they took from David Bowie's 'Low' album song "Warsawa". Ian Curtis missed the first Sex Pistols gig in June of '76 but attended the second Lesser Free Trade Hall gig on July 20th of the same year. Peter Hook, Bernard Sumner and Terry Mason were also at that gig and were eager to start a band of their own. After Bernard had bumped into Ian at several local gigs they decided to recruit Ian as their singer after having placed an ad at Virgin Records. Judging by what Bernard had to say about recruiting Ian it could definitely be argued that his decision was based on pure instinct and gut feeling:

"Because I knew he was all right to get on with and that's what we based the whole group on. If we liked someone, they were in."

Now with a band in place Ian had finally achieved what he always wanted to be: a singer in a band that had a vision setting themselves apart from the rest. "An Ideal For Killing" is a bootleg compiling different sessions, two of which were recorded as Warsaw, and two other ones when the band had already changed their name to Joy Division. The first five tracks on the first side are also known as "The Ideal Beginning" Demo Sessions and the first four tracks on the second side ended up being the "An Ideal For Living" EP. But enough of all these nuanced details as the music is what matters the most and there isn't a single dull track to be found on this LP. Sure, the first Side (Tension-Side) sounds a bit rough but even at this very early stage of the band's career one can already detect the sheer talent of which these Manchester lads had in abundance. Without a doubt those July '77 sessions were influenced by the Sex Pistols and Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers but Warsaw's style had already a twist of its own setting them apart from many other '77 Punk acts with tracks like 'At a later Date' or 'You're no good for me'. The second side (Reaction Side) is where the change in style and the growth as a band become tangible and loud and clear. At the end of '77 Warsaw played the last gig under said name and most of the tracks on the second side were recorded a few weeks prior to said gig. This side is filled with absolute killer tracks including 'Ice Age' and 'Walked in Line'. As is common with bootlegs not all information is correct but at least the person behind this boot put some love into it and printed up a glossy insert. I am pretty sure that all the tracks are to be found on other records, but if you can hunt down a copy of this particular LP do yourself a favor and grab it as it's worth every penny. 

Wayne Kramer - The Hard Stuff (Dope, Crime, the MC5 & My Life Of Impossibilities)

Publisher: Da Capo Press; Year: 2018; Format: Hardcover Book

I had bought this book back in 2018 when it had come out and as per the price sticker on the back I only had to shell out fourteen bucks at Strand Book Store in NYC, a steal for a truly fantastic book. I remember reading it the same year or the year after so my memory as to the details contained in the book is shoddy to say the least. Hence this week I made it a little project to revisit certain chapters and by doing so I quickly realized why I liked the book so much in the first place. Just like the subtitle of Wayne's memoir suggests this book will take you on a wild ride around the U.S of A. starting off in Detroit where Wayne's story originates, and where of course the MC5 formed. From early childhood on Wayne is obsessed with Rock'N'Roll and after having discovered Chuck Berry he knows that one day he will be the badass on stage churning out mean riffs to hard and soulful music. Something I always enjoy about memoirs, and this book is certainly no exception to that, are the early chapters where readers are drawn into a world of the past, a world that is largely forgotten now. Detroit has a rich history when it comes to popular music as well as a history of a former economic powerhouse where many people could live comfortably on one family member's salary thanks to a good union job in the auto industry. It is hard to believe how bustling this city once was before the economic downturn has turned it into a crime ridden ghost town ultimately being forced into bankruptcy a few years back. Capitalism simply doesn't give a shit about people and Detroit amongst other cities in the rustbelt has been rebuilding for decades to gain back a little bit of its glorious past. Wayne's life in a way resembles Detroit in the sense that when it's good it's really good and when it's bad, it's really bad. I don't have to go into details when it comes to the MC5 as they are rightfully regarded as one of the most important Rock'N'Roll acts ever having walked this earth. The fact that they had a pretty significant impact on the '70s punk rock explosion definitely bypassed Wayne up to the point when he meets Johnny Thunders with whom he played in Gang War for some time. After the MC5 fell apart, so did Wayne's life and drug addiction and a career in petty crime and as a cocaine supplier eventually led him to serve a lengthy stint in Federal Prison where he befriends Red Rodney, a colorful jazz character. After life in prison Wayne's life is a steady up and down and takes him from Detroit to the Lower East Side of NYC, Key West in Florida, Nashville Tennessee and Los Angeles where he meets Brett Gurewitz of Epitaph Records who enables Wayne to have another go at a career as a recording artist. Anybody who has been following Wayne in recent years will know that at seventy five he is still very much active on stage, as a matter of fact I just saw this morning that last night he performed with Pere Ubu in New York City. Thanks to a collaboration between Billy Bragg, Wayne and his wife Margaret since 2009 Jail Guitar Doors has been a successful independent initiative to provide musical instruments to inmates locked up in prisons across the United Kingdom and the United States which just proves that Wayne has learned his lessons and wants to give back as much as he can. I understand that amongst die-hard MC5 fans Wayne is a divided figure as he for instance blocked the release of the MC5 documentary which is a true shame in case you are lucky to have been able to see it on a burned copy like myself. But, this book is not about who is to blame and for what but about redemption and a life lived on the edges of society while recording some fantastic tunes throughout the decades. If you haven't read this book yet then you should kick out the jams and get to it fast! 

Spread from the book with photos of Wayne with Mick Jones of the Clash, Johnny Thunders etc.

Update 2-3-24: Unfortunately brother Wayne Kramer passed away yesterday, February 2, 2024. Rest in Peace, Wayne. 

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)

Gestapo Khazi - S/T Mini-LP

Label: Dead Beat Records; Year: 2009; Format: 12" 45RPM EP

First and foremost this is somewhat of an abnormality when it comes to my blog entries as this record was recorded and released in 2009, which for this blog seems like yesterday. It's funny how records sometimes find their way into your house as up until I had bought this 12" about a year ago I have never heard of Gestapo Khazi from Long Beach, CA unlike the label this was released on - Dead Beat Records - a true household name when it comes to solid releases by bands from around the world. As a matter of fact I used to trade with Tom from Dead Beat quite a bit during my active label/distro years so in that sense sometimes things come full circle. I found this scorcher of a record at my local record store up the road and since finding punk records there doesn't happen very often I took this one home with me, even though I don't really buy anything beyond the '90s. Still, this was well worth the few bucks as it sure as hell really is a terrific record. I presume the guys in the band were inspired by the old UK band The Blood when it comes to the band name and they without a doubt were inspired by the underground sounds of the '80s when it comes to the songs on this Mini-LP which really should have been a full length, that's just how good this is. Take the melancholy of the Wipers, throw in a heavy Jeffrey Lee Pierce vibe, and mix that in a blender with the post-punk sound of Gang Of Four and more traditional early '80s Southern California punk and voila you get Gestapo Khazi. The funny thing is that this trend seems to repeat itself throughout the years and while I haven't followed new bands actively in years, I am well aware that bands of that ilk are quite the hype in the underground scenes of 2023, hence I suggest that you kiddos seek out this record while it's still available for next to nothing as any of the songs could appear on Killed By Death # 166 to be released in the year 2030.   

V/A - Oi!....rare & exotica LP

Label: Teenage Rebel Records (Fun & Glory); Year: 1997; Format: Vinyl LP

I suppose it's Oi-week or something along those lines. Firstly, earlier in the week I listened to a German podcast with one of the members of the well-known band Loikaemie, and secondly I am actually going out tonight to see some Oi bands of which two are local Buffalo bands, and yes believe it or not Buffalo is starting to have somewhat of an Oi scene apparently. So in order to get myself in the mood I thought I listen to some Oi even though I don't have many records of said genre, but there are a few. The initial plan was to listen to both Volumes of Oi!...rare & exotica but to tell you the truth I can't remember ever seeing an LP packing more music onto one single piece of Vinyl than the first volume, hence I am sticking with just one. Also, I am actually not sure how this Compilation came about originally as I do recall ordering it from Germany at the time, and at the same time I also remember a friend of mine telling me that Ruediger of Teenage Rebel was behind it, but the record does not indicate such anywhere. I assume it was compiled and released by Ruediger, just not official. Regardless, there is a lot of great music to be found on here so in that sense I am glad I gave this one a spin today. In total there are twenty-two songs from equally as many countries clocking in at over fifty minutes on one LP, so make sure your fridge is well stocked with beer or whatever it is you fancy drinking. With the exception of very few acts such as Reich Orgasm from France, Kohu-63 from Finland or Zona A from Slovakia the bands contained on this record are definitely obscure and unknown, most likely even to some Die-Hard Oi freaks. Some of the stand-out tracks are by bands from South America, such as the excellent "Eternos Amigos" by Central Do Brasil (obviously from Brazil), the superb kick ass aggro contribution by Argentina's Comando Suicida with "Grito Proletario", "Lautaro Rocanrol" by Ocho Bolas from Chile or an outstanding cover version of Vice Squad's 'Last Rockers' by Antisociales from Mexico. Of course there are also standouts from Europe with Greece's Birthward '82 song being one of the best on the whole record (someone please reissue their EP from the '80s!). Stromberg Polka with "Hoffnung" were interestingly one of the earliest German Oi bands taking a strong stand against right wing attitudes, while Psychoterror from Estonia deliver a hit with "Let's Oi!". Not to forget are bands from really far away countries such as No Tag from New Zealand or Cockney Cocks from Japan. As you can see the list is long and there are only two to three songs that I think could have easily been left out, which would have helped with the sound quality I imagine which isn't bad though considering how much music was squeezed onto this. I've got to say that I am going to see if I can find some more recordings by certain bands on here as a quarter of a century after this was released lots has happened in terms of reissues by some of these really obscure acts. Stay tuned for Volume 2 down the road and keep it real! Oi!

Slapshot - Back On The Map Mini-LP 

Label: Taang Records; Year: 1986; Format: 33 1/3 12" EP

On my daily bus commute heading home this afternoon I thought I better get my lazy ass up and write up a blog entry tonight. Several records came to mind, but then I thought we are in the midst of the Stanley Cup Final hence Slapshot would be the perfect fit after all they wish their beloved Boston Bruins had not exited the play-offs in the first round after outplaying the entire league in the regular season by a mile. If you are reading this and happen to be an ice-hockey fan like myself then let me tell you that the Vegas vs. Florida final has not grabbed my interest whatsoever as I don't believe in hockey under palm trees, but to be fair to both teams they deserve to be where they are. On to music though now and a classic record that belongs in every record collection, something that must be said. Back in 1986 Crossover was in full swing and while said sub genre without a doubt gifted us some great records there were a lot of lame bands that the world has forgotten about a long time ago. Out of the remnants of Last Rights, Negative FX and DYS came Slapshot in 1985 and while they stayed true to their classic Boston Style Hardcore Punk they definitely threw in a good measure of UK Oi Punk in the vein of Blitz, Business et al. The seven songs contained on this Mini-LP are all simply fantastic melodic yet aggressive songs that on top of that were recorded 24 Tracks which makes a huge difference, and which I wish a lot of bands had done back in the day. Shoot that puck hard and stay out of the penalty box!