Wednesday 30 November 2016

Prutsers - "Volume 3" - (Year Zero Records YEAR040) 2016


You want more hopelessly obscure Dutch DIY dabblings from the eighties do you?
Thankfully Year Zero Records has cobbled together a Third(?)  volume of lunacy from Rotterdam nutters The 'Prutsers'.
Jan and Henk engaging in some light reading before an evening in front of the Television
Henk, Jan and Robo, bring you the usual,and the very unusual, madness from the squatlands of Rotterdam in the early to mid 1980's.
Robot voices mix with accordions,toy instruments, cheap samplers, and pots and pans, as The Residents get blended with Danny and the Dressmakers in a broken sonic liquidizer, then poured slowly into your ear.

Jan and Henk relaxing at home
Just think with a moments horror, what would have happened to Prutsers if they were rich, had top of the range equipment; then got put into a recording studio with a top Producer......you'd end up with something like Westlife probably, instead of Pondlife.
For sheer inventiveness alone this is worth the price of a FREE download!....surely.....its funny as well!
Jan and Robo enjoying some spare time
Track Listing:

1 In Den Beginnen
2 Love is the Drug
3 Modern Ridderverhaal
4 Mijn Naam Is Hector de Computer
5 Als u Het Niet Aanzien Wil
6 Let's All Chant
7 Wouterje
8 Der Buurman
9 In Mijn Huis Woont een Spook
10 Ein Stuck Von Mir
11 Prutsers but made by ton van Hammond
12 Foggy Days Are Here Again
13 Ontevreden met het Heden
14 Hobabaloeka
15 Kleuter Medley
16 In Perfect Evenwicht
17 Paperclip Polka
18 Pecos Bill
19 Struisvogel ei
20 To The Point
21 Zware Kost
22 Heartbreak Hotel

DOWNLOAD a third volume of drug crazed dutch weirdness from the eighties HERE!

Tuesday 29 November 2016

Komovari64 - "Pana Pagan / Stop" (self released Cassingle / Privaat Band Een) 1982


Komovari64's 'hit' cassingle from 1982; a dark journey into the claustrophobic world of DIY electronica from a planet still shivering in the Cold War.
"Pana Pagan" sounds like malfunctioning Soviet technology serving the launch systems of a fleet of  Soviet Fusion weapon's ,the Tsar Bomba's. Waiting to vaporise your painful existence at the slightest crackling of an outdated valve.
Although, having Donald J. Trump and Mike Pence with their unstable pinkie's hovering over the nuclear button, makes Soviet Russia seem a reassuringly comforting memory.
Side B, is the best advice I could possibly give these idiotic masters of war......STOP!.....just STOP IT !!!!
Classic obscure almost computerless, handmade and handplayed, minimal electronics from a nearly forgotten age........check out his story,and find more tracks, on the previous post by clicking HERE!

DOWNLOAD don't stop HERE!

Monday 28 November 2016

Komovari64 - "Komonovari" (self-released cassette / Privaat Band Drie) 1982


Remember Komovari64?.....from Holland?.....No?....not surprising because literally only a handful of these cassettes were ever sold or given away.(see the full story below)
This is the kind of stuff that defines the beauty of the DIY heyday of Cassette Culture.Full of charm,devoid of commercial ambition,naive, amateurish,honest, everything that describes the the refreshing dilettantism of that golden epoch.
Everyone has 'something' to get out of themselves, just like there are plenty of people/artists who get far too much out of themselves.Generally an artist should only liberate one or two pieces, then retire; after that they only start to repeat themselves, and even worse, try to think! Persons such as Paul Werkman (Komovari64), used this liberating revolution in art to slap down his version of minimal electronica from some kind of unconscious need to express himself; but with no clue how to do it. A musical version of feeling the 'Force'.
This naturally leads to the creation of something pretty unique,free of rules except natural law.There's something incredibly personal about music like this.A privileged invitation in to someone's private world. 
If it was possible I would fill this Blog out exclusively with moments like this.(If you have anything impossibly obscure from your distant past, please send them to me and get it featured here....unless its some Heavy Metal shit or worse of course!)

For further insights into the story of Komovari64, i'll leave you in the hands of Paul Werkman himself to explain further:

"When I was 19 I was very much inspired by electronic music, which I read about in music papers, such as Muziekkrant Oor, things like Orchestral Manouvres In The Dark and Human League. I wasn't a very social person, so I never knew many people who are also interested in doing that kind of music, and I didn't like punk music very much. It seemed to me that this electronic music was something one could do on it's own. I got a pretty large inheritance from my grandfather who died, and it seemed to me great if I could have some equipment and see how it would be like an electronic musician. So I bought all of this stuff new, the Moog, Korg, a microphone, a small mixer, some sort of echo device and a reel-to-reel machine. The vari64 rhythm machine was second hand I think. I no longer know why I didn't buy something new for rhythm machine. I also had a guitar and a crackle box. I even paid something extra to have it all delivered by car to my home. I was living with my parents still, as I was at the university (studying political sciences) and that was close by. I remember unpacking all this stuff and putting it on a table, thinking it looked like a proper studio. I wish I had a picture of it, but sadly I don't. The first time I switched it all on, I was thrilled, but it was very hard to get a sound out of it. Maybe naively I thought machines like this would play by themselves? I think I listened to the rhythm machine for a long time, just by itself, going through the echo, which I thought sounded great. After a while I started to get sounds out of the other machines, but I soon realized I had no idea about making songs, or melodies, so mainly my 'songs' were rhythm and sounds, also because I played everything live, using 2 hands, which I though this was supposed to be. They did it like that on TV.
Of course I knew about the whole world of independent record labels, and even cassette labels, so I thought it would be good to do a 'label' myself. I ordered from Plurex the manual for independent labels, but the release of vinyl was a bit scary when I read all of this, so I took the two best songs I had, 'Pana Pagan' and 'Stop' and released a very short cassette, which was copied on sixty minute tapes, but cut them by hand. I did a really bad cover, not by accident, but I had no idea. I called the project Komovari64, after the three instruments I liked best; it sounds a bit like Minny Pops of course (also named after a drum machine), which I quite liked. I copied some, some of which I gave away to some fellow students. Some liked it, but most didn't understand this at all. I also put some in the local record store, 'Melody'. The cover is orange, as is the colour of the Dutch royal family, and I hoped that everyone thought that was really shocking, but nobody ever said something about it. I wrote them all by hand, since this seemed very arty at the time to do.
I struggled on and everytime I looked at that Plurex booklet, the whole idea of a real record seemed appealling and I did the 7". I recorded 5 songs, which were very smooth and I mailed my tape to a pressing plant. It was the wrong (slow) speed, but they made a test pressing anyway, correcting the speed for free, which I thought was very nice. I got about 10 copies of the testpressing or so, but then I got scared of actually a lot of people hearing this music, so I made this orange cover on xerox machine and put these 10 in the same record store for sale. I went in every week to see if they were sold, and after six months 4 were, and I found it embarrasing to ask all the time, so I didn't anymore. When the store disappeared I didn't go back to ask for the unsold copies.
By then I no longer lived at home, but in a squat, but also was diagnozed with schizoprenia. I heard voices and therefore I couldn't listen to my voice on tape. Slowly I had to sell the equipment, as I was not working and due to my state I also forgot to collect welfare money. First I sold the guitar as I had used this on only one song. I had a bunch of songs, no vocals, but in the same style, which all seemed to me the same at one point. I made a second cassette, but beyond making the master and the cover nothing happened; I think I made some copies (10 I think, mostly for friends), but not a lot, maybe with different covers, I am not sure now. This cassette is called 'Komonovari', since much of the music was in mono. I found too late to change the music, since I recorded only live and couldn't re-do the music.
In the end I even had to sell the rhythm machine, so I taped 5 minutes of different rhythms on a cassette with the microphone and did 3 small, 1 minute pieces, with a cut up of that 5 minute rhythm tape, and a manic 'text piece'. I remember I threw the microphone out of the window. I believe I sent these three pieces to a compilation label project in France, but I don't know if it was ever released. It is very likely but I didn't put a return address on it.
After that I lived on the streets for a while, dabbled in drugs, which wasn't a very good combination, but someone 'found' me, and helped me to work on all of this. I never told him I did music, as it was all behind me. A few years ago my mother died and I must have given her a box of cassettes and tapes with all that music on it, but I haven't heard any of it as i no longer have anything to play it with. It's not a lot of stuff in terms of 'finished' compositions (I always called them 'little pieces') or even 'unfinished' ones. These days I work for the city government (department of parking meters!), play tennis and sometimes listen to Coldplay and Muse."





Saturday 26 November 2016

Man's Hate - "Raiders of the Stolen Hearts" (Man's Hate Productions) 1987




More Hate, this time it's Man's Hate, which seems to predominate over Women's Hate. Men are pre-programmed ,genetically, to Hate his enemies. Purely a Darwinian response, but a Response that fucks up life for everyone.
Now,.... 'Man's Hate' the DIY Punk  overcoat for Andy Xport from Peterborough, is largely concerned with animal rights and 'why don't we just all get on(?)' kind of politics that were particularly popular with the Anarcho-punk set in the mid-eighties.
Naturally, I agree with everything he says, because i'm about the same age, come from the East Midlands(UK), made the same kind of DIY tuneful Punk on a portastudio in the eighties, and apparently we were both at the Clash's 1978 'On Parole Tour' gig at Granby Halls in Leicester.
The tunes have that charming naivety of the young person trying to make 'proper music'. I fell into this trap too when i got my hands on a Tascam Porta studio.Instead of being inventive I ended up making proper songs, with amateurish melodies.....just like my fav New Wave bands. When all I had were two stereo cassette recorders and no instruments I made much better non-tunes indeed.(Check out the 'best' of my own decent into portastudio hell HERE!)
Instead of capturing the DIY sound of the pre-portastudio era, this stuff sounds almost listenable for the 'normals'. It sounds like he has 'Ambition'!!!!???......a filthy word in the DIY community.
It kinda reminds me of the tuneful end of Anarcho-Punk, like a less smart-arse 'Zounds' or 'The Mob ', who I have grown to like over the last thirty years, So i may grow to like this too, for it does have its undoubted charm, especially the direct injected lead guitar lines.
This is what happened to 'The Prats' after they grew up, a living embodiment of the Picasso quote about children trying to paint like adults, and ending up with something not as good as either.

Track Listing:



DOWNLOAD a male kind of hate HERE!

Thursday 24 November 2016

Scouts Of Uzbekistan - "Hate is Our religion" (Year Zero Records YEAR039) 2016


In keeping with the current theme of 'Hate', its only fitting that we feature the latest Scouts Of Uzbekistan album. A parable for these uncertain times.
At last, after 6 looooong years, we have the new album from Scouts of Uzbekistan!!!!?.....the long awaited follow up to "Fun Lovin' Muslims" (YEAR001).
The trademark Scouts sound of improvised drums and Bass, combined with speech samples and Noise is very much still their raison d'etre.A kind of Post-Post rock?
This time with an extended line-up.
Mark carolan drums and Guitar, J.Zchivago Bass, guitar, Noise and samples, Christophe Medina Drums and Percussion, and Nadine Aleman, Korg MS20.

Dedicated to Donald J. Trump.

Track Listing:

1 Nude tuesday (4:42)
2 E.T. Phone Homophobe (4:53)
3 The Perception Of Doors (12:11)
4 She Came From Lincoln (5:50)
5 Portable Slave Toilet 5:35)
6 Release the Kraken (8:56)
7 And So Cometh The Christ Android 6:00)
8 Five Reasons To Love Me 6:01)
9 Hansel and Zombie (4:38)
10 I Am The Alter-Destiny (5:54)

DOWNLOAD Hate as your religion HERE!

Wednesday 23 November 2016

Various Artists ‎– "Hate's Our Belief" (Aquilifer Sodality ‎– 1AE 03003) 1983


More on our theme celebrating this new age of the Politics of Hate. Another jolly compilation from an enlightened era in comparison to the dawning of this New Dark Age on planet Earth. The inhabitants of which seem to make the same mistakes again and again. Some 'Brexiter'(part of the same 'popular' uprising as Trump) suggested that I learn some history(whatever he meant by that???), but these narrow minded proletarians seem to be doomed to repeat it......and it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.
So here we have some charming popular themes that were regularly showcased in the recent US election and that absurd Brexit referenDUM; like Sexism, Racism, Sexual Assault, Racial violence, political violence, McCarthyism,Big lies,stupidity,and, oh yeah...stupidity.
Except these themes as used by the artists involved here are meant not only to shock, but also entice critical thought about racism and bigotry.
Those involved in the political nonsense that has let loose the caged monster of intolerance,have no such noble objectives....they actually fucking mean it!!?.....now that is Shocking!

Tracklist:

A1 –Sutcliffe Jugend -  Cunt Rape
A2 –Consumer Electronics -Vibro
A3 –The Dadarotator -The Dadarotator
A4 –Mauthausen Orchestra -Return To The Glory
A5 –Ramleh -McCarthy
A6 –Sutcliffe Jugend - Male Supremacy
B1 –Krang - Neurasthenia
B2 –Bruno Cossano - Debacle
B3 –M.B. - Giudizio Finale


Tuesday 22 November 2016

Rockwell ‎– "Hate" (Broken Flag ‎– BF 9) 1983


In 1983 Industrial Noise groups were running out of far right racists to overlay their fuzzy squeals and amplified static with. So naturally they began to scrape the bottom of the barrel, hence, here we have some noise overdubbed with a speech by the now assassinated leader of the American Nazi Party, George Lincoln Rockwell
He was reasonably articulate(which always passes for intelligence), and argued for racial segregation, whilst naturally asserting that he wasn't racist at all. He proudly boasted of his 'Hate' for traitors to the American nation, which usually meant Jews, and to a lesser extent Blacks. He even owned a van daubed with White Supremacist slogans and Swastikas, to drive to his increasingly rare speech engagements, which he even called "The Hate Bus",(Which was eventually repossessed after missed finance payments).
Amazingly, this idiot, was also a DIY music pioneer, when he started his own record label called, catchily  , "Hatenanny Records", back in the year of my birth, 1964.
Rockwell, the group, was basically Ramleh, but running scared of having their name being labelled as racist, Gary Mundy insisted that it was released under a pseudonym.........however the later re-release was listed as being by Ramleh.
Anyone who bought records by these power electronic shock groups, would not have raised an eyebrow at the content in the slightest; and Mr and Mrs Joe Public would not have listened long enough to get to the start of the speech to form an opinion......well, Mr and Mrs Joe Public are generally as racist as Mr Rockwell anyway, so they'd probably agree rather than be outraged.
The dodgy simplistic politics of George Rockwell is making a comeback these days, appealing to the emotions rather than giving any actual answers. That primary emotion is 'Hate', which has never solved any problems. Exploiting fear, and finger pointing elsewhere to find scapegoats.
Its music like this that truly encapsulates this ugly truth about modern humanity,and, I hasten to add, it isn't exclusively White!
It's essential that one confronts these uncomfortable taboo's ,or we will have no chance of curing them. So Rockwell/Ramleh are your therapists for tonight.......feel the Hate, so you can discover what Love is.

Track Listing:

Side A - "Hate (part 1)"
Side B - "Hate (part 2)"

DOWNLOAD some rockwell'n'roll HERE!

Monday 21 November 2016

Con-Dom ‎– "Even More Racial Hatred" (Zeal SS ‎– o51) 1986


Here's one for Trump and Farage Supporters (aka Thick Twats).
Now, after all that Pub Rock, its time to get back to (Ab)normality; so we'll start by going straight off into the deep end with a little bit of confrontational liberal-baiting Noise by Human Animal Mike Dando, aka Con-Dom. Not a reference to prophylactic's, but maybe a pun that is supposed to refer to the sexual term (Con)trol and (Dom)ination.......a naughty boy he is too.
Not everyone's cup of tea, Dando's live show's are a primal scream of an in your face confrontation of social Taboo's. The ugly side of the human animal is displayed in all its unpleasant glory.
Its a kind of honesty, which is why a favourite theme is always Nazi Germany, where, like it or not, was home to one of the most Honest Politicians of all time.....yes....uncle Adolf. He is virtually alone in political history as a politician who told you what he was going to do, and then did it,even their propaganda ministry was called "The Propaganda Ministry" for Christs sake!? And everyone was shocked. A bit like a Con-Dom Live Assault. They know whats going to happen, and then they complain, when Mr Dando grabs a audience members crotch mid scream.
Con-Dom explores any kind of social tensions and control: political, religious, racial, with a violent and uncompromising attitude. He is well-known on the industrial scene for his furious ravaging vocals and devastating live performances, in which he turns into a real stage animal.
This stuff is even more relevant 30 years on than back in 1986; when racism was more an underground cult than in post-Brexit Britain, and with the election of Donald Trump as leader of the 'Free' world!!!!????.....did i dream that or is it true? Now, racism is blatantly displayed in public, after it was given the thumbs up by that stupid Referendum campaign and by the intellectual minnows of the pro-Trump movement. They wouldn't like Con-Dom because he encapsulates what they really are.....but with more honesty.
This is definitely real 'Post-Truth' musik, that appeals, positively, or negatively ,direct to the emotions.
Enjoy.....or not, as is most likely the case; I find it quite a cathartic listening experience in short doses.

Tracklist:
A Kampf 24:37
B Live Assault 20 26:04

Trainspotter Notes:
"Kampf" recorded at the Midland Group Studio, Nottingham. 12th June, 1985.
"Live Assault 20" recorded at The Council House, Smethick, Birmingham. 13 November, 1985. Includes "The Right Future", "New Holocaust 2", "Even More Racial Hatred" + film "Calling All Aryans".


Various Artists ‎– "Goodbye Nashville Hello Camden Town - A Pub Rock Anthology" (Castle Music ‎– CMEDD1451) 2007

To finish this long,and sometimes boring,journey through the annals(or anals) of UK Pub Rock(some of you will be pleased to hear), here's a superb and wide ranging compilation covering everyone from Brinsley Schwarz to Chas and Dave.
I own two t-shirts with musicians emblazened across the breast area, One is ,of course, Motorhead, and the other is, less obviously, Chas and Dave. So its good to see them listed as Pub Rock rather than in the Novelty record section.
There are a few notable omissions, mainly the charlie big potatoes of Pub Rock, like Elvis Costello and Dire Straits;but who cares about that? A fine compilation indeed.

Tracklist:
1-1 –Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers - Goodbye Nashville, Hello Camden Town 2:50
1-2 –Kilburn & The High Roads - Billy Bentley (Promenades Himself In London) 3:02
1-3 –Bees Make Honey - What Have We Got To Lose 3:34
1-4 –Brinsley Schwarz - Country Girl 3:10
1-5 –Country Fever - Only Daddy That'll Walk The Line 2:35
1-6 –Chas And Dave - Scruffy Old Cow 4:01
1-7 –Big Jim Sullivan - If I Could Only Play Guitar Like That 3:02
1-8 –Jerry The Ferret - How Long 3:02
1-9 –Eddie And The Hot Rods - All I Need Is Money 2:28
1-10 –Eggs Over Easy - Runnin' Down To Memphis 3:15
1-11 –Meal Ticket - Day Job 4:25
1-12 –Fabulous Poodles - Third Rate Romance 3:09
1-13 –Kursaal Flyers - Drinking Socially 3:38
1-14 –Writing On The Wall - Man Of Renown 3:08
1-15 –Albert Lee - Best I Can 2:43
1-16 –Unicorn - 115 Bar Joy 3:48
1-17 –Zoot Money - Arkansas 3:22
1-18 –Jo Ann Kelly Band - It's Too Late For That Now 3:48
1-19 –Brunning Sunflower Band - Good Golly Miss Molly 2:22
1-20 –Ernie Graham -Sweet Inspiration 3:19
1-21 –Bees Make Honey - Indian Bayou Saturday 3:26
1-22 –The Johnny Young Band - Country Boy 4:29
1-23 –McGuinness Flint - Ride On My Rainbow 2:58
1-24 –Dr. Feelgood Roxette 2:53
2-1 –Kilburn & The High Roads - Rough Kids 2:24
2-2 –The Count Bishops Train Train 3:19
2-3 –The Pirates - Gibson Martin Fender 3:23
2-4 –Matchbox - Rock & Roll Band 2:40
2-5 –Mick Farren- I Want A Drink 1:45
2-6 –Mickey Jupp - If Only Mother 3:01
2-7 –Black Claw-Another Useless Day 4:58
2-8 –Mountain Line - Midnight Flyer 2:28
2-9 –Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers - Choo Choo Ch'Boogie 3:31
2-10 –Tyla Gang - Fireball 4:04
2-11 –The Cartoons - Lunchtime Love Affair 3:02
2-12 –Chas And Dave -I Am A Rocker 3:46
2-13 –Downliners Sect = Blues Coup De Ville 3:05
2-14 –Fabulous Poodles - Roll Your Own 2:46
2-15 –Bees Make Honey -Dance Around 3:23
2-16 –Country Fever - Mama Tried 2:19
2-17 –Stray -Oil Fumes And Sea Air 4:57
2-18 –Ernie Graham - Baby You're All I Need 4:02
2-19 –The John Dummer Band -Young Blood 3:06
2-20 –Unicorn - Country Road 4:14
2-21 –Nine Below Zero -Homework 2:30
2-22 –Eddie And The Hot Rods -Do The Monkey Man 2:56
2-23 –Kilburn & The High Roads - Crippled With Nerves 3:43
2-24 –Chilli Willi & The Red Hot Peppers - Six Days On The Road 2:50


Eggs Over Easy ‎– "Good 'N' Cheap"(A&M Records ‎– SP 4366) 1972


From the smallest seeds grow mighty trees which bare the strangest fruit,
Eggs Over Easy, despite the terrible name, and bland post-hippie soft country rock, were the catalyst that eventually produced Punk Rock and its many children.
Stuck in London in 1971, after some financial irregularities in the USA led to them being advised to stay away. Being at a loose end they persuaded the landlord of the Tally-Ho pub in kentish Town to give them a couple of gigs.
Impressed local musicians, such as Nick Lowe were suitably inspired enough to have a go themselves.One thing led to another and before you could say "mine's a pint", there were similar bands springing up all over London with an eager audience queuing to see them. Before long, a 'movement' was born.These bands took to the tiny pub stages with the bare minimum of equipment and stripped music back to its basics.
Although they were only in London for a matter of months, the effect the Eggs had on music in the Britain's capital would mutate into something very different indeed. Like a pebble tossed into a still pond, the ripples would reach out to influence the whole planet.
Its effect was a bit like when the 'Non-interference directive' in Star Trek was slightly ignored and whole planets ended up as Nazi Germany, or Gangland Chicago in the 1920's.
All this from the most inoffensive and dull band one could ever imagine.
Stiff Records impresario Jake Riviera summed up the need for Pub Rock in this quote:
"Before pub rock people used to think the ideal gig was somewhere like Guildford Civic where you could sit cross-legged and watch King Crimson pan across the stereo. But with the Ducks, the Eggs and the Brinsleys, instead of sitting there reverently impressed, you could get effin' legless and have a good time!"


Tracklist:

A1 Party Party 2:58
A2 Arkansas 3:57
A3 Henry Morgan 4:39
A4 The Factory 3:00
A5 Face Down In The Meadow 4:07
B1 Home To You 3:54
B2 Song Is Born Of Riff And Tongue 4:18
B3 Don't Let Nobody 3:02
B4 Runnin' Down To Memphis 3:14
B5 Pistol On The Shelf 3:33
B6 Night Flight 3:35

Sunday 20 November 2016

Nick Lowe - "Jesus Of Cool" (Radar RAD 1) 1978

Dunno about being the 'Jesus of Cool', but Nick Lowe is probably the Jesus of Pub rock.....and therefore ,ultimately The Jesus of Punk and DIY.
For 'twas he who spotted the lamentable 'Eggs Over Easy' at the Tally-Ho pub and thought it would be a good idea to get a pub residency for his group, the equally lamentable Brinsley Schwarz. From there the flood gates opened and we ended up with Punk Rock and its myriad of off shoots.
Lowe himself, was a pretty talented songsmith and producer , so it was inevitable he would have a solo album at some point; and here it is ,jam packed with clever catchy pop songs.It even contains a 'Hit'!?
Pathetically, this great album was renamed "Pure Pop For Now People" in the USA, because you can't mention Jesus over there without having death threats from the American Taliban. The memory of the John Lennon bigger than Jesus comment was still raw in the memory of the record executives.
I can just imagine the Record Company chief;like a fatter Mike Pence, wearing a double breasted polyester suit, aviator shades, Hawaiian shirt, and huge Cuban cheroot  ,bellowing 'The Jesus of WHAT!!!??..... I got it, we'll call it "Pure Pop For Now People"...now get outta here!'.
Out of all the different industries why is the record industry run by complete Twats!?
I also notice mention of the word "Hitler" in the track listing, which in the modern day politically correct world can give cause for different kinds of Twats to accuse you of antisemitism or worse. In fact just saying that could leave your author open to accusations of Holocaust Denial!?
I prefer to call it historical revisionism anyway.(more post-truth?)

Tracklist:

Music For Money 2:03
(I Love The Sound Of) Breaking Glass 3:05
Little Hitler 2:51
Shake And Pop 3:13
Tonight 3:45
So It Goes 2:23
No Reason 3:25
36 Inches High 2:50
Marie Provost 2:41
Nutted By Reality 2:46
Heart Of The City (Live) 4:15


Saturday 19 November 2016

Eddie And The Hot Rods ‎– "Live At The Rainbow 1977"


The thing about Eddie and The Hot Rods was they looked like us 'real' kids, not the posh kids from Bromley , or the cliques from The Kings Road and Camden.Well at least before they started to wear expensive Ramones style biker jackets. It was impossible to buy drainpipe trousers anywhere, never mind designer bondage gear,
In Southend and the other provinces, we never had any art school drop out pop Svengali to introduce us to French Situationists, and the concept of Anarchy. We were angry and wanted an outlet, and if it rocked we wanted to hear it, bedecked in flared jeans, seventies polyester shirts and football scarves. So we definitely identified immediately with groups like  The Hot Rods and Slaughter and the Dogs.It helped that they had records out before the punks too;but,It took time to see that the Punk groups were in fact just like us too, but with less silly clothes on.
Here's the boys in their preferred environment, live, fast and sweaty, cranking it out for the kids. Although the Rainbow was a bit too big for them to be as intense as they could be in a small club or a pub; nevertheless, a shit hot performance, albeit a badly mixed soundboard recording.

Tracklist:

1 Get Access To You
2 96 Tears
3 Keep On Keepin' on
4 All I Need Is Money
5 Show Me
6 Woolly Bully
7 Horseplay
8 Why Can't It Be
9 The Kids Are Alright
10 Teenage Depression
11 Been So Long
12 Hard Drivin' Man
13 Double Checkin' Woman
14 On The Run
15 Get Out Of Denver
16 Gloria
17 Writing On The Wall


Friday 18 November 2016

Eddie and the Hot Rods ‎– "The Curse Of The Hot Rods" (Hound Dog Records ‎– But 002)


A bunch of previously unreleased demo's and out-takes, recorded by the 'Classic Line Up' from the peak of the Hot Rods between '76 and '78. A few of these turned up on their later albums, like 'Fish'n'Chips', and 'Hit Or Miss' was covered by the Damned (mark II).
Not quite as electrifying as Live Rods, or stuff from their first two magnificent albums, but still better than half of the also-rans from that golden period.
I suppose 'The Curse' is how inexplicable it is that such an intense and hard working band as this never got the rewards they deserved when dross like U2 and Dire Straits became world beaters?
In fact No, it's not inexplicable, its totally expected that John and Janet Q. Public automatically lean towards the crap and the bland, rather than the excitement and unpretentiousness of some honest Rock'n'Roll. 

Tracklist:

At Night
I See The Light
Wide Eyed Kids (Different Version)
I Got Mine
Romance In A Used Car Lot
You Better Run
Making The Body Respond To The Brain
Observations Of The 2nd 2nd Time Around
Hit Or Miss
Looking Round
Red Light Blue Light
Act Sharper
Boxes


Thursday 17 November 2016

Eddie And The Hot Rods ‎– "Doing Anything They Wanna Do...18 Hot Rods Rockers" (Anagram Records ‎– CDMGRAM 108) 1996

The pop group I've seen live more than any other, second only to Volcano The Bear(who aren't pop I suppose?), is the superbly energetic Eddie and the Hot Rods. UK Proto-Punk Pub Rock at its very zenith; balls to the wall rock'n'roll, played at a pace not seen or heard before. This was one of the primary sources of the speed with which the majority of the lesser Punk groups played; noticeably The Pistols and the Clash were sedentary in comparison to the Rods (The Damned are,of course, excused from this criticism).
This nastily packaged compilation brings together the Rods better singles, a superb peel session, and some intense live stuff. It's all pretty high octane stuff, and one of the better collections for this great group.
"Do Anything You Wanna Do" is probably one of the more appropriate theme tunes for this blog, and something I've done all my life.....so should you.

Tracklist:

1 Get Out Of Denver
2 Horseplay
3 All I Need Is Money
4 Writing On The Wall
5 Wooly Bully
6 Been So Long
7 Get Across To You
8 Double Checkin' Woman
9 G.L.O.R.I.A.
10 At Night
11 I Got Mine
12 I See The Light
13 Teenage Depression (Live)
14 Do Anything You Wanna Do (Live)
15 Quit This Town (Live)
16 Telephone Girl (Live)
17 Moon Tears (Live)
18 You Better Run (Live)


Wednesday 16 November 2016

Mick Farren ‎– "Vampires Stole My Lunch Money" (Logo ‎– LOGO 1010) 1978


Proto-Punker ,Political Activist, and Journalist, the late Mick Farren, also late of sixties hippie punks, The Deviants; assembled the glitterati of Pub Rock to help him make a solo album.....and this is it.
Employing the considerable talents of former band mate Larry Wallis, and a guest appearance from the godlike Wilko Johnson, he managed to create a half decent post-pub rock style punk album.
There seems to be an underlying theme of Drunkenness and beer, and why not, i've heard it can be fun, if kept under control, but also a slow train to self-destruction.....a subject mentioned in at least one of these tunes.
As the king of late sixties couterculture, Michael isn't one to shy away from politically charged social comment, and there is inevitably some of that concealed in the lyrics here. There are moments when he becomes a white Gil Scott Heron, and that's a good thing....I think?

Tracklist:

Trouble Coming Every Day
Half Price Drinks
I Don't Want To Go This Way
I Want To Drink
Son Of A Millionaire
Zombie Line
Bela Lugosi
People Call You Crazy
Fast Eddie
Let Me In, Damn You
(I Know From) Self Destruction
Drunk In The Morning

Tuesday 15 November 2016

Fabulous Poodles ‎– "Think Pink" (Blueprint ‎– BLUP 5001) 1979


The third and final album from proto-new wave pub band, The Fabulous Poodles.Probably their best, but not good enough for it to save them from pop music oblivion.

Tracklist:

Man With Money 2:32
Bionic Man 4:31
Any Port In The Storm 2:43
(Hollywood) Dragnet 4:22 (mp3- missing track from the file)
Bike Blood 3:30
Cossack Cowboy 4:11
Anna Rexia 2:57
You Woudn't Listen 3:12
Suicide Bridge 3:37
Pink City Twist 2:22
Vampire Rock 3:38


Monday 14 November 2016

The Fabulous Poodles ‎– "Mirror Stars" (Epic ‎– JE 35666) 1977/1978


Fine purveyors of finely crafted witty and clever pop songs,The Fabulous Poodles began life in 1975, and hit the Pub Rock circuit. In a style that could be described as Proto-New Wave, they seemed to pre-empt the style of many such group that appeared on both sides of the atlantic in 1978, in what would become known as 'the New Wave'; even though the New Wave was originally meant to apply to the first wave of 'Punk' groups. To us 'Punks', anything that wasn't prog , glam or Reggae was Punk, including Post Punk and New Wave....it was all punk  until the revisionists got to label everything in retropect.
In fact I'd be struggling to name another Proto-New Wave group? Even Blondie weren't really new wave until 1977?.....Split Enz?...nah.
This album is an American compilation of the first two Fabulous Poodles UK albums(The Eponymous debut,1977, and Unsuitable,1978), when their US label tried to break them in the states.....of course it sank like brick,and they got dumped after a second US album. The witticisms probably went over their heads, and didn't rock enough for the US market.

Tracklist:

Mirror Star 4:27
Work Shy 3:30
Chicago Boxcar 3:56
Oh Cheryl 3:25
Toy Town People 2:10
Mr. Mike 3:38
Roll Your Own 2:46
'B' Movies 3:18
Tit Photographer Blues 2:48
Cherchez La Femme 3:38

Sunday 13 November 2016

Wreckless Eric - "Wreckless Eric" (Stiff Records - SEEZ 6) 1978



I always wanted a Brown 10 incher in my hand, and the chance came in 1978 when my school mate said he was sick of 'Punk' and wanted to sell all his 'Punk' records. I managed to cobble together a fiver, and bought XTC's "White Music", The Heartbreakers "L.A.M.F" and this magnificent debut mini-album by the great Wreckless Eric.
My school chum is now dead! Threw himself under an arriving train at Leicester station in the nineties.....not because he regretted selling me this record though I may add.
A muddy rainbow of Pub Rock legends adorn this magnificent 10 inches of fecal brown vinyl,including Davey Payne and Larry Wallis, to cast their magic over some fine and witty songwriting by everyone's favourite new wave drunk.

Tracklist:


Reconnez Cherie
Rags + Tatters
Waxworks
Grown Ups
Rough Kids
Personal Hygiene
Brain Thieves
There Isn't Anything Else


(I have included the extra tracks from the 12" version"Telephoning Home","Be Stiff",plus "The Whole Wide World" , "Semaphore Signals" single.....one of thee most covered songs from the Stiff repertoire.....didn't Cliff Richard cover this?)

DOWNLOAD in colourless ,odourless digital  form HERE!

Friday 11 November 2016

Mickey Jupp ‎– "Mickey Jupp's Legend" (Stiff Records GET 2) 1978

In the early seventies no-one played proper Rock'n'Roll, except the MC5 ,Flamin' Groovies, and Mickey Jupp. So here we have a compilation released to cash in on its greater relevance in the post Pub Rock era, of Mickey's late sixties Proto-Pub Rock band 'Legend'. He was doing this before everybody in the UK Pub Scene.
Yes he obviously loved Chuck Berry, but whats wrong with that? No likey Chuck Berry, you no Likey Rock'n'Roll. No Likey Mickey Jupp, you is weird!

Tracklist:

Shine On My Shoes 2:48
My Typewriter 2:53
In My Pocket 2:07
Another Guy 3:27
Heather On The Hill 2:08
Georgia George 2:17
Don't You Never 2:55
Captain Cool 2:36
Cheque Book 3:20
City 2:09
Cross Country 3:25
Lorraine 2:55
Anything You Do 3:06
Five Years 3:00
Nature's Radio 3:23


Thursday 10 November 2016

Mickey Jupp ‎– "Juppanese" (Stiff Records SEEZ10) 1978


Only a slightly offensive cover adorns this Chuck Berry riff recycling Pub Rock Legend's first solo LP for Stiff.
Having been around playing basic rock'n'roll since the Hippy days of 1969, with his group 'Legend'.....he was a Pub Legend after all?
The tune "Old Rock'N'Roller" kinda sums Michael Jupp....upp.

Tracklist:

Making Friends
Short List
Old Rock´N´Roller
School
If Only Mother
Down In Old New Orleans
You´ll Never Get Me Up In One Of Those
Pilot
S.P.Y.
The Ballad Of Billy Bonney
Partir Cést Mourir Un Peu
Brother Doctor, Sister Nurse

DOWNLOAD a juppanese up HERE!

Wednesday 9 November 2016

Brian Eno and the Winkies - "Peel Session 26/02/1974"


Yes, Pub Rock band 'The Winkies' accompanied everyone's favourite 'non-musician' Brian Eno, on his first solo tour in 1974.
Unfortunately for Bri', after five dates,he got a collapsed lung, and that was that!
They did however manage a John Peel session for the BBC, showcasing his particular brand of Arty Rock.Doing mostly tracks from "Here Come The Warm Jets", plus a camp version of Peggy Lee's classic "Fever"......this must have sounded like it came from outer space in 1974.
Good isn't he? 

Tracklisting:

1/ The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch
2/ Baby's On Fire / Totalled
3/ Fever

DOWNLOAD this non-music HERE!

Tuesday 8 November 2016

The Winkies ‎– "The Winkies" (Chrysalis ‎– CHR.1066) 1975



What connects Brian Eno to the Pub Rock phenomenon? Answer is "The Winkies" who were briefly his backing band, for one tour and a Peel Session.
The Winkies included another errant American(Canadian actually), Philip Rambow, who found a home on the London Pub scene in the early to mid-seventies.
He and his band made a 1975 form of power pop; short focused rock songs, of which there was a dearth in this cultural desert of a year. Just what the average discerning Pub Rock punter wanted to hear, while getting legless . Although if they bought the Album, which no-one did of course, it would have had to be stored immediately in the back of your K-Tel record selector, so as to avoid displaying the uncomfortable Homo-erotica proudly emblazoned on the front cover.

Tracklist:

Trust In Dick 3:39
Mailman - It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry 4:11
Put Out The Light 4:57
Twilight Masquerade 5:43
North To Alaska 2:55
Out On The Run 4:31
Wild Open Spaces 4:05
Long Song Coming 4:08
Davey's Blowtorch 3:22
Red Dog 5:00


Monday 7 November 2016

Kursaal Flyers ‎– "Chocs Away!" (UK Records ‎– 2330 101) 1975



Not a Fan of The Kursaal Flyers, but they have to be included in this Pub Rock direction we've taken of late. Probably one of the big five of the Pub Rock era; they even had a hit with "Little Does She Know" in 1976.
This Southend-on-Sea based combo, played a kind of tongue-in-cheek clever clever eclectic pop, rather like a country and western 10CC.
This can be a rather irritatingly bland listening experience; but at least they weren't ELP!?....again they split in 1977 for obvious reasons.

Tracklist:

Pocket Money
Hit Records
Kung Fu
Tennessee
Chocs Away
Speedway
Brakeman
Now I'm Back
Yellow Sox
Silver Wings
Cross Country


Saturday 5 November 2016

The 101'ers ‎– "Elgin Avenue Breakdown" (1975-76)



Champagne Socialist,former Public Schoolboy and Diplomat's son, Joe "Woody" Mellor. Was soon to dump all his squatter chums from 101 Walterton Road, Maida Vale, and join the Punk Rocker clique with The Clash.
The 101'ers also included future PiL drummer Richard Dudanski, who contributed most of the skin work on the holy grail of post punk,"Metal Box".
'Woody', as Strummer was known as in the hippie squatlands of London, did some fine work with this unpretentious hard rocking pub band; which is largely superior to most of The Clash's output post 1977. He was very quick to shed his former persona(and friends) and become the archetypal Punk, when he spotted the new trend very early on, and jumped ship pronto.
Well, i'd sooner listen to this than "London Calling" or the inexorably awful "Sandinista".

(this is the extended CD version by the way)

Tracks 1,2,6,7,11 and 12 recorded on 28th November 1975 at Jackson's Studios.
Track 3 recorded at Pathway Studios on 10th March 1976.
Tracks 4 and 5 recorded at Pathway Studios on 4th March 1976.
Tracks 8,9 and 10 recorded on 28th March and 10th April 1976 at Maida Vale BBC Studios.
Tracks 13, 14, 16, 17 & 19 recorded live at Camberwell Art School, 21st May 1976.
Track 15 recorded live at The Roundhouse 18th April 1976.
Track 18 recorded live at Wandsworth Prison, 21st March 1976.
Track 20 recorded live at Cellar Club, 22nd May 1976.
Tracks 7,12,14,16,18 and 19 are previously unreleased.
Tracks 13,17 and 20 are previously unreleased versions.

Tracklist:

1 Letsagetabitarockin'
2 Silent Telephone
3 Keys To Your Heart (V.1)
4 Rabies (From The Dogs Of Love)
5 Sweet Revenge
6 Motor Boys Motor
7 Steamgauge 99
8 5 Star R 'n' R
9 Surf City
10 Keys To Your Heart (V.2)
11 Sweety Of The St. Moritz
12 Hideaway
13 Shake Your Hips
14 Lonely Mother's Son
15 Don't Let It Go
16 Keep Taking The Tablets
17 Junco Partner
18 Out Of Time
19 Maybelline
20 Gloria


Friday 4 November 2016

Bees Make Honey ‎– "Music Every Night" (EMI) 1973


Bees Make Honey made an eclectic mix of country rock, Little Feat Funk, and clever 10cc style rock'n'roll for the discerning drunk ex-student.
Formed in 1971 by some Irish chaps at a loose end in the UK Capital at the right time, and a future member of Supertramp. They split up by 1974, when the Pub Scene was getting a bit harder rockin'.Very much a band of the early Eggs Over Easy inspired Pub Rock era.

Tracklist:
Caldonia
Music Every Night
Knee Trembler
Kentucky Chicken Fry
Booterstown
Chinee's Dead
Bloodshot Eyes
Blood Brother
Highway Song
My Rockin' Days


Thursday 3 November 2016

Kokomo ‎– "Kokomo" (CBS) 1975



Roogalator weren't the only Funky band on the Pub Rock scene you know!...They were by far the best and most edgy pub funk group around, but there was also Kokomo, who played a soft, almost chart friendly form of Funky Disco, with a splash of white soul.
This was very a fashionable sound for 1975, when the Disco beat had started to infiltrate the Funk, ironing the Funk out of it.
Classic Funk had more or less fizzled out by the dawn of 1975, pretty much like every other form of music.
Formed in 1973, this blue-eyed soul band was made up from the remnants of several British groups.
Vocalists Dyan Birch, Paddie McHugh and Frank Collins were ex members of Arrival, a superior pop harmony band, while Neil Hubbard (guitar) and Alan Spenner (bass) had previously worked with Joe Cocker's Grease Band.They split in 1977, along with everyone else.
In fact,Kokomo made very pleasant easy listening for making love to yer best girlie to.......who's says this blog isn't eclectic?

Tracklist:

Kitty Sittin' Pretty 4:53
Anytime 3:53
I'm Sorry Babe 4:02
Forever 4:23
It Ain't Cool (To Be Cool No More) 5:00
Feeling This Way 4:33
Sweet Sugar Thing 5:04
I Can Understand It 7:45
Angel 5:20


Wednesday 2 November 2016

Roogalator - "Danny Adler - The Roogalator Years" (1977)


One of the great forgotten Pub Rock bands were Roogalator, featuring errant american-born muso Danny Adler. 
Formed in 1972, and Playing a type of smoothly performed tight funk; they formed a bridge between the terrible country rock of Brinsley Schwarz and the R&B of Dr.Feelgood.
By all accounts they were a hot proposition in a live environment, and rumour has it that pub rock monsters, The Sex Pistols, refused to go on stage after Roogalator at one of their earlier gigs. It was easy to be intimidated by the shear musicality of Danny Adler and the boys, even if you were in one of the most intimidating groups of all time.They could have been The Average White Band, but they had short hair and more than just two good tracks in the can.
From their bio: "They knew that time was passing them by. Dexterous funk wasn't "in" anymore.The punks stole Roogalator's 
thunder,and Costello stole Adler's geek in glasses persona."(As well as playing a Fender Jazzmaster.)

This compilation features tracks recorded in 1977 for their sole (not Soul) album "Play it by Ear", and their three singles for three different labels.

Tracklist:

1 Zero Hero (Do It 7" 1978) 3:07
2 Tasty 4:18
3 Cincinnati Fatback 5:59
4 Water 2:58
5 Sweet Mama Kundilini 2:56
6 Sock It To My Pocket 3:50
7 All Aboard!! 4:54
8 Humanitation 4:59
9 Change 5:06

10 Cincinnati Fatback (Stiff b-side 1976) 6:19
11 Tasty (2) 4:44
12 Water (2) 2:59
13 Love And The Single Girl (Virgin 7" 1977) 3:09
14 All Aboard (Stiff 7" 1976) 5:46