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Category: Records as in Vinyl

  • my loveliest vinyl, part 24

    my loveliest vinyl, part 24

    Crazy - 12" EP (Self produced, CRAZY S 8105, 1981)
    Crazy – 12″ EP (Self produced, CRAZY S 8105, 1981)

    Hamburg was obsessed with Swiss punk, no sursprise that plenty of records made their way to Hamburg and some records got either re-released (like Crazy’s 1980 LP “No Chance” was put out for Germany by Tom Meyer’s Moderne Music Lable) or even soley released. Also plenty of personal contacts between people from Hamburg and punks mainly from Zurich.

    Crazy where not “first generation punks”, started in 1979 but made it to THE key event in Swiss Punk history: “Swiss Punk Now!” in Nov 1979 in Emmen and burned quickly – just after finishing their 12″ EP they called it a day after feeling that hardcore punk was no longer them. But they made a clear stand, mixing high energy hardcore punk with outspoken vocals.

    The verdict:
    1977 – yes, yes, yes – early Swiss Punk definitly was 1977!
    published by a cool lable – self produced, self issued, self marketed – that is DIY Punk!
    found in a cool shop – Konneckschen, where else?
    catching sound – Yes, back then so much better than german bands! Great driving chorus underpinned by pressing drums!
    The lyrics – one of the biggest assets of Crazy, also not shy to theme homosexuality or eg. the death of punk as such!

    The lyrics are in German (with a play of words on “Rechtsstaat” (state of law) and “Rechts Staat” (right(wing) state)) – so you need a translation, mate:

    polizeilich, sagte man zu mir
wir leben frei, frei, wir
unsere stimmen and der urne zählen
viele projekte dürfen wir wählen
und doch tun sie gewaltätig klagen
wenn linke ihre meinung sagen

schaut nach zürich
schaut nach bern
solche freiheit habt ihr gern

frei
frei
freiheit im rechts staat

(c) 1981 Crazy

    For my english friends it roughly translates to:

    by the police i have been advised
we live free, free, we
our votes count at the polls
many projects we may choose
and yet they do complain violently
when the left expresses their opinion

look to Zurich
look to Bern
such freedom you do like

free
free
freedom in the right state

(c) 1981 Crazy

    Make sure you crank up your audio:

    See some rare live footage on one of their own DIY videos rescued through times:

    When i was a young punk in 1981 this stage pic from Crazy burned itself into my brain as “that’s where i want to be” (and susequently i tried to play bass but failed):

    Crazy - great live shot from back then (no clue where, no clue when - historicans please!)
    Crazy – great live shot from back then (no clue where, no clue when – historicans please!)

    Update 12/2022:
    A cool re-release of the first Crazy LP (not this 12″) is out now with additional live songs added. Included is a massive (and massively great) 52 page booklet. Limited to 500 – be quick! Available from Static Shock in Berlin, click below!

  • my loveliest vinyl, part 23

    my loveliest vinyl, part 23

    Eppu Normaali - Poliisi pamputtaa taas 7" (Poko Rekords PIS-002, 1978)
    Eppu Normaali – Poliisi pamputtaa taas 7″ (Poko Rekords PIS-002, 1978)

    No matter what you think, this is world class punk rock, 1978. This 7″ did put Finland as one of the homes of punk firmly on the map, many great bands followed defining punk and whole new genres. But this one stands out. Forever.

    Eppu Normaali started in 1976 in small town Finland (outside Tampere) and went to fame big time in Finland. Not with their early punk style but their later rock stuff but they are still tongue-in-check and street-credible (but, yes, a rock band). The 7″ title song is also on their debut album “Aknepop” and they make some play around the theme – one song is “Poliisi pamputtaa” (Cops beat with batons)  and this is the “follow up”: “Poliisi pamputtaa taas” (Cops beat with batons again) – nice one!

    The verdict:

    1977 – yes, yes, yes – would have been on Top of the Pops in UK
    published by a cool lable – Poko (an EMI subprint) released a lot of the early punk in SF
    found in a cool shop – Konneckschen, where else?
    catching sound – Ramones. What else?
    The lyrics – obviously about police brutality but given i can not fathom finish i can’t say – ACAB instead of ABBA?

    The words are great sing-a-long stuff (and no clue of below is correct suomi):

    Poliisi ajaa sinisellä autolla, uaa, sinisellä autolla 
Poliisilla on pillit katolla, uaa, pillit katolla 
Poliisi pamputtaa kumisella pampulla, uaa, kumisella pampulla 
Poliisi uhkaa ihmisiä putkalla, uaa, ihmisiä putkalla 

On mukavaa ajaa sinisellä autolla, uaa, sinisellä autolla 
Mukavaa pamputtaa kumisella pampulla, uaa, kumisella pampulla 
Systeemin vartija se poliisin on työ 
Poliisi hippejä pampulla lyö 

On mukavaa ajaa sinisellä autolla, uaa, sinisellä autolla 
Mukavaa pamputtaa kumisella pampulla, uaa, kumisella pampulla 

Poliisi ajaa sinisellä autolla, uaa, sinisellä autolla 
Poliisilla on pillit katolla, uaa, pillit katolla 
Poliisi pamputtaa kumisella pampulla, uaa, kumisella pampulla 
Poliisi uhkaa ihmisiä putkalla, uaa, ihmisiä putkalla

(c) 1978 Eppu Normaali / Poko Records

    English rough translation thanks to my finish friends:

    The polices drives in a blue car, uaa, in a blue car. 
The police has whistles on the roof, uaa, whistles on the roof. 
The police beats with a rubber baton, uaa, with a rubber baton. 
The police threatens people with jail, uaa, people with jail. 

It’s nice to drive in a blue car, uaa, in a blue car. 
Nice to beat with a rubber baton, uaa, with a rubber baton.
The guardian of the System, that’s the police’s job. 
Police beats hippies with a baton. 

It’s nice to drive in a blue car, uaa, in a blue car. 
Nice to beat with a rubber baton, uaa, with a rubber baton.

The polices drives in a blue car, uaa, in a blue car. 
The police has whistles on the roof, uaa, whistles on the roof. 
The police beats with a rubber baton, uaa, with a rubber baton. 
The police threatens people with jail, uaa, people with jail.

    See some rare live footage in this finish punk documentary (click on the pic below, will open in new window):

    Eppu Normaali - rare live footage in finish punk documentary (links to vimeo.com)
    Eppu Normaali – rare live footage in finish punk documentary (links to vimeo.com)

    And this is a great cover version by the Italian band “The Zen Circus” transporting the song into 2012 – at perfect pace and confirming the timeless beauty of this ultimate gem:

    But not only the Italians cover this, Hamburgs own Napalm (soon featured here too) dig that song too – see Witte, Reder, Lui & Arne live in London 02.10.2011:

    Suomi Punk rules!

  • my loveliest vinyl, part 22

    my loveliest vinyl, part 22

    The Bags - Rock Starve (Restless 2233-1, 1987)
    The Bags – Rock Starve (Restless 2233-1, 1987)

    Now this is different as this is not my normal piece of cake and this record made it into my collection in 1987 based upon other considerations like it was on Restless (who put some good stuff out), it was from Boston (where many many great bands came from, even back then eg. Gang Green, The Freeze etc etc) and it had a unique sound. Wasn’t realy US H/C but did catch the ear. They ventured on to become a decent hardrock band and disbanded eventually. And they left a song behind that is one of greatest tunes of that period: “Love Sick Diane”.

    The verdict:

    1977 – nope, “post punk hard rock” (aka slow songs can be great songs)
    published by a cool lable – Restless  (subsidiary of Enigma) wasn’t particularly cool but released some key US stuff. Later got sold over and over and went down.
    found in a cool shop – not sure, could have been Michelle Records in Hamburg.
    catching sound – heavy-duty with thrust and soley carried by the great vocals! Quote: “The Bags fall somewhere among the Ramones, Hüsker Dü, and early KISS” – no further definition required!
    The lyrics – mmhhhh – great build up to the unique “nananana” (and frank i’d like to know who Diane was – seldom a “fuck off” was worded that cool)

    no more patience no more
no more relationship no more
and i won't call you my own
i won't call you at all

and now i'm going wild again
and i'm not feeling anything
and you're feeling love sick diane
you feel love sick diane

your aren't true and your a liar
and i leave you love sick and tiered
don't say you're sorry that i'm upset
just be sorry for your selfishness

and now i'm going wild again
and i'm not feeling anything
and you're feeling love sick diane
you feel love sick diane

nanananaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
nanananaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

and when i say no 
i mean no no no more)

and now i'm going wild again
and i'm not feeling anything
and you're feeling love sick diane
you're feeling love sick diane
you're feeling love sick diane
and you feel love sick diane

(c) The Bags 1987

    And now listen loud (and if your bored jump to 1:43 – that is the line that will get stuck in your ear!):

    And no, this is not The Bags from LA, they disbanded 1981 already, as you can see below:

    The Bags (LA, 1979 (c) Flipside Fanzine)
    The Bags (LA, 1979 (c) Flipside Fanzine)