Archive
Plastic Bertrand – Ca Plane Pour Moi (1978)
Quite simply the greatest achievement in Belgium’s history.
An all-time “comedy punk” classic – right up there with Jilted John’s “Jilted John” and Splodgenessabound’s “Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps Please” .
First heard on the back of the school bus in Hong Kong, this was the first track on the never surpassed punk compilation LP “20 of Another Kind” ..
Perfect pop music!
The Snivelling Shits – Isgodaman? (1977)
I’m having a whale of a time at the moment re-reading Erich von Däniken’s provocative piece of pseudo-science, Chariots of the Gods, first published in 1968. I can remember reading the book as a boy in the mid 1970s and I’ve always had a secret admiration for the audacity of the thesis being advanced …..
In summary, Erich’s proposition is (spoiler alert!) that: (a) creation stories are largely true, in that; (b) extra-terrestrials came to Earth thousands of years ago and, by one means or another, engineered a genetic adjustment to the emerging human race that resulted in a leap forward in intelligence and progress; (c) in doing so, they introduced a series of advanced technologies that enabled the building of pyramids, the emergence of the (pre) Mayan civilisation, the nuclear destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, etc; (d) consequently, all references to “gods” are actually references to ancient astronauts.
Given this, von Däniken’s thesis is actually that “man is part god”. I couldn’t find a song of that title but needed little excuse to post this classic piece of punk rock from 1977.
I actually first heard this record on the classic “Streets” compilation LP, originally released in 1977. However, that was apparently by a band called Arthur Comics … It turns out that The Snivelling Shits were persuaded to adopt this alternative band name when the Beggars Banquet record label decided that they really couldn’t accept the “S.H.” word on the cover of their new LP!
The Snivellers were actually Giovano Dadomo, Dave Fudger and Steve Nicol who were journalists for the British music weekly “Sounds”. Dadomo also wrote for “Zig Zag” magazine and managed to fool the NME into giving their first record the much coveted “single of the week” accolade.
It’s a piece of timeless, snotty, punk rock genius!
John Cooper Clarke – Valley of the Long Lost Women (1978)
Happy (route) 66th birthday to John Cooper Clarke tonight! Never kind Robbie Burns!
Way too smart for punk rock … sophisticated wordplay over killer melodies and beats – I had this on constant rotation in my most miserable summer of 1982. Things got better in due course!
John’s backing band, The Invisible Girls, featured Martin (Joy Division) Hannett on bass guitar and production – inventive, melodic and melancholic as the mood required.
She left her heart in ‘Frisco
She left her room in a mess
She left her hat in the disco
She never left her address
John Otway and Wild Willy Barratt – Beware Of The Flowers (Cos I’m Sure They’re Going To Get You Yeh!) (1977)
In 1979, the compilation LP “20 of Another Kind” was a staple on our school bus. I have already posted Patrik Fitzgerald’s stone cold classic “Irrelevant Battles” from the LP here.
Otway and Barratt’s “Beware of the Flowers …”, etc, was always a favourite – not least for the killer fuzz guitar and a “so dumb, it’s clever” chorus. In recent years, the tenacious Otway has continued to perform this live to, no doubt, increasing bafflement among fans of all generations.
This was actually the B-Side of the classic “Really Free” single released in 1977. Folk punk comes no better.
The Clash – Janie Jones (1977)
We all know The Clash were one of the greatest bands of all time (check here, here, here and, err, here, for previous incontrovertible evidence from this blog …..)
However, musing on matters of personal history tonight, I suddenly realised what a pivotal effect this record had on the “evolution” (oh, yes) of my musical tastes. I can’t remember who leant me The Clash’s debut LP but I can remember playing and replaying this, the opening track from the LP, over and over again …
For the curious, details about Janie Jones can be found here ….
Never released as a single, I wonder how many other people come back time and again to this as their first introduction to The Clash?
Altogether now:
He’s in love with rock’n’roll … woah
He’s in love with getting stoned … woah
He’s in love with Janie Jones … woah
He don’t like his boring job … no
LP version then sketchy live video from Manchester in 1977!
Violent Femmes – Kiss Off (1983)
Prompted to post this following an oblique reference on his Facebook page by an old friend from Hong Kong ….
The second track on the Violent Femmes eponymous debut LP recorded in 1982 but not released until the following year.
Loved it the moment I heard it on the John Peel programme and remember buying from the awesome ‘Ear ‘Ere Record shop in Lancaster in the summer of 1983. Definitely something of the Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers about this but the Violent Femmes were never consistent enough to ascend into the pantheon of rock genius that is permanently bestrodden by Mr Richman (new word alert!).
The LP version and then a nice live video of unknown vintage.
