Purchased Because Of The Cover

In 1984 I noticed an album at the new arrivals with a photograph showing British troops standing in front a spoiled flag at half-staff. In these days many of us joined the peace movement demonstrating against storing h-bombs in our country and I didn't felt much sympathy for the army. But this photograph has something devotional and I grabbed this one out to purchase. After this decision I realized that it was the first album by Hull's Red Guitars. Their first singles were one of those that was on my heavy rotation in these days. Still a very excellent album and worth to play from time to time.

Red Guitars - Remote Control

Red Guitars - Marimba Jive

Red Guitars - Slow To Fade

They Don't Make Clips Like This Anymore Pt 1

When I was searching youtube for some videos/songs normally youtube suggest another videos that are similar to the one I searched for. Sometimes I take the chance and watch this suggestions and soon be back in the 80s. Listening to this videos makes you smile. Not only because you take a journey back in time. It is also about the artwork. Compared to now they seem antiquated and low priced. But watching them after decades it works very fine for me.

Indie Scene 1984

Looking back this year seems like new music established in the place where I lived. Not that there was too many folks that agreed to this kind of music but there was still a scene. New local bands (that sadly never released any track) appeared for a few years and vanished again. A few weeks ago one of these bands made a reunion gig 25 years after they split. F.A.T. Insects played in a great venue - an old cinema. I went there expecting nothing than let my memories cruising around this time. And I got a great concert. It was not only nostalgia listening to them - I was astonished how good they were. Even better than decades ago. And it wasn't only me having fun at this concert. A lot of people appeared that I knew from these times and haven't seen them for long time. All in all one of these evenings that will be unforgotten.

1000 Mexicans - The Last Pop Song
A Certain Ratio - Life's A Scream
Anne Clarke - Our Darkness
Hurrah - Who'd Have Thought
The Men They Couldn't Hang - Green Fields Of France (No Man's Land)
New Model Army - The Price
Pastels - Something's Going On
Nick Cave - In The Ghetto
Red Guitars - Steeltown
Sandie Shaw - Hand In Gloves

Indie Scene 1983

This year was a very political year at my place. First because of NATO double-track decision and the following installation of nuclear weapons in Germany by the American army and second because of the final denying of the planed census by the German government. Watching the songs on this CD I think there are less songs with a political statement on it. It seems the music is generally moving to singer/songwriter with them introverted lyrics of electronic dance/dream pop. But there is nothing to complain about because music is every time in motion and this is just a little spot on what's happened.

Cabaret Voltaire - Yashar
Depeche Mode - Everything Counts
Prefab Sprout - The Devil Has All The Best Tunes
Red Guitars - Good Technology
Shriekback - Lined Up
The Fall - Kicker Conspiracy
The Icical Works - Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)
The Three Johns - AWOL
Tracey Thorn - Plain Sailing
Yazoo - Nobody's Diary

Otherwise there were songs that reflect life more than shown on CD.

Enjoy and maybe you have some good memories according to this year.

Blue Caravan

I was always a huge fan of the Hull based band Red Guitars. They made some great records and I enjoyed there mixture of punk, blues, reggae and African rhythms. This is from their 1986 12-inch single and it makes still fun to listen to it again.

Enjoy and have a good week people.

Blue Caravan (Acoustic)

Marimba Jive

Another weekend is gone and a working week ahead. So let's start with another song from one of my favorite indepentend bands. The Red Guitars were formed in the early 1980s in Hull and played a fascinating mixture of punk, blues, folk and African rhythm. They only made two regular longplayers and their first one 'Slow to Fade' from 1984 is a monster of indie rock. The band disbanded in 1986.

Red Guitars - Marimba Jive

Lost again

It is hard to a support your local team these days. You might know that I support VfB Stuttgart because I share their ups and downs for a long time. Last weekend we played against BVB Dortmund and from beginning it was as David would line up against Goliath. Of course Dortmund has much more abilities in playing football like Stuttgart has. So what can do Stuttgart more, than to bring out the old virtues of the classical football: fighting and running for every ball.

And they did well, although they got a goal close to the end of the first half. Coming back to the second half they did their very best to equal the result and they got success - they made it. But all hope was gone when they got the second goal close to the end.

I am not disappointed about the defeat - I have got used to it in the course of the season. But what annoys me is the way as trainers and players have weighted behind about supposedly brutal playing of Stuttgart. Sure, Dortmund defender has to be replaced because he broke his nose - Stuttgart defender had to leave the ground by a yellow/red card (by both cards it was no foul if you watch the scenes in slow motion). But nowadays every team should play like Barcelona with their short passing, fast and disembodied game.

What we will lose will be the classical virtues of the game: To win duels, tackle and the absolute will to win the game. What also bothers me is that so many players in the Bundesliga are trained in faking fouls. I look back to the days gone by when a defender like Vinnie Jones could be a hero - knowing that these days are gone forever.

Red Guitars - Steeltown

Rebel yell: Europe has received the Nobel prize for peace

Hi,

About one week ago the European Union has received the Nobel peace prize. As a reason it was called to us that the European Union and her precursors more than 60 years have protected away the war in Europe. It is right that there was no more war since the second world war in Western Europe and that with the death of the fascistic leaders in Europe a sort of democracy in these countries move has held.

If I think about the reasons for this long time without war, I think that the reasons lies for this in the prosperity which has entered after the world war in middle europe. In addition, is the post-war generation has become more and more hedonistic. Not to forget, the technical achievements and the possibilities to travel around the world have a decisive portion that no more other war has broken out.

How fragile this peace is, we have seen when former Yugoslavia has burnt and the ethnic groups with shining hatred and murder desire have met. And now my question: Where was Europe at this time? What does Europe undertake in the today's time if in many member states minorities call themselves to word and demand more sovereignty?

I don't know the answer exactly and I finish now with politics.
Have a nice weekend people

Red Guitars - Good technology