System System System (#001)

[ZS]

(RE-UPPED 9/17/13)

And we're back! Before we begin, I suppose I should address the change in format. I suspect I'll lose some readership as a result of this latest shake up, but to be perfectly honest that's never been the compelling force behind this blog anyway. It's really more of a personal endeavor, the result of an ever-nagging compulsion to share and discuss the music I love with others. I hope you'll join me as I forge ahead, but I won't be heartbroken if you choose not to.

From here on out the focus will lie on compilations. Each week (or so) I'll round up about sixty minutes of musical greatness, throw together some artwork (if you're inclined to, there's a high quality bi-fold jpeg intended for a slimline CD case suitable for printing included with each post), and let it loose upon the visitors of my humble little corner of the internet. This way we cover more ground. You get a little taste of what a band has to offer, and from there you can decide on your own how to proceed. Buy it if you've got the cash and it's available for purchase, or do some further sampling via another music blog (there's quite a few of them, in case you hadn't noticed). There's Soulseek as well, or torrent files, or...well, you get the idea. This is not to say that there will never be another full album post here at Bearded Menace, but they will definitely be much, much less frequent.

Anyway, let's just go ahead and jump headfirst into compilation #001.

This collection is not themed, although I do plan to do some themed ones in the future. We start out simple: twenty-three tracks that I found to be particularly rocking. Here's the breakdown.

1. "Try Not To Stutter" by Nomeansno
Canadian punk rockers, often described as "progressive". You should know these guys already. This track is pulled from the "Betrayal, Fear, Anger, Hatred" EP, the band's first release.

2. "Feast" by Würm
From their lone 1985 LP of the same name. They were an SST band founded by Chuck Dukowski, also of Black Flag.

3. "Membership" by B.G.K.
Raging Dutch hardcore (vocals in English), they were active between 1983 and 1986.

4. "A Gain A Loss" by Plugz
Mexican/Californian punkers, this track is pulled from "Electrify Me". After two LPs, the band would change their name to the Cruzados and pursue a markedly less aggressive style. The vocalist you hear is Tito Larriva, later of Tito & Tarantula fame (yes, the guy in From Dusk Till Dawn).

5. "You've Changed" by Burning Image
Another California band, usually referred to stylistically as deathrock. This track dates back to the recording sessions for 1984's "Final Conflict/Burning Image, Burning" single, although it did not see the light of day until Alternative Tentacles 2004 retrospective collection.

6. "Revolution" by X
The other X, from Australia. This song appears on their astounding debut.

7. "Defiant Pose" by The Cortinas
A '77 classic. One of The Cortinas' earlier, faster, and punkier singles, on Step Forward Records.

8. "Somebody React" by False Prophets
I guess one of the guys in False Prophets wrote for Maximum Rock N Roll back in the day. Whatever. They had some great tunes, and this is one of them.

9. "No Nazi's Friend" by Dicks
A classic. If you're not already familiar with these Texas heroes, you better get familiar. They had two fantastic LPs, both of which were recently remastered and reissued.

10. "Human Car" by The Ex
The Ex are a long-running and musically adventurous Dutch punk band. "Human Car" made its first appearance on 1980's "All Corpses Smell The Same" EP.

11. "Someone Must've Nailed Us Together" by The Len Bright Combo
After Wreckless Eric (real name Eric Goulden), of "Whole Wide World" fame, left the Stiff Records roster, he fronted two bands before returning to his better known moniker. First was Captains Of Industry, who released one album in 1985; and the second was the Len Bright Combo, who released two LPs the following year.

12. "1984" by Feederz
From the "Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss?" LP, appropriately enough released the same year as the song title. The band appeared on the classic "Let Them Eat Jellybeans" compilation, their track being the infamous "Jesus Entering From The Rear".

13. "No Monarchy" by The Kids
Classic, and often bootlegged (that's where I got it from), punk from Belgium circa 1978. Apparently there was a legit seven disc box set entitled simply "Anthology" released in 2007, but it's virtually impossible to find.

14. "Future Heat" by Legal Weapon
Female-fronted Southern California punk. This track is pulled from their 1982 debut, "Death Of Innocence".

15. "Paper Dolls" by The Nerves
An absolutely essential late seventies power pop classic. Members went on to from Paul Collins' Beat and the Plimsouls.

16. "Draggin' Me Down" by Soul Asylum
Yes, that Soul Asylum. Yes, the "Runaway Train" Soul Asylum. If you didn't know that they were a Replacements-esque punk band in the eighties, now you do.

17. "Kick The Thugs Out" by State
These guys, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, ran the gamut of styles. Sometimes blazing straight into rather brutal sounding hardcore, and sometimes taking a more melodic proto-punk approach. This demo track lies somewhere in between.

18. "There's Nobody Like You" by Soft Boys
A speedy little number from Robyn Hitchcock's much-too-short lived Soft Boys. The man did his best work with this outfit, if you ask me.

19. "The Fiend" by The Revillos
After the dissolution of The Rezillos came The Revillos. Campier, but still pretty awesome. This is the demented sounding b-side from their first 1979 single.

20. "Straight Ahead" by Greg Sage
The title track from Wipers front man Greg Sage's first solo record. A personal favorite, and up there with the best of the Wipers material.

21. "Delirious" by Heavy Metal Kids
If you were going to pin-point one song from the Heavy Metal Kids catalog that would justify the proto-punk tag they are sometimes given, this might be it (or perhaps "Chelsea Kids"). "Delirious" is a non-album single from 1977.

22. "Systematic Death" by Crass
From 1981's "Penis Envy" (i.e. the one without Steve Ignorant). Classic.

23. "Guru Maharaji" by Medium Medium
Throbbing post-punk. No one touches Gang Of Four in this arena, but Medium Medium sure as hell gave it a shot. This song - GASP! - breaks the seven minute mark.