Wot

It was back in 1982 when everything was possible and nothing was impossible. Ian Burns or better known with his stage name Captain Sensible, co-founder of The Damned and active from the start of the punk movement made a song that was played very often during these days. Wot is just a simple song with no message after all but this bass-line is still one of the best. Just a song that was planed for having fun and this is one reason why I come back to this one still after 40 years. And lyrics that only makes me smile.

Once a lifetime, twice a day
If you don′t work you get no pay.
I been to the east, I been to the west,
But the girls I like best are the ones undressed.
Well, hello Adam, where you been?
I said a′stand aside 'cause I′m feelin' mean,
I′ve had a gutful of you and I'm feelin′ bad
'Cause you're an ugly old pirate and ain′t I glad.

Black Is The Night

Like every year in the last months the record companies release best of compilations by any band they could. But this year a lot of releases are about the 40th anniversary of records from 1979 or to celebrate some bands that used to big or named 40 years ago. So it happened a few weeks ago with an anthology of The Stray Cats and a few days ago one by The Damned. They were not the best one around these days but a few of their singles are far over the average and hymns of my very younger days and still worth to bring back to your memories of times long gone by. I am sure everyone has his own memories when you listen to this great moments in history of punk and how The Damned faced the new spirit in new music.

The Damned - Neat Neat Neat
The Damned - Problem Child
The Damned - New Rose
The Damned - Wait For The Blackout

Labeled

The title shows one of the provocative marketing slogans for a record label in the late 70's. Stiff Record was formed by Jake Riviera and Dave Robinson, both enrooted in the pub-rock scene of the early 70's by managing pub-rock legends like Dr. Feelgood or Brinsley Schwarz. The legend tells that both founded the label by a loan on £400 from Lee Brilleaux of Dr. Feelgood. So it is nearby that their first single was by a veteran of the scene: Nick Lowe. They signed a lot of artists I could agree with and I bought a lot of records only because they was released on Stiff Records. It was also a label that had open ears for the dawning of new kind of music and musicians raised in the pub-rock scene got a panel to develop a new sound. Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric on the one and The Damned, Madness and Tenpole Tudor on the other side were the bands I connect with this label. Always good to listen to them from time to time.

Labled

If it ain't STIFF it ain't worth a fuck was the labels' claim. It was a message to all of those who were interested in new music. Formed in the era of punk in 1976 by Jake Rivera and Dave Robinson they signed a lot of artists with pub rock roots trying to make their own sound based on the basics. STIFF records were a trademark in these days bringing quality and new music to me. Most of the releases showed artists that became famous during the years. The quality of their producers, especially Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello made this label famous. They were alive until the mid 80's and vanished afterwords. STIFF introduced me into so many new music like none other label. They opened my ears to very new and great music in the late 70's. It is hypothetical question if my musical taste would be different without them. But I think they were at the hight of the musical taste in new music in these days. So let's get a journey back in the early days of STIFF were music was new, fresh and exciting. Not everything of this song are the music I listen now but it was a very pleasurable journey back in time.

So enjoy.