Urgh!

 

Yesterday's post has tempted me to once again Urgh! A Music War, a film from the eighties. Director Derek Burbridge's concept is simple in principle: go to concerts in London, New York and elsewhere and film the current punk, wave and reggae scene.

The result is a fantastic overview of this music from both sides of the Atlantic. I can still remember having to drive to the next bigger city with some friends to see this film. Some of the artists were known to us by name, but very few of them performed in southern Germany at the time. 

After this film, each of the three of us had a band that we particularly liked and bought a record from them as quickly as possible. For me, it was Echo and the Bunnymen and Gang of Four, who I have followed faithfully ever since.

What also makes the compilation of concert recordings special is that it features musicians who were far removed from the normal clichés of punk, such as John Cooper Clarke and Klaus Nomi.

While the British bands are still holding back, The Cramps and Dead Kennedys show us the true and raw energy that characterized punk.

And finally, some film documents of bands that have unfortunately been forgotten, such as Au Pairs and Alley Cats and bands like Magazine and XTC, who played a major role in shaping new wave and punk.

Fire Of Love

 

In the late 70's/early 80's the heads of Blondie and Ramones fan club. Jeffrey Lee Pierce and Kid Congo Powers started their band The Gun Club. Not knowing that they made a groundbreaking album with Fire Of Love from 1981 when they combined classic blues, rockabilly and punk to a melange named psychobilly blues and a never heard before slide guitar . In the early and mid-80s, The Gun Club were probably one of the most influential bands on the Los Angeles music scene, if only because of their legendary debut album "Fire of Love". What made Pierce and his band stand out was their wild, raw fusion of punk and blues, captured in killer songs like Sex Beat and She's Like Heroin to Me, roughly comparable to what The Cramps had done with rockabilly in a similarly legendary way at almost the same time. When I bought the album and played it for the first time, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This mixture of priestly enlightenment and punk was unusual and disturbing. But this music captivated me right from the start and Miami, the follow-up album, was another highlight. For me, it is still an album that is almost perfect and should appear in SWC's series.

The Gun Club - She's Like Heroin To Me

The Gun Club - Sex Beat

The Gun Club - Preaching The Blues

The Gun Club - For The Love Of Ivy

Rockabilly Ruled Pt. 2

 

After writing about the Cramps last week, it's time to talk about another band that at the same time brought back music that had been lost for a long time. The Stray Cats were an American band who celebrated their greatest successes in England and on the continent in the early 80s. In Dave Edmunds, they found a producer who himself was knee-deep in rock 'n' roll. With their first record, they have brought us back closer to the roots of rock music. As a band that played their earthy music as a three-man combo with guitar, stand-up bass and simple drums, they were the sensation of the year in 1981. Decades later, their sound still sounds fresh and urban, setting the standard for all subsequent epigones.

Stray Cats - Runaway Boys

Stray Cats - Rock This Town

Stray Cats - Stray Cat Strut

Stray Cats - Rumble In Brighton

Psychobilly Ruled

 

Today Kristy Wallace better known as Poison Ivy, the founding member of The Cramps turns 71. It's a good reason to remember one of the greatest bands who brought with their unique mixture of punk and rockabilly a new genre to my ears. I always loved them and their rough and earthy sound. Only two guitars, a small drum kit and with Lux Interior a singer that turned mad on stage. I was lucky enough to see them live almost 40 years ago in one of the best performances I had ever seen. There was never a title to a record that better describes the content than Songs The Lord Taught Us. 

Happy birthday Ivy

The Cramps - TV Set

The Cramps - Strychnine

The Cramps - Garbageman

The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Werewolf

Another Lost Band From The 80's

 

In the early 80's Manchester's Inca Babies appeared on the scene with a great fresh kind of post-punk and Rock and Roll. I was surprised what these kids are able to do because seldom in these days I heard this kind of mixing genres and influences by Link Wray, The Cramps of The Birthday Party with the energy of new wave. The spine of their sound was a deep rolling bass combined with sharp guitar riffs and drifty drums - perfect for three minute hymns. 

The Inca Babies - Opus Den 1985 Hulme

The Inca Babies - Devil In My Room

The Inca Babies - She Mercenary

Now they are back with a new record and it seems they didn't lost their power.

Halloween

 

It is the last day of October and as every year you see the whole town in a Halloween mood. I have to admit that I never understood the hype for this event (except a special event for kids) and mostly tried to ignore it. But you can't go out for a beer to see the pub covered with cobwebs, skulls and more scary items. It is not my cup of tea but if someone close to Halloween I don't want to spoil this event. Here are some songs that came to my mind when I am thinking about Halloween. Enjoy and have a scary night.

Songs For The Eternity

I started this series weeks ago when I was transferred songs from my computer to my external hard-drive and I was surprised how much songs I have and how many will not transferred because they were songs I listen often from time to time. These songs doesn't belong to any genre and they accompanied me during the last decades.

There were many songs by The Cramps I could choose for this series and it is hard to select only one (even harder to make an ICA). But I think Human Fly is one of those songs that will stay when everything is gone. Back in 1979 in my hometown the first punks appeared and at the same time a small rockabilly scene established as well. There was no dispute between both groups because they were both outside the mainstream. I knew a few guys in both scenes and they met in a small cellar playing some music where I hang around in these days. Some day a greaser came and introduced us to a new imported 12-inch single he got. It was The Cramp's Gravest Hits and listening the first time to these songs I was infected to them. Only a small drum-kit making the rhythm, two twaning guitars making the sound without a bass and then Lux Interior singing in a way I never heard before. I also like the short and trashy lyrics of their songs and I was lucky enough to see them once live on their Flaming Job tour.

Would be happy if TV Set would appear on Drew's new series

The Cramps - Human Fly

I got a garbage brain

That's driving me insane

And I don't like the ride

So push the pest aside

And baby I won't care

'Cuz baby I don't scare

'Cuz I'm a reborn maggot using germ warfare Rock

I found this rare footage while researching for this post. It's 16mm film by Alex de Laszlo also for the benefit for Lux Interior.

Amazing Snakeheads on Saturday

I am really not a huge fan of blues or blues rock but sometimes a band appears in this genre that makes me think about this genre different. Last year The Amazing Snakeheads realeased their first record Amphetamine Ballads and I looked forward to see them live. But suddenly they split without any reason. So it is one more band/album that disappeared in the high tight of new releases. I grabbed out this records recently and I am still exalted about what I've heard. Classic songs in a very slow tempo with a dominant bass and sharp guitars. Added with a voice directly from hell. Learned and trained by the spirit of The Cramps , Gun Club and the Stray Cats they made an outstanding record. Maybe this will be a classic in a few years.

The Amazing Snakeheads - Here It Comes Again
The Amazing Snakeheads - Flatlining

Three In A Row

Yesterday it was very stressful to come home by public train. When I came to the station they announced that no train was running for the next two hours because the found an aircraft bomb from World War II while they were rebuilding the main station in Stuttgart. There was a lot of confusion to get to the best connection to find a train to bring you home. I decided to be calm and go for the next chance to get a train that will take me home. In this mood I just watched the masses running a hectic pace and listened to the music on my mobile phone. This was the three songs that appeared in a row. It was funny to listen to that up-tempo songs while others almost went crazy to get the next train.

Twanging Tuesday # 77

I think it's time for another song by The Cramps, the one and only psychobilly, swamp, dirty low down band in Rockabilly. I still love their raw and mean sound. It's one of their less played songs and it's a a classic (even if you know Bettie Page - the former pin-up queen).

Twanging Tuesday # 45

You might know this song The Cramps covered years ago. Here's the original version by Kip Tyler and his Flips. Another song by godfathers of Psychobilly. Kip Tyler was a California based musician who played a wild kind of Rockabilly and was famous for joining the band on stage dressed in black leather and a motorbike. Really raw and mean. Enjoy.

Kip Tyler - Jungle Hop

Inflammable Material - First Records That Impressed Me Much # 3

I'm off for a few days to visit my children in Cologne. So there will be no regular posting the next days. I hope to show up on this blog again in the middle of next week. It's necessary for me to get more contact to my kids than the last years. So don't be too much disappointed that I take a little break.

So let's get back to this little series.
In 1980 were most of us were used to listen to new music and new sounds in America a band released their first record with an incredible mixture of genres. They combined classic rockabilly with a very punky attitude. Their songs acting from the sombre sides of the life in their place enough was to be dressed for a raw sound and the manner in varnish and leather, For ever in my life a had a hidden charm for country music, especially for rockabilly songs (the first song I would like to add to this gente was CCR's Bad Moon Rising). I remember very well when I showed up to my local record store looking for something new. Then Mike (the owner of this store) told me about something real new and raw. I said 'OK - let me listen to this'. Then he put the record on his turntable and I listened to the first song. It was TV-Set and it almost blew out my mind. Never heard such a trashy sound before. There was no more discussion about - I bought this record. Impressed by an low-fi sound that was reduced to the minimum I felt great, because this was true and upright music to me. I remember that their music tuned me up to search for more music that was in this style. And I seldom was disappointed what I found. Since then I was a huge fan of this band. I've never heard to a band in this genre like they did. From the early 80s I wanted to see them live and finally it happened in the middle 90s that I could see them live. I've seldom seen a band with that physical presence like them. Lux Interior was one of the few singers who was able to perform the songs in a very special way. With lots of emotions and and an almost self-destructing attitude. Poison Ivy Rorscharch (does she stand in connection with the test of the same name?) dressed in leather as well and performing her guitar with very high heels. I loved them playing with the S/M-themes.  I still love their roughness and their mean attitude they shown up for years. This album and the following albums as well accompanied the last decades. And I never get tired or bored listening to it. It's not everyone's sound I know - but if you don't stick to The Cramps,you might missed something great.

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend

The Cramps - Fever
The Cramps - Garbage Man
The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Werevolfe
The Cramps - Strychnine
The Cramps - Sunglasses After Darl

Twanging Tuesday # 34

A longer time passed since I posted real rockabilly in this series. So I thought the time is right to introduce The Reverend Horton Heat a band based in Dallas, Texas. Jim Heath formed this band in 1985 and they are still on work today. He played a real good Gretch-guitar and was influenced by the sound of Dick Dale and The Cramps. Some of their songs could be described as psychobilly. I've seen them in the early 90s and was astonished about their presence. They played their songs very loud with a high energy. One of the true bearers of rockabilly tradition. The second song today is a cover from an also underrated band Guadalcanal Diary.

The Reverend Horton Heat - Big Red Rocket Of Love
The Reverend Horton Heat - Watusi Rodeo

Twanging Tuesday # 32

Hasil Adkins was one of a kind Rockabilly lunatic whose life and music were bizarre enough that if they had been a work of fiction - no one with any sense would have ever believed it. Just a one-man band who bashed out the most ultra-crude tunes about sex, chicken and decapitation. Another weired one who lived close to R'n'R. Many bands who are accompanied to Rockabilly were inspired by him - especially The Cramps.

Hasil Adkins - She Said
Hasil Adkins - The Hunch

Twanging Tuesday # 12

What would this series be without any post by The Cramps? I think that it isn't necessary to introduce them. I love their raw and mean mixture of Rock and Roll, Rockabilly and 50s Garage Rock. I had the pleasure to see them live 20 years ago promoting their record Flame Job. Never seen a more intensive show so far.

The Cramps - Tear It Up

The Return Of Friday Night Is Rockabilly Night

It's Friday and Swiss Adam from Bagging Area is 'en vacances' in France and probably in Italy. I love to follow his weekly series of Rockabilly stories and tunes. I thought I take over for one Friday and give you a bit of Rockabilly and Swiss Adam, I hope you don't mind.

This song is from Hasil Adkins (1937 - 2005) played his own style with a combination of country, rock and roll and blues, though he was frequently considered rockabilly. He generally performed as a one-man band, playing guitar and drums at the same time. Adkins is also known as one of the pioneers of psychobilly. Adkins was a great influence for the music of The Cramps. Sometimes when I hear him sing and howl I think he's the low budget version of them.

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend friend.

Hasil Adkins - Chicken shake