Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK. Show all posts

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

New Chelsea album.........


Well it's not quite ready yet, but the link below is where you can pledge some cash to help them pay for the new album and get various options in return.

Chelsea

Friday, 6 September 2013

The Sensible Gray Cells - A Postcard From Britain


Captain Sensible & Paul Gray back together again.

Home page here where you can buy the cd or download (in October). I love Sensible so I'm bound to love this....and I do.

A track from the album.....



More stuff.........


Sunday, 11 November 2012

(Joe Cool and) the Killers - Killer (1978)


DO NOT be put off by the silly name...this is a classic punk album.

Formed in May 1977 in Brighton Joe Cool & the Killers released 1 7'' and this album and both are fucking great; the 7'' went for a small fortune a few years back, probably rightly so tbh. If you like the old UK 77 punk, or high energy punk, then is a must for you. It's truely great.

They were picked up by the same guy who spotted, and took to fame, Leo Sayer. That fact alone would be enough to put anyone off, and once you throw in the name most people would put their trainers on and start running for the hills. What a mistake that would be.

They lasted until late '78 and split up. I have no idea what happened to any of the band with the exception of Tony Mayberry who joined The Depressions.

Music

Uploaded as a request from Raul....hope you enjoy it.

Friday, 9 November 2012

Honey Bane


No download...just pointing out that this is a good album released last year. A cool mix of punk, dub and alternative. Listen to the album at the bottom...or buy it... only 7 bucks!

Violence (grows) Grew off the album.



Sunday, 7 October 2012

Sheep Farming


I've had a Crass logo on this site/blog for ages , but I've never posted anything by them...time to change that.

I remember this time so clearly as I'd popped into town and into Volume records (home of the Toy Dolls) to see what new releases they'd had in. I spoke to the regular shop assistants and one of them alerted me to a flexi-disc they'd received. The flexi had been used to pack records that were shipped to the shop. Some were in perfect condition, others were ruined and bent. He said he thought it might be Crass; I asked him to throw one on the turntable and, sure enough, it was clearly Crass.

I asked for one, and he passed me a hand full of them. I loved this flexi, as I did early Crass. However they always presented me wtih an real dichotomy; on the one hand I adored their early work and they helped open my mind, yet on the other hand I kinda blamed them for the rapid downfall of UK punk, unfairly. 83/84 were strange times in the UK as many people were moving over to the peace/anarchist ethic espoused by Crass and were ditching leather jackets and DM's for canvas.

Even more strangely at the time of this flexi release I recall one person in particular wearing a Fuck Argentina t-shirt as they'd invaded the falklands....6 months later he was a peace loving anarchist who, when you spoke to him, would recite Crass rhetoric almost verbatim, conveniently he forgot about the T-shirt. This kind of assimilation into a Crassite mindset would narrow punk so badly that invention died and with it punk......for a few years.

The first two Crass albums and all of their 7'', except merry Crassmas, were borderline genius in my book; feeding the 5000 is such a great record. This 7'' is one of my favorite Crass 7'', only being beaten by Big A Little A and Bloody Revolutions which is simply astounding...still!!!!

Crass were far more than the overly political group they're portrayed to be these days...I recall a time when they were a hugely important, and influential, punk band.

Music

 
You talk about your revolution, well, that's fine
But what are you going to be doing come the time?
Are you going to be the big man with the tommy-gun?
Will you talk of freedom when the blood begins to run?
Well, freedom has no value if violence is the price
Don't want your revolution, I want anarchy and peace

You talk of overthrowing power with violence as your tool
You speak of liberation and when the people rule
Well ain't it people rule right now, what difference would there be?
Just another set of bigots with their rifle-sights on me

But what about those people who don't want your new restrictions?
Those that disagree with you and have their own convictions?
You say they've got it wrong because they don't agree with you
So when the revolution comes you'll have to run them through
You say that revolution will bring freedom for us all
Well freedom just ain't freedom when your back's against the wall

You talk of overthrowing power with violence as your tool
You speak of liberation and when the people rule
Well ain't it people rule right now, what difference would there be?
Just another set of bigots with their rifle-sights on me

Will you indoctrinate the masses to serve your new regime?
And simply do away with those whose views are too extreme?
Transportation details could be left to British rail
Where Zyklon B succeeded, North Sea Gas will fail
It's just the same old story of man destroying man
We've got to look for other answers to the problems of this land

You talk of overthrowing power with violence as your tool
You speak of liberation and when the people rule
Well ain't it people rule right now, what difference would there be?
Just another set of bigots with their rifle-sights on me

Vive la revolution, people of the world unite
Stand up men of courage, it's your job to fight

It all seems very easy, this revolution game
But when you start to really play things won't be quite the same
Your intellectual theories on how it's going to be
Don't seem to take into account the true reality
Cos the truth of what you're saying, as you sit there sipping beer
Is pain and death and suffering, but of course you wouldn't care

You're far too much of a man for that, if Mao did it so can you
What's the freedom of us all against the suffering of the few?
That's the kind of self-deception that killed ten million jews
Just the same false logic that all power-mongers use
So don't think you can fool me with your political tricks
Political right, political left, you can keep your politics
Government is government and all government is force
Left or right, right or left, it takes the same old course
Oppression and restriction, regulation, rule and law
The seizure of that power is all your revolution's for
You romanticise your heroes, quote from Marx and Mao
Well their ideas of freedom are just oppression now

Nothing changed for all the death, that their ideas created
It's just the same fascistic games, but the rules aren't clearly stated
Nothing's really different cos all government's the same
They can call it freedom, but slavery is the game

Nothing changed for all the death, that their ideas created
It's just the same fascistic games, but the rules aren't clearly stated
Nothing's really different cos all government's the same
They can call it freedom, but slavery is the game
There's nothing that you offer but a dream of last years hero
The truth of revolution, brother................... is year zero.

Monday, 17 September 2012

Algy Ward for Prime Minister


Yes, that's Algy Ward from the Damned playing bass with the shades and denim...how cool does he look!!!

 Know your product from a few years ago.


 Which part of fuck off?

Monday, 10 September 2012

Damned if you do, Damned if you don't......

This is the Damned live at the 02 academy in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne on 17th November 2011.

I was humming and harring about going to this gig and almost did, but in the end decided not to as I'm not keen on how Dave sings the old songs these days. This is a really good recording, but on this evidence I still think I made the right decision..... ...you might disagree. However, there's no denying that this contains the worst version of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ever.

You need both music links below to get the full gig.

Music part1
Music part2

Some nice chap on youtube has a very good quality video of this gig, his channel is.... here

P.S. Thanks to John for this recording.

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

The Freeze- Celebration 7'' (1980)


The Freeze were a late 70's/early 80's punk band who gigged extensively and supported many a band during their time, but never achieved the success that could/should have been heaped upon them based upon their two releases. They also recorded a peel session, or two, and then fractured.

Gordon Sharp (vocals) relocated to London in '82 and formed Cindytalk who have a very devout and fanatical following. Cindytalk were not punk, but were classed in that catch all genre of "post-punk".

I have to be honest and say that Cindytalk seldom set a spark alight in my world, let alone set anything on fire, but Gordon did gain many kudos points for recording with the Cocteau Twins in their early days. Anything associated with the Cocteau Twins earns respect from me. If you've never heard them I highly recommend Stars & Topsoil as a jump off point........BUT, it's about as far from punk as you can get so be warned.

Anyway...here's the Freeze's 2nd 7'', not as punk as the first, but still worthy of many a turntable spin.

Music

Monday, 6 August 2012

The Clash live in JFK stadium (1982)


Can you believe it's almost ten years.... :(

Music

The Freeze - In Colour (1979)


Speaking of obscure records; here's one. This is the Freeze from Scotland and it's a "must have" record. I'm being lazy and watching the Olympics (go Team GB) so I'll post more about them when I upload their second 7''.

Enjoy.

Music

Fallout - Salami Tactics 7'' (1982)


When I bumped into a new group of friends in late '80 one of them was a guy who was mad on collecting foreign punk whilst I was after obscure Brit punk. One thing we had in common was a love for Six Minute War. We both loved their trashy DIY ethic and their three 7'' (and cassette...anyone remember them?) have been favourites ever since.

As Six Minute War began to disintegrate a new band was forming out of the ashes. Fallout lasted a few years releasing 3 7'', 1 album and a 10''. Not unsurprisingly, they shared the same trashy DIY ethic as Six Minute War, and all their releases are well worth grabbing. This 7'' is the best, imho, as it includes the epics Slice it Up and Spice and Fly the Flag, which you might recognise. I remember buying this so clearly and wishing the bus home would hurry up so I could play it....those were the days.

Music

Saturday, 28 July 2012

Mo-Dettes - Dark Park Creeping 7'' (1980)


I remember hearing this for the first time on the Richard Skinner radio show, sitting with my ear pressed against my hissing transistor radio; I instantly fell in love with it. I thought white mice was a good 7'', but, to me, this is the Mo-Dettes crowning glory. I still can't work out why they weren't huge. How can the Belle Stars still, today, be a name that people of a certain age know, yet the same people answer "who" when you mention the Mo-Dettes.

I owned all the Mo-Dettes releases and remember standing outside volume records having a conversation with a mate about how good they were and another lad saying, but they're a Mod band. Mod/Punk/New Wave...who cares to me they were just a great band and I was in love with their music and their singer Ramona Carlier.

Enjoy.

Music

Friday, 15 June 2012

Punk at the Beeb


For the none UK residents it might come as news that the BBC has been running a Punk Britannia series on BBC4 recently. On the one hand this is really interesting and encouraging; on the other it’s same shit, different day. This is due to the beeb rolling out the same old faces to talk about music/life 35 years ago. I won't dwell on this too much as I could go into full rant mode, which is never pleasant, but safe to say that so far we've heard most of it before.

This is a three part series where the beeb have, so far, done a "pre punk" episode and a "punk" episode. Charlie Harper has so far made the most relevant quote in that "the first wave was art school students, the second were punks" and I paraphrase there, but the gist is accurate. I'm hopeful that the 3rd episode, due tonight, will go beyond '78 as it's SOOOOOOOOOOOOO boring to hear from the same people that punk died in '78. It didn't; FACT! (I kinda doubt it’ll go past ’78 though).

Alongside these three episodes they have been throwing in documentaries on various people and programme made up of live performances or a collection of appearances on the BBC.

The files below are a recording of TV Smith and encompasses his entire career from his pre Adverts band, Sleaze, through the Explorers and Cheap to his current solo/acoustic career. It has some great footage of the adverts and covers their lifespan from the band we all know to the, very, short lived 1979 incarnation.

Now here comes the apology.

I'm not that up on technology and I have no idea how to compress the recordings I've made of some of these programs, so the links below are large. ….4 gig so it’s best to start this before you go to bed if you want it.

I intend to post all the punk Britannia series along with a couple of the other programs, such as a Poly Styrene documentary and a couple of live progs/compilations. However, as they're so large they have the chance of pushing me over my mediafire limit they will only be available for a limited period of time; probably 3 months. So if you want it, download and enjoy as they will be taken down.

You need both of these to unzip and watch.

Mediafire 1
Mediafire 2

Tuesday, 1 May 2012

The Doomed - Live (1978)


The Damned (as the Doomed) with Henry Badowski in '78.

Mediafire

Pic unashamedly lifted from the great second time around website. Lifted as I couldn't find a pic with Badowski playing live and also 'coz I was working for the Damned when this picture was taken. Boy, oh boy, I wish I could relive those few months.

2nd time around

Public Image Limited - One Drop (2012)


I just bought this after waiting days for it to be available digitally; I'm too lazy/busy to go into town to buy a physical copy.

Based upon the title track I had HUGE high hopes for this, but sadly it's failed to live up to expectations. Four tracks One Drop (brilliant), I Must be Dreaming (hmmm none distinct), The Room I am In ( I can't decide if he's trying to relive the brilliance of religion, but whatever it is, it falls a long way short), and Lillipop Opera...which is interesting, kinda infectious and also kinda funny.

Oh well, maybe the album will deliver the goods, but I have to be honest, on the evidence of this four track I'm not gonna hold my breath as I may keel over all blue in the face and stuff.

On the bright side, 4 tracks for £2:40 and I'd have paid that for the title track alone!

Killing Joke - Live Toulouse 15/04/12


I never thought I'd ever be able to say I like a Killing Joke album more than their first, but with 2012 I think they've done it. Pure perfection.

Here is a live gig from a couple of weeks ago. Cheers to John G for finding this for me, as always, much appreciated mate.

Mediafire


Rip Your Knickers Off ! !! !!!


What a great film, or fil-um as we say in my neck of the woods. My thoughts on what I just watched: -

Eric Hall = Tosser.
Danny Baker = Diamond geezer.

Generation X - Tony James is so posh & Gen X were so good.
Marc Bolan = !!!!!!!
Poly Styrene = A true original.
X-Ray Spex = The sound track of my school daze.
Viv Albertine = Still in love with you as much as I was as a teenager.

Quotes of the fil-um:-

This is it; this is the next trend in music. This is the next big thing. Everyone was looking for the next big act, rather than total clearout time which is what's happened.

1970's become a land mark in history.

(btw the title of this post is a line from the film....made me laugh so I thought I'd use it)

Friday, 27 April 2012

The Damned


A few Damned pdf's kicking off with the Damned Disciples Songbook.



A history of their first year.



Damned Diaries 76 -78.

All 3 here

Brian James - Why? Why? Why? 7'' (1982)


Recorded at the same time, and session, as the 7'' a post or two below. This was in 1979 and included Stewart Copeland from the Police on drums. The others were Alan Lee Shaw, who would be in the Damned 17 years later, and Chris Sol playing bass.

Whilst not quite as brilliant, or insrtant, as the earlier 7'', it's still worth a spin very often.

Link removed thanks to : herve.lemaire over @leakid.com.

If you're after this drop me an e-mail.

Thursday, 19 April 2012

Brian James - Ain't that a Shame 7'' (1979)


Back in my Damned obsessed days, still thee best band ever,......I was absorbed by anything Damned related. So after the Damned dissolved and post White Cats (Rat), King (Sensible), Doctors of Madness (Vanian) & Tanz Der Youth (James) this single came onto my radar and I went mental, rushing across town to buy it. Ensconced in a Listen Ear bag I hastened into my house, threw it onto the turn table, set the speed to 45 rpm, and was blown away. 33 years later I'm still blown away by this 7''.
 
It's so easy to forget just how good Brian James' song writing ability was. The first Damned album is, nowadays, often over looked in favour of the 3rd - 5th albums; I do this myself. However, every time I return to Damned Damned Damned I recall just why I got into the Damned in the first place; it was Brian's writing. 

This 7'' is pretty much the peak of his post Damned work for me. He, obviously, went on to the Lords of the New Church, which you can find on MRML. A great band who released some fantastic vinyl and were stellar live. However if you're looking for great power pop from one of the godfathers of punk look no further; this is your one stop shop for audio ecstasy. Enjoy!!!

Link removed thanks to : herve.lemaire over @leakid.com.

If you're after this drop me an e-mail.



Thanks to JohnnyVonNowhere for reminding me why I started this blog. Cheers man.