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Category: Records as in Vinyl

my loveliest vinyl, part 34
The Jabbers – Is, Was, And Allways Shall Be (Blitz Records, 1983)

Now this is another funny one: Everybody has this down as GG Allins first LP but in fact it is The Jabbers, to which GG Allin (in real: Kevin Michael Jesus Allin) was the front man. But, self-proclaimed star that he was, he changed the front cover for a “star shot” of him humble self and made it “GG Allin”…neat! Little did i know when i got the record in 1983 thanks to Uli @ Konneckschen that i was to be involved directly with GG Allin in later years (the Artless/GG Allin split LP was co-released by Mike Just’s Starving Missile Records and the little vinyl lable i did run in these days). As much as GG Allin later did not only ruin his health go “full speed” on drugs this is full speed punk rock in the best sense.

Whilst his later output focused on his show (and his singular sense of words), this actualy is a tight band with all sorts of good songwriting beneath!

The verdict:

1977 – indeed, this is Punk Rock with both a P and an R!
published by a cool lable – I guess nope, a swedish re-issue on Blitz Records – a local distributor with at least a questionable portfolio – back then and today!
found in a cool shop – Konnekschen!
catching sound – solid string work, good tempo and ruthless singer – works for me but some better production and a smaller ego would have worked better, eh?
The lyrics – true GG to-be can be seen through, direct, insulting – love it!.

My favorite one (due to the great background vocals repeating “Automatic”):
```
Everything you do is the same
SAME, SAME! 
Over and over it's like a game
GAME, GAME! 
Think you're Miss High Society
WOWEE! 
Fuckin' all the rockstars that you meet
FUCK ME!

It makes no sense the things you do or say girl(automatic)
Cause everything you say comes back to me (automatic)
Don't go play with me emotionally (automatic) 
Or I will make you bleed internally (automatic)

Think you are mister know it all
KNOW ALL!
Standards high but you value small
SMALL, SMALL
Class-A assholes telling you what to do
WHAT TO DO! 
If you're from Boston you gotta be cool
FUCK YOU!

It makes no sense the things you do or say girl(automatic)
Cause everything you say comes back to me (automatic)
Don't go play with me emotionally (automatic) 
Or I will make you bleed internally (automatic)

It makes no sense the things you do or say girl(automatic)
Cause everything you say comes back to me (automatic)
Don't go play with me emotionally (automatic) 
Or I will make you bleed internally (automatic)

(c) 1980 GG Allin/John Fortin
```
Listen up:

And here they are in a “live in the Studio” setting, with GG Allin being an Iggy Pop clone:

And more from this session:

“Then, screaming “Fuck you, you pussies!” the band went into the most useless convulsions I’d ever seen. GG was a horror show. His face went blank, his mouth hung agape. He began crawling around on the floor like some parasitic reptile just out of its lightless cavern. If he got near the crowd they pushed him, spit on him, dragged him around like a piece of meat. And through it all he seemed oblivious. Behind him, the band fired off high tension noise — fast, distorted, dangerous. GG screamed a few inaudible lines, broke the mike, and let the band finish up the number while he dove onto tables, only to get savagely dragged down again.” — The Times (Durham, NH) circa 1982

“The album was kinda half-assed, we just wanted to get something on vinyl, just to have something out that we could work off of.” —GG Allin in Conflict Fanzine #43, Jan/Feb 1987

… he made even Homer posing as GG Allin:
2013/01/28
my loveliest vinyl, part 33
Newtown Neurotics – Beggars can be choosers (Razor Records RAZ 6. 1983)

That is a fun one – in 1983 i started to turn US H/C and was fascinated with the load of stuff finding it’s way from over there, but still stayed loyal to almost anything on Razor Records: Adicts, Cock Sparrer, Splodge etc) – and especially to the Newtown Neurotics, even when they became the bad produced pop band Neurotics (as they still had quality songwriting). But they punk rock masterpiece is this one – perfect, tongue-in-check political version of the mighty Ramones.

Frontman Steve Drewitt went all the way from long haired hippie to the skinheaded punk as seen on the record cover in no time and they produced some of the background sound for Anti-War, Anti-Thatcher and Anti-Government in the UK in the early 80es. Smart!

The verdict:

1977 – sure thing, perfect Ramonescore!
published by a cool label – Indeed. Razor Records UK!
found in a cool shop – Konnekschen, like anything from that area!
catching sound – Yes, 3-pcs masterpiece – you do not need any army for great sound?
The lyrics – always political but also with a smile in the corner of the eye.

Their best known tune is either the earlier “Kick out the Tories”, “When the oil runs out” or their re-work of The Members “Living with Unemployment” but this is my fav tune:
```
Does anyone know where the march is?
We've been searching for hours
We couldn't get the generator started
We were on the back of a lorry
But with no power we had no sound
While we were tackling the problem
The march moved off and disappeared into town

Oh where did it go, god knows
It could have been worse I suppose
Just look at us
We're standing here in our rebel clothes
Singing rebel songs with a rebel pose
We were waiting for the traffic to clear
Stuck outside of Tesco's

Does anyone know where the march is? 
We bellowed at the passers-by
They thought we were a bunch of crazies, no reply
We saw a kid clutching a leaflet
Oh this is where the march must have been
She told us we were all stupid, 
It was causing the traffic jam that we were in

Oh where did it go, god knows
It could have been worse I suppose
Just look at us
We're standing here in our rebel clothes
Singing rebel songs with a rebel pose
We were waiting for the traffic to clear
Stuck outside of Tesco's

A band with a message
Going no-where
So we played to the shoppers
In the end we didn't care, we didn't care
They said "what's this, what's this, oh how subversive

(C) DREWETT 1983 - Universal Publishing
```
Now listen up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjMF460Iy6I

And see them live in Leeds in 1983:

And indeed the Neurotics played Hamburg once (20.10.1985 @ Onkel Pö) and i took some pics back then:

(The) Neurotics – Steve Drewett (Live Onkel Pö, Hamburg, 20.10.1985) (c) Holy War Archive

Update: I did restore some of the pics to full beauty – go here!
2013/01/21
my loveliest vinyl, part 32
Rods (aka Eddie and the Hot Rods) – Do anything you wanna do (Island Records WIP6401, 1977)

This is strange – i guess everybody knows the song (and it is one of the very best teenage rebellion anthems i can think off) but hardly anyone knows the record is was on. It was not on their first LP (Teenage Depression) but on a single made under their moniker (The) Rods. It was only pushed onto their 2nd LP by the sheer success (#9 in UK Top 10 by August 1977). But whatever – this is was is a perfect outcome from the 1976/1977 melting pot in London!

The verdict:

1977 – sure thing!
published by a cool lable – Nope, Island was a major!
found in a cool shop – must have been early 80’s, guess at Stoneys 2nd hand record shop in Barmbek!
catching sound – are you fucking deaf?
The lyrics – teenage rebellion 1977! Forever my very own theme! And, as a side note, the lyrics are from the bands manager (Ed Hollis) rather then the band.

Read out loud:
```
I'm gonna break out of the city
Leave the people here behind
Searching for adventure
It's the kind of life to find
Tired of doing day jobs
With no thanks for what I do
I know I must be someone
Now I'm gonna find out who

Why don't you ask them what they expect from you ?
Why don't you tell them what you're gonna do
You get so lonely, maybe it's better that way
It ain't you only, you got something to say
Do anything you wanna do
Do anything you wanna do

I don't need no politicians to tell me things I shouldn't be
Neither no opticians to tell me what I oughta see
No-one tells you nothing even when you know they know
They tell you what you should be
They don't like to see you grow

Why don't you ask them what they expect from you ?
Why don't you tell them what you're gonna do
You get so lonely, maybe it's better that way
It ain't you only, you got something to say
Do anything you wanna do
Do anything you wanna do

I'm gonna break out of the city
Leave the people here behind
Searching for adventure
It's the kind of life to find
Tired of doing day jobs
With no thanks for what I do
I know I must be someone
Now I'm gonna find out who

Why don't you ask them what they expect from you ?
Why don't you tell them what you're gonna do
You get so lonely, maybe it's better that way
It'ain't you only, you got something to say
Do anything you wanna do
Do anything you wanna do
Do anything you wanna do

(c) 1977 Island Records Ltd
```
There is nothing more to do other then to listen up:

It is worth to note that it made it into UK muscial legacy so deep that it got killed … er … covered by Manfred Mans Earth Band (an outfit so owfull that it is one of the reasons why punk started in the first place):

They even dared to stretch it into a 6 Minute something extended 12″ versions these fuckers!

If i ever have a say i’ll pass a law that people would be tarred and feathered for killing music that way!
2013/01/15