ROCK'N'ROLL:STAMPED OUT!

It’s official! Rock’n’Roll is no longer the subversive force of rebellion that it used to be. It hasn’t been for years, but with the release of the series of classic album cover stamps its death knell has been given the royal seal of approval. I mean....and I love both these bands, but....The Clash and Primal Scream hardly royalist/establishment loving outfits now are/were they. Who’d have thought back when London Calling and Screamadelica were released what the future would hold for these two classic albums. Still I suppose it could be seen as some sort of ultimate subversion, I dunno....How the times have changed!

URBAN DOGS - No Pedigree (The Un-Neutered Version)

Maan! I love this album, How well played my vinyl copy has been became apparent when I attempted to rip it to the computer last year, and it was scratched and jumped in places, a total waste of time. I managed to get an MP3 version, but there was something not right; It had been neutered and a couple of tracks were missing, came across another one from a different source and this had the same 2 tracks missing, still something was better than nothing. Anyway after listening to it quite a bit over the last year it started to get on my tits that a couple of songs had been omitted, so I have revisited my vinyl version and ripped the awol tracks and added them to the MP3 version, making the album complete, fortunately the offending items haven’t come out too bad and doesn’t spoil the listening pleasure. Released in 1985 on Flicknife Records, this the second album by Charlie Harper (UK Subs) and Knox (The Vibrators) spin off group the Urban Dogs is a dark, stark foot stamping collection of Rock’n’Roll songs, slightly let down by a few too many cover versions, Monster Mash, Cold Turkey and Children of The Revolution, but made up by some other stomping tunes; Wanna World, No Pity being a couple of them. The album features some great Sax playing, especially on the missing tracks by former Waterboy and Nikki Sudden collaborator Anthony Thistlethwaite.
While researching this piece and looking for a possible explanation as to why Hard Drive and Heavy Women had been left off the album, I came across TIME AND MATTER; a fan- website which has the aim of providing a full as possible historical archive of the UK Subs. It was launched in December 2009 and is already shaping up to be the dogs bollocks of a site. The layout and navigation is one of the best I’ve seen. I strongly recommend anyone remotely interested in not just the Subs, but punk rawk in general takes a trip here! And if you’ve got any info, memorabilia, stories etc about the band get in touch, because they are on the look out for all things Subs related, and the more they have the better the site, in the true spirit of punk; it’s all about getting involved, so what are you waiting for. The site also has a subsection about the Urban Dogs, featuring the contents of their drummer Mathew ‘Turkey’ Bests diaries, gig and recording info etc. It’s from here that I found out the two tracks were left off “Due to time restrictions” Should have left the cover versions off if you ask me, but hey what the fuck do I know. Judge for yourselves! Click, Click, Click! Enjoy! this slightly patchy but compelling master piece. Here’s to waiting for the Urban Dogs acoustic album that’s in the pipeline.

Stan can't get enough of the white stuff!

THE VIBRATORS - Propaganda + Photo (circa 1985)

Call it what you like!

To you left there’s a post card from the 80‘s for you. There’s gonna be some more music coming up soon, and a break from all the ranting I feel I’m chatting shit @ the moment, need to take stock of it all, cos there’s gonna be a lot of shit coming up over the next few months, I mean, there was some shit on the radio were Gordon Brown was saying for people not to panic because there would be enough energy supplies for people over this cold winter??!! WHAT!! I’d like to think there would be, with the prices people have been paying. Then I think what if the oil did run out? How would people cope? Some are having trouble with the snow, so it don’t look good. I’m gonna be well pissed off if I wake up tomorrow and there’s no snow what with all the extreme weather warning hype that’s been going on in the media. I like the snow; It turns drab concrete, tarmac etc bright, changes the whole perspective of the environment and makes it all a bit different. What’s all the fuss about Snow anyway, don’t ever remember it being an issue in the past, it happened and people got on with it, once again it’s the media making a big thing of it all. I wonder what the snow is really covering up?

A is for.....

My last post ended with the words Adapt or Attack, I.e. Adapt to the changes, by accepting them, or Attack them by protest. Now leaders of Labour and Conservative parties are talking about Austerity or Aspiration? Well why don’t people aspire to be more austere. “Value what is necessary, lose what is not” Hard at this time of January Sales, 50% off Bargains and a general sell people a new live, buy now pay later, just the same as the old one. The real enemy is the Media, and that’s where the Election will be fought and how it will be won, I say won but we’ll all end up losing in the end, unless we change. Politicians talk of change, what they mean is that it’s gonna be a change of values and ideologies, the only thing is that they all protect the capitalist system one way or another, it’s just how they go about it and what sections of society benefit that’s different, well I say different, but there’s not much difference between both parties as we converge to some sort of one party state. Here’s a thought, Why haven’t Al-Qaeda targeted the Media, blown up a few Newspaper HQ’s and TV Centres. Hit ‘em were it hurts; The Propaganda machinery of the capitalist state.

1st Untitled Post of 2010.

A few thought on this the second day of the next year. Bring it on! The last 10 years have been defined by: 9/11,a War on Terror, not in our name. Blair the Liar. Brown the Fool. As chancellor he signed the cheques that funded the war in Iraq as Prime Minister he can’t spend any money, cos he hasn’t got any, we can all blame the bankers. MP’s expenses, Politicians exposed for the fuckers they are to the rest of the mass, who also now know that the Iraq War was bollocks, Afghanistan is our Vietnam and who have witnessed Capitalism start to crumble. Those that weren’t schooled by The Clash , Crass or MC5 and The Deviants now know or are beginning to see that the(ir) System doesn’t work.
There’s gonna be an election this year, should be interesting as all parties will try and convince the people that their ideas are the right ones and that their vision for Britain is the best. Who do we believe? None of ’em. Battlegrounds: Immigration, Crime, health, economy.
The media manipulates the minds of the masses, it helps keep people divided, because that way people need controlling, if more people used or had their own minds, they’d see where the problem was and realise who had the solutions.
The distrust and disillusion over the present political system needs to be built on. People need to get their voices heard. There needs to be a search for a common purpose a general sense of belonging between all the fragmented Social Movements. A united voice is gonna be heard louder!
Hung Parliament, yeah hang ’em all I know, but recently I’ve been hearing in the media that people think this would be a bad thing for Britain. This got me thinking that perhaps it would be a good thing for the country. I’ve always thought/believed that the only way to get any sort of government that represents people is to take bits from various politically ideologies and shape them into some sort of new ideology based on common and shared values.
Give real power back to the people, one that isn’t confined by red tape and controlled by bureaucrats or dictated to them by totalitarian leaders who think they know what‘s best. Power to the people, Power of the people, Power for the people. Let the people decide, and I aint talking about no X-Factor style voting judging panel, but I’m sure at some point it will come to this. The live television debate that’s been promised for the forthcoming election could make for interesting viewing. I dunno………..as we enter the next 10 years I feel that the times they are gonna be a changing and we are gonna have to adapt or attack!

JEREMY GLUCK - I Knew Buffalo Bill

I was meant to post this at the same time as Nikki Sudden's Lost in A Sea of Scarves, another request for someone, but never got round to it what with all the Christmas bollocks, time etc. Now this post has a different significance. On 30th December 2009 Roland S Howard passed away after battling liver cancer. Roland’s musicianship is all over this album; hypnotic kraut rock basslines and a scratchy swamp guitar sound. This album is greater than the sum of it’s parts, and boy did it have some parts to it. Jeremy Gluck, former singer for the surftastic garage punkers The Barracudas gathered together not only Roland S Howard but Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks and Jeffery Lee Pierce to record this master piece of stripped back swamp blues and lo-fi post-punk laced with a hint of 60’s pop. It is both beautiful and brutal, stark and colourful in equal measures. A must have! Get it Here! My respect and sympathy goes out to Roland’s family and friends.

Out with the old and in with the......

Reflections! Resolutions! Revolutions?

That was the year/decade that was. This is the year that will be….We have the questions. We have the answers. After 40 years are we still part of the problem? Or are we the solution. All the best for 2010 and the future. Stay strong, stay free and keep on keeping on!

A CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY.

In the dying days of 2009, as one family’s child is flown back in a box from Afghanistan another’s son boards a plane for America on a ‘suicide mission’ So just who is winning ‘the war on terror’? This latest one came from Yemen, and he may have been radicalised in London, it also transpires that security forces were aware of him. A late entry into a Top 10 List of You couldn’t make this shit up, of things that happened in 2009 perhaps? I say you couldn’t make it up, but they could let it happen though. Think about it! Support for their war is falling amongst the public, who maybe need reminding as to what the fight is all about. At least no one was killed, or maybe that was part of their plan. I fail to believe that MI5, CIA, Homeland Security etc could have taken their eye off the ball that much. I mean A terrorist attack at Christmas think of the symbolism if it had succeeded. Just another thing, any failings that are seen in and by the security services, will then justify their use of increased surveillance and new detection technologies. One more gate will shut in fortress Europe as their war on terror enters another year.

PETER PERRETT and THE ONLY ONES - Silent Night b/w Baby's Got A Gun (7" Vinyl-Rip)

If I set foot in another shop before next Christmas it may be a day to soon. But enough, tis the season to be jolly, and here’s a solitary little gift for you all. A slightly crackly vinyl rip, but hey it’s the thought that counts. It’s Peter Perrett and The Only Ones and their take on that traditional Christmas ditty Silent Night, backed by the rather unfestive Baby’s Got A Gun, but then again after my experiences in those Churches and Cathedrals of consumption one could have come in handy, to clear queues, remove shoppers that stand in front of you when your browsing, the cashiers that ask if you want a bag and all the other shit that goes with shopping. BANG! BANG! Tis the season to be jolly fa, la, la, la, la Fuck Off!. Tis the season that people should search for some sort of meaning in/to it all. Anyway enough ranting. I hope you all have a great time over the Festive Season, celebrating it in whatever way you do. Happy Christmas. Enjoy!

"If he only had more time to tell of all the things he planned."

DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK - No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims

Formed in the sewers of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1984. As a band they listened to The Ramones, AC/DC and The Clash, collectively they agreed that The Gun Club's Miami was the best record they’d heard. It was to be 5 years before a million pound deal with WEA records in 1989 launched them on to the world stage, fuelled no doubt by the thriving metal scene of the 80’s. But anyone expecting a blast of downtown L.A Hair Metal is gonna be either very disappointed or very relieved. This is Rawk’n’Roll with it’s roots in Punk as much as Metal which bridges the gap between the genres much like Motorhead, who D.A.D sound similar to in places. I say D.A.D because unfortunately due to threat of law suits by Uncle Walt’s Corporation the Disneyland had to be dropped from their name. No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims is one of those records that grabs you by the balls and swings you round before letting you go smashing into the wall with its addictive stomp along anthems, but hey don’t just take my word for it, here! Have a blast yerself. Enjoy/ Destroy / But most of all….PLAY LOUD!

"Walking in a winter wonderland."

The world leaders stomped massive carbon footprints across the Earth to attend The Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, were after Two weeks of ‘talks’ nothing was achieved so very little will change. In Britain a day of ‘heavy snow’ Brought parts of the country to a standstill. Still at least it kept the cars of the roads and some planes out of the skies for a day. Every little helps. Interesting that the extreme weather we are seeing more of, which is often put down to global warming, in some small way is helping to reduce C02 emissions, but not only that. The more extreme weather we see the more it strengthens their case for global warming. I aint no ‘flatearther’ because just like economics and politics nature revolves and evolves in cycles. People have shaped our political, economic and social paths and now one way or another they are shaping our natural world. The longer it goes on with the world leaders resolving less the more I think that they are prepared to stamp over our world in order to maintain the socio/economic/political environment that they have been creating for the last hundred or so years. The Green eCONomy is just another sprout on their tree of global free market capitalism.

RAGE AGAINST SIMON COWELL!

A few weeks ago a couple of people unhappy with the Cowellisation of the British pop charts Christmas No.1 single, (like anyone gives a shit.) by the years X-creta Factor winners, set up a ‘face book campaign’ to get people to buy downloads of Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name to try and make it the festive chart topper. It’s the one with the catchier than swine flu “FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME” refrain.
Without any sense of irony 600,000 people did exactly what someone told them and signed up to the face book group. Still the revolution starts somewhere!

THE VIBRATORS - Under The Radar (*A REVIEW*)

Yes the new Vibrators album. It’s been out for a couple of weeks. Well worth rockin’ the(ir) recession with. £8.99 including postage from those good folks over at Captain Oi. They’re the business when it comes to keeping the spirit alive! So what with Consumermass coming up put it on yer list for Satan to stick in yer stocking. If you get in there quick it's only £6.99 in the X-Mas Sale. Bargain! and while yer there check out The Walls Punk Collection, or The Fits or The Dark. Brilliant CD's the lot of 'em. Anyway I digress *A REVIEW* 14 Tracks of new Vibrators material, no punk rock garage classics here. This is Knox’s take on all things in and out of love set against backdrops of sleaze in crumbling cities and dead end towns. Musically the band have never sounded more frantic and furious, more solid and sexy. There’s a trace of familiarity among some of these tunes; a guitar lick here, the odd riff there. Foot taping and stomping stuff a total pounding rock and roll out of a record. Some bands/musicians never let you down. If you like The Vibrators I’d be disappointed if you were disappointed after taking a ride Under The Radar.

NIKKI SUDDEN - Lost In A Sea Of Scarves (MP3)

Seems that Nikki Sudden is quite popular around these parts, and that’s not just with me. Someone requested Lost in a Sea of Scarves, well, I try not to post stuff that I haven’t actually got a physical copy of but seeing as it’s nearly ConsumerMass here you go with an MP3 of said album, straight from my hard drive straight from somewhere. It’s a compilation originally released in 1985 on German label What’s So Funny About, of his work with Dave Kusworth as The Jacobites, and a great introduction if you’re not familiar with it. If you’re not never mind shame for the angels, shame on you, but that can be easily rectified with a click here! For those that are there’s a couple of scans of some old Jacobites gig flyers to accompany this post.

Yet another untitled piece of prose.

My heart Fucking bleeds! £40,000 a year. Nice work if you can get it! Having to pay an extra £200 in tax. Fuck me, an extra £200 in my wage packet and in millions of other peoples a year would be nice, don’t suppose that’ll ever happen, we’ll just be taxed by stealth to pay for their fuck ups. Here’s a Top 10 of them for this year:
1) The continuing illegal war
2) MP’s expenses.
3) Taking the country to the brink of bankruptcy
4) …..Fuck it I can’t be bothered to think of anymore, it’s just too depressing and makes me too angry. Poxy fucking culture of lists. Top 10 albums/bands/books/films etc. Truth is it should be about quality rather than quantity, and its all subjective and not very objective. I object because this thing about lists, it’s just a bottom down version of New Labour’s obsession with audits, league tables etc, that’s what has defined this government, that is what has created a market for all the managers, jobs etc that are needed to monitor, collate, analysis and then present the data to the public for propaganda purposes. How much does all this shit cost to tell us, that the average family is worth £204,000 (If figures are to be believed) what? Well I never said I was average, and as for these people earning and having to pay more tax. Too right! The more you are worth, the more you should have to pay. I’ve nothing against wealth and money, it’s just peoples attitude towards it, and what it is actually worth. Nothing, if you haven’t been brainwashed by their Capitalist System, where everything is up for sale. Food, clothing and shelter, basic needs. The rest are just wants. The more you want, the more you need their money, the more you have to play the game. My families income with two people working each year is just over half £40,000, our assets? Well…….I don’t think so. What a bunch of losers! Not really, still manage to live a fulfilling and satisfying life, it’s about the value of things. The only value money has is to corrupt. The reason we are in ’this mess’ is because everyone who grew up under Thatcher and had nothing, has thanks to New Labour grown rich and become the very people Thatcher wanted to create. The Cult of The Individual. More like the individual is a cunt! Now times are hard all those who’ve worked for their future, spent money they didn’t have to attain and maintain the elusive illusion of a life style that actually means something when in reality it means nothing are gonna have to pay, but they aint gonna be happy. I can understand that with MP’s expenses scandal, costs of War etc I aint happy about those either. But the difference is I didn’t buy or wasn’t brainwashed into it and I’m doubly pissed off with seeing those that did and were, moaning about everything, but doing nothing and I’m having to live in the shit that the greedy fucking arseholes created.
You can’t fight progress, but you can slow it’s advance. Take pleasure in the Simple things, beauty in the mundane. I’m not talking about a total alternative lifestyle, cos some progress is good, some of what Capitalism and the Free Market offers is good, but a lot more of it makes me sick. It’s about a balanced diet. Total Capitalism is unhealthy! Like I said before. No class. A classless society. Maggie’s dream, and our nightmare. The people of Britain, need to wake up and see that they have been taken for a bunch of ……. Write that on yer THINGS TO DO IN 2010. List… 1) Take to the streets. After all what have you got to lose? Time to playing a different family game this Christmas.

Bringing some more of the past into the present.

"So we buy it, we consume. We are the suckers"

Why is it whenever I go shopping some things piss me off? Sales ass istants ! When you need one, they know absolutely nothing about the product you want to know about. When you don’t need one, they follow you around the shop and what until you stop walking and then they pounce. “Do you need any help?” No I don’t and if I do I’ll ask someone who’s not gone know about anything anyway. Then if eventually I do decide to make a purchase, there’s the till, queuing up behind people paying by credit card, if you can’t afford it in cash why you buying it? Some shops have cash only tills, I often find the queues shorter at those. So finally make it to the till, then the ass istant utters the words “Would you like a bag?” No! I’m gonna balance the goods on the top of my fucking head and let them get wet in the rain while I walk home, of course I want a bag.

THE WAR ON WEALTH!

THIS ISN'T CLASS WAR! THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO CLASS. I BET THEY ALL VOTED FOR BLAIR. CAN'T GET BY ON £100,000 A YEAR...... CUNTS! AND WHY NOT MAKE IT 50%?

JOHN MOORE AND THE EXPRESSWAY - Expressway Rising.

I posted this fellas debut single a year or so ago, so I thought it’s about time I posted his debut album. John Moore played with the Jesus and Mary Chain, before he went solo with his twangy, bangy 60’s Pop Punk Sleaze; a little Lou Reed here, a spot of The Byrds there and a slice of Garage Punk over there. Great stuff! He went on to release a couple more (no excuse for the pun) solo albums, before enjoying a bit of chart success during the 90’s in Black Box Recorder, but none of that work imho matches the majesty of 1989’s Expressway Rising. Check it out here! Or Check out there! Unfortunetly my original tape has long since stretched ,so you’ve got my digital replacement instead, with two bonus tracks. Enjoy and/or destroy, but do something! John Moore now writes articles for The Guardian, and still rocks out.

UNTITLED

The wanker bankers are in the news again, what a greedy bunch of mmutha fuckers. RBS the bank our government bailed out with our money now want more of our money to pay their executives obscene bonuses, for what? Investing in Dubai Stock Exchange and possibly putting more of our cash at risk.
There’s people not happy that the EU may take control over Britain’s banks, which is fair enough as after all no one was consulted over our increased control by Brussels, but then again someone needs to take control, to stop the Banker Bonus Bonanza and gambling of money on dodgy investments, it’s what our government should be doing or to be more correct; Should have done! I mean the figures if they are to be believed are obscene £5 billion. It’s just greed, but hey our politicians can’t really talk after the expenses debacle. Just think what could be done with that money? Equipping the troops in Afghanistan, better patient care on the NHS, just a couple of things that spring to mind, but hey we’re paying for those already, so why should we pay twice? Well both the armed forces and Health care are haemorging money through quangos, managers and civil servants, while frontline services suffer. High wages for managers etc provide Happy Shopper budget care and equipment.
Climate Change. Change the climate; Change ourselves! It’s fundamental, it’s the only way it’s gonna happen and I’m not talking cutting down on plastic bags or energy saving light bulbs here. It’s about what we put in the plastic bags and what we can see in our homes. Do we need it? Or do we want it? I mean how ever did we get on without mobile phones, how could we watch television before the HD flat screen plasma injection, cos that’s it; people seem addicted to technology and it’s advancement. The white heat of technology is frying people’s minds and the planet. How much more micro can the micro become? How much faster and flatter can we get? before everything reaches a finite state and we’re finished, because that’s what will happen. If people didn’t buy the shit then there’d be no reason to make the shit and if no-one was making the shit there’d be no shit being pumped into the environment. We have more than enough shit in our lives that doesn’t really make people happy, they just think it does. The brakes need to be applied before there’s one almighty crash, we need to start thinking about going backwards to go forwards, that really would be a change in the climate, but one that could just save the planet.

SHARKS - Shallow Waters ( the myspace tunes)

Here’s a band that may well be worthy of your consideration, they have been of mine since I read a brief snippet about them in the NME, and downloaded some tunes from their myspace page. It’s rare that there’s been many bands to catch my attention over the last few years from those pushers of taste at the music press; The Gaslight Anthem, Glasvegas, Twisted Wheel, The Enemy, The Dead 60’s, probably about one a year, this years model goes by the name SHARKS. Why this bunch ? Well… 1) With their slicked back and quiffed up hair they look slightly different to the floppy fringe, skinny look spiky haired indie wannabe whatever look, but more importantly…2) They had something to say that made me think umm! These guys might actually be worth checking out, unlike the rest of the floppy fringed, skinny look spiky haired indie wannabes that the NME shove down its readers throats. The band said they’d “rather be poor and lonely for the sake of keeping their music pure” NME said it could make the band seem po-faced. Excuse me but since when was it po-faced to do it your way, regardless of the cash and celebrity. Sounds like a good attitude to me, that’s what makes a band A BAND and not just another product for the industry. Anyway, time will tell how Sharks survive in the waters of the music biz. Not that they sound that bothered because in an interview for Impose Magazine when asked about future plans James Mattock from the band said “It's hard to know, destroy and rebuild music... I guess.” Sharks back up their talk with a sound not to dissimilar to early Manic Street Preachers with a dash of the Clash a splash of US Punk Rawk and a sprinkling of that 80’s and early 90’s indie/alternative sound. Geat stuff! As well as their myspace songs I’ve also included their cover of The Wedding Present’s Brassneck on this here download. If you’ve liked any of the other bands I’ve plugged here via the pages of NME; Gaslight Anthem, Glasvegas etc then I’m sure you’ll find Sharks just as good, give ‘em a few months and they’ll be circling, scaring and ready to tear at the flesh of the industries dead and dying ducks.

"THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND."

A butterfly flaps its wings. A few weeks ago there was a report in one of the papers about Chinese scientists. In Beijing I think it was, there was a problem with lack of water. Scientists decided to seed the clouds i.e. release chemicals into them, this causes a chemical reaction and hey presto! Rain, well that was the idea, except they got the quantities wrong and there was a ’freak’ snowstorm instead. Makes you wonder how much of this freak weather we are seeing is just down to natural ‘climate change’ Just last week a small town in England called Cockermouth had it’s whole infrastructure wiped out by torrential rain and floods. Nature was as powerful as a laser guided missile taking out bridges, businesses and raking death, destruction and devastation across the area. A result of climate change, they like to tell us. They’ve got the numbers to prove it, or are those the figures that may have been ‘sexed’up to strengthen the case for global warming. I say may because I’m sure that no one would make up figures to strengthen a case for a cause, would they? 45 minutes was it for Iran to ready their weapons of mass destruction? Anyway I’ve shifted from the point, slightly. First off I’m not suggesting that someone like China used Weather Modification techniques to attack Cockermouth,but fucking about with nature can't help the natural climate. but what I am saying is that you can bet your bottom dollar that if the Chinese have the ability to change the weather, than so do countries like America and Britain. But why? Because they can! Why would anyone want to though. Well…. Since scientists have made us aware of changes to the Earths Climate a whole market has grown, A Green Economy fuelled by the need to save the planet at whatever cost. Fear sells and people buy into it, but they need to be reminded of what nature can do, a spectacle! The sight of residents standing in a water soaked house with all their possessions gone, is a good image to plant in peoples minds. There you have it, just a thought. One thing for sure, is that the weather is changing , but it always does and always has, that’s nature, but freaks of nature seem to be common place these days or the reporting of them does. I’m starting to get blown of course with this post, so I’ll end it all now, but just remember what ever the causes of climate change are it’s humans that are fucking up the planet one way or another. Either pumping the atmosphere full of chemical/industrial waste or trying to control nature and use its force as a weapon of mass destruction and propaganda. As a foot note: While I was working on this post last night I heard on the news that there had been flooding in Saudi Arabia. Blimey.. I thought! You don’t hear of that everyday. Now as I’m typing up the post I’m hearing that the sands are shifting on the Dubai Stock Exchange. A butterfly flaps its wings………..

Seasonal Affected Disorder.

Get up, in the dark! Go to work, in the dark! Finish work, go home, in the dark! Get in, turn on the lights, dim energy saving light bulbs. It’s enough to make anyone sad, but surely not that sad to pay £35 on some light box that may or may not improve your energy levels, it’ll probably improve your electric bill by a few quid and that’s all. I realise I may be making light (pun 100% intended) of what to some is seen as a serious condition., but hey lighten up and don't be so sad.

SMACK BLAIR UP!

The Iraq War enquiry, don’t insult my intelligence, the government had no intelligence other than half truths and lies. Thousands of people knew that then, and thousands more will know it when the enquiry unfolds, any attempts at cover ups will just make it worse. There was no danger, no terror threat, no Weapons of Mass Destruction.; all justification for an unjust and untruthful war, to maintain and increase the US and UK’s interests in the Middle East. Lets also remember that it wasn’t just Blair’s War, politicians from all parties supported the shock and awe and so did the people in the streets blinded by propaganda and fear, or just stupidity. Whatever happens with the enquiry Blair will never be able to wash the blood from his hands. He should be tried alongside Bush as a war criminal and as for the rest of the supporters of the War? Well they were just following orders! Thank fuck Blair wasn’t elected as the EU president!

CHINESE ROCKS

China dominates and controls the global market in ‘Rare earth materials’ These like the name suggests are minerals mined from the earth that are rare. They are also major components in the Green technologies that are being developed by the West, ironic considering China is one of the worlds biggest polluters. These rare minerals are also used to provide materials for American high-tech weapons and surveillance equipment. With the West’s dependence and addiction to their military war machine and new world saving technologies it’s little wonder that a blind eye is turned away from Chinas record on human rights. “FREE TIBET!“ China has been condemned for exploiting countries in Africa where the minerals are mined, which is rich coming from nations that fought for parts of Africa in the 18th and 19th Centuries and then plundered the continents resources. Another irony in this tale is that these rare earth materials are the leftovers from that scramble for Africa, by countries such as Britain who are now dependent on all this blue chip shit micro-technology. The future’s bright, the future’s………………….

Fuck the(ir) recession with THE PADDINGTONS.

One of my favourite bands from the last few years; The Paddingtons have a new single out. It’s available here from the band and it’ll cost ya nowt. Shame About Elle is taken from the bands ‘difficult second album’ No Mundane Option. Why do music biz types always refer to second albums in this way? What’s difficult? just write a bunch of songs that are as good if not better than the ones on the first album, job done! and fuck the music biz. Which is exactly what The Paddingtons have done. The second track Sweet is a new one, only available there. Where? Here! No! There!

Bringing the past into the present.....

...with a piece of artwerk I scrawled and stuck together in 1990.

NIKKI SUDDEN - The Last Bandit

What else can I say about Nikki Sudden that I haven’t said over the numerous post I’ve done on him. Nothing! But that would do him a dis-service and make this post a Rather lazy one. Let’s go then. The Last Bandit is a compilation of 18 of his songs, compiled by Nikki himself. I’ll steer clear of calling it a ‘Best Of’ but it’s a great collection and introduction if you’re not familiar with his work. It draws from his solo albums so there’s none of the stuff he did with Dave Kusworth here, but there’s still a good cross section of some beautiful love lorn laments alongside the lo-fi and the rock’n’roll. For those already touched by Nikki’s magic, it’s a valuable companion to the albums the tracks are taken from and a different way to listen to the songs he chose for us, but also a sad reminder of what we lost when Nikki died. Stay bruised!

LE MAT - Le Demos

OOOPS! I was gonna post some Nikki Sudden tonight, but got a bit sidetracked by visiting the new Le Mat myspace page and downloading then listening to some early demos of theirs. It was about time there was something in cyberspace from this truly unique group. The page was put together by the band and as well as the demos there’s a few photos. So if you’re one of the people that downloaded their album and single Waltz Of The Fool when I posted them way back, then I recommend a trip to their space. If you’re into yer Nikki Sudden then you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. SORRY!

The Mediaaargh!

In a recent post about The Fall of The Wall, I asked the question how has it been for the former communist countries. The press cuttings to yer right seem to answer the question; not that good, from what various academics from these countries have been saying to the press, but at least they now have a free press and right to expression. The newspapers and the media are a funny old beast. Check out the other cuttings were last week one paper went from saying on one day that, Babies born in 1948 were the luckiest generation to telling us on another day how the same generation who are now in their 60’s suffer more illness, doesn’t sound very lucky to me. Another paper reported that 1948 was the most fortunate year to be born, because the launch of the NHS meant ‘cradle to grave’ care. Irony or bullshit? I dunno, but these baby boomers are the cross in the box the political parties wanna get. How they gonna get their support? Through the media of course and people like Rupert Murdoch and his Sun and their ‘free press media empire’ sticking the boot into the BBC. Yeah the presenters, directors etc are often paid obscene amounts of money while licence fee payers struggle to make ends meet. But the same goes for ITV as well, it’s just that people pay in a different way; by buying the shit that the station advertises. If people didn’t buy, companies wouldn’t advertise and ITV would have no money to overpay its presenters. I begrudge paying my licence fee, not because of the BBC’s excesses, but because of ITV’s adverts.
Then there’s the quality. Last nights (17th Nov) leading news story on ITV was about the yacht couple who’ve been kidnapped by pirates and how conditions for them are worsening. I’ve already let my feelings known about this couple of idiots, who ignored advice and sailed into dangerous waters. The BBC however choose to lead with a story about mobile phone companies selling their customers personal data to other businesses. These unfortunate people had no choice. I know which story I find more concerning and news worthy.
We need the BBC otherwise there will be no balance in news reporting and no one to question anything, I mean were are ITV’s Newsnight, Politics Show and Question Time ? A lack of these sort of political debate programs is as dangerous to our Democracy as having a free press was to Communism.

"YEAH, YEAH, YEAH"

Possibly one of the most important words in the English language, but one that is being used less and less. No-one likes to say NO! People have become disempowered by love, fear and political correctness. They don’t like to say no to demands of friends, family and loved ones, for fear of upsetting them, they often live unhappy lives as a result of this. Parents don’t like to say no to their children for fear of upsetting them; as a result there’s a generation were some children are growing up thinking that they’re always right and have no respect for anyone or anything. Workers don’t say no to their bosses for fear of losing their job, therefore the bosses maintain their power and profits and people are unhappy at work, when people are unhappy they’re easier to control. Politicians carry on regardless because people don’t say no to them and their policies, but what they fear most is everyone saying NO!, so by them having created a culture were people are afraid to say no at a personal level they’re making sure people don’t say no to them on a political level.
It’s time to regain and reclaim some power and respect. Don’t fear the fear. Just say NO! But….does saying no in some circumstances make you selfish? I don‘t know. Stay tuned for another half-baked rant, based on the words ME and WE.

Fuck the(ir) recession with some CARBON/SILICON

I’ve spent most of the weekend smoking too many fags and blasting out Carbon/Silicon’s new release. The Carbon Bubble is a positive, uplifting total rock out, which finds M.J and T.J returning to their pre-punk roots and turning out twelve tracks of Prog/Glam Stomping 21st Century Punk Rawk, brilliant stuff, but this aint no retro shit; musically and lyrically this is as relevant as The Clash and BAD or Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik were, and just as inspirational. There’s no excuse for anyone not giving this a listen, it’s available from the bands website as an MP.Free so all it’s gonna cost yer is a few minutes of your time while you wait for the tracks to download, As a bit of a bonus, and so you don’t leave here empty handed here’s a couple of early versions of two tracks from the album; Reach For The Sky and What’s Up Doc. Enjoy! The image on the right accompanies Shadow, my favourite track on the album; A 6 minute slow burner of an anthem, which juxtaposes The 18th Century English Radical Politician and Journalist John Wilkes with a world of the Facebook X-Factor generation. Smoking!

THE VIBRATORS - Rip Up The City (Live)

Recorded in Germany in the early 80’s and originally released in Germany on vinyl in 1986 as The Vibrators - Live This is the Receiver Records re-release from 1999 with a couple of extra tracks and a new title; Rip Up The City - Live. When this was recorded Pat Collier had been replaced on Bass by Noel Thompson, but Eddie, Knox and Jon Ellis were still there banging out a career spanning set of numbers from Baby Baby and Keep It Clean to Rip Up The City and Crazy Dream. This is power pop punk rock at it’s best, but don’t just take my word for it, this is what Alex Ogg had to say in the linear notes “This CD catches The Vibrators, survivors of the punk wars with over two decades’ worth of battle scars to show their grandchildren, playing live in Germany in the early eighties. While the punk movement as a whole has been recognised for its social and political import, some of its originators continue to be written out of it’s history. For want of being fashionable, The Vibrators have suffered more than most from this affliction. Yet The Vibrators best songs - Judy Says, Baby Baby, Automatic Lover, all included here, argue against such flippant dismissals.” Check it out here for yourselves. Satisfaction guaranteed! After 30 years The Vibrators are still buzzin’ with a new album Under The Radar recorded and ready for release by Captain Oi in either December or early next year. Can’t wait.

Looks like there's a problem with track 6 of this download, their classic slice of punk/pop Baby Baby. Anyway here it is as a single MP3, for you to download and slip in with the rest of the tracks. Hopefully this wont be 'corrupted'

*THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK* or Unfinished Scribblings #3

All’s well in the world; they’ve found water on the moon. Great, human beings have nearly fucked up one planet, how long before the space cowboys start to fuck up another one. In the past the space race proved a good distraction for the people and good propaganda. The East and West spent millions shooting for the moon. I wonder if even in a time of global economic uncertainty countries are gonna be pumping money into space programs with the view to building a new world outpost?
Time for people to get real and take control of their own lives and situations. They/we need to work together to fix broken Britain. (That’s if it is really broken, or it’s just in the mind and eyes of the propagandarists.) There aint long and if the Tories get into power they’ll use a great big stick to beat the people into shape and submission, thanks to all these New Labour laws it’s gonna be a bigger stick than Thatcher had. That’s what David Cameron’s talking about when he says “We’re going to use the state to remake society.”
Don’t be fooled by the Tory sheen and smiles. Promises of this and that, cos it’s gonna cost and freedom is a high price to pay.
Short term solutions leave long term problems.
There are concerns that the BNP will be using funding that they get from Europe for propaganda purposes. It is sad, but they are entitled to this money. Ironically on the same day I read about this Gordon Brown finally said what he should have said years/months ago; that talking about immigration isn’t racist. Perhapes if he had then the BNP might not have won their two seats in the European parliament and no-one would be worried about how they spend their money. Nice one Gordon.
What about the letters debacle, I mean you couldn’t make this shit up. I aint Browns biggest fan, but I mean he tries to do the decent thing and write to bereaved families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and is crucified in the media for his poor handwriting and spelling. I mean it’s not a good picture is it…Our one eyed half blind leader struggling to write with his felt tip pen. But that’s what it’s all about painting a picture to use for propaganda, and the media especially The Sun are gonna have their crayons out between now and the next election. Something only becomes an issue when it is made an issue; that’s the problem. Fact+Fiction=Friction!
Never mind blowing up the houses of Parliament the real threat to freedom and democracies comes from Murcoch and the media so lets blow up their headquarters. The alternative they are pushing is no real alternative just a bunch of heartless traditionalists who want to conserve the past and present it to the people as the future. I mean I don’t recall Thatcher handwriting letters to the families of the Falkland Islands fallen soldiers. David Cameron has moved forward, he doesn’t want to return to Victorian Values, he wants to return to those of the 1940’s and 50’s, the age of austerity. Yeah, but for who?

Lest we forget......

The war dead are not just for Remembrance Day!

THE FALL OF THE WALL (Freedom Strasse)

It was Twenty years ago tonight that the citizens of Berlin tore The Wall down. Communism was collapsing as the iron curtain fell. Many heralded it as the triumph of Liberal, Capitalist Democracy. Oh the irony…The worst global recession since Wall Street crashed, and in countries like Britain we’ve got surveillance the Stazi would be proud of, we had a leader who took the country to war with the West’s i.e. USA and Britain’s new enemy; Terrorism, a smokescreen behind which to bring a new Tesco’s superstore to every Middle Eastern country. He did this by lying to the people. His un-elected successor has presided over a country where politicians, bankers and bosses have made themselves rich while they’ve let the poor get poorer through ‘credit capitalism’ To the citizens of the former Communist countries I ask you how’s it been for you? Well, from what I’ve seen in the media, it seems like it’s been much the same, you tell me! Is the honeymoon over? How much Freedom can you endure? Anyway the photo to yer right is of me posing at Checkpoint Charlie when I visited Berlin for a couple of days in 1987 with my mate Daz. About fifteen minutes later, there was a problem, well I was the problem. An East German border guard pulled me out of the line of people waiting to cross into East Berlin. I did stand out a bit with my long hair and general unkempt appearance. The guard took me into another room to get a closer look at me. I think it might have been the skull buttons on my decedent La Roche cut down denim and leather waistcoat that was the issue with the guard; because he took hold of one, looked at it and uttered the words “You can’t come into our Country dressed like that!” My mate Daz was let through while I was ushered out. I went to the nearest bar on The Western side of The Wall while Daz went to the nearest bar on The Eastern side, we met up outside Checkpoint Charlie a couple of hours later, both well pissed, but I’d run out of money while Daz had come back with change from his East German currency. We also went to visit The Olympic Stadium where Black American athlete Jesse Owens ran the Aryans off the track, In a time when there was a real threat to our freedom. Fascism! Since the collapse of Communism there has been a rise of Fascism in many countries across Europe fuelled by the ‘immigration issue’ that’s the free trade free world for you. Imagine what the world would be like now if the Wall hadn’t come down, what about if it had just been lowered by a few metres? and had the barbed wire removed?

OUT SOON................

Available as a FREE download via the official Carbon/Silicon website - on Saturday 14th November 2009. Full CD cover and booklet artwork will also be available to download from the site.

THE STRANGLERS - The Raven (CD-Rip with Bonus Tracks)

I picked this up when I was away the other week. A £1.99 charity shop bargain. My original vinyl copy was well scratched, even before it was either swapped, sold or stolen. Finding this again on CD with bonus tracks was a right result, and listening to it again, well….I should have taken better care of the original, cos this is a classic that I’d forgotten about over the years, but it’s back in my life now thanx to whoever donated it to the RSPCA Charity Shop in The Mumbles, nice one. Like The Clash’s London Calling and The Damned’s Machine Gun Etiquette The Raven sees The Stranglers moving away from their original sound, the trademark Bass and Keyboards are still there but this is dark, poppy and experimental in equal measures. Through the eyes of The Raven The Stranglers songs took on a more worldly view and subject matter; Genetic engineering Genetix, Uranium mining in Australia Nuclear Device and The Shah of Iran leaving Shah, Shah A Go Go, they even took it to another world of aliens and UFO’s with Meninblack, and Duchess… well that has to be one of the best pop songs ever written. Enjoy!

I’ve had to upload this to a different file sharing site because in the week I was away my usual hosts Media Fire have had a change around and for some reason I can’t seem to upload anything to it anymore, hence why there’s been no music for a while. Hope this doesn’t cause any problems, if it does, let me know. Problems....did I say problems, well................

FUCK THIS SHIT! A WHOLE DAY SPENT TRYING TO UPLOAD THIS TO VARIOUS PLACES AND ALL I GET IS SHIT. JACK FUCKING SHIT! NOWHERE WANTS TO KNOW. I give up. Maybe tommorrow. RESULT! Here'a link to The Raven by The Stranglers. CLICK!,

Intolerance Strasse.

Click, Click, Tap, Tap, Blah, Blah, Blah. The sound of someone incessantly using their mobile phone next to me on a bus/Train etc. No, No, Ouch, Ouch, Argh, Argh, Argh. The sound of that person having the mobile phone inserted up their arse…………………Sideways.

“On a great big clipper ship and all the politicians makin' busy sounds.”

So the Government aren’t gonna be paying the ransom demanded by Somalian pirates for the release of the British couple captured in the yacht of the coast of Africa. I bloody well hope not, why should we pay for this couples stupidity/mistake. The government will probably change their minds anyway, I mean what about the whole Drugs advisory fiasco. The Government employs a group of people to scientifically advise them on the effects of drug use on individuals, and then when the advisors say that cannabis and ecstasy use is less harmful than legal drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes and other social activities like horse riding they sack them, and try to deny them the right to having an opinion.
So what’s to be done about ’the drug problem’ it’s obvious that the millions the government have spent on anti-drug campaigns haven’t worked. Individuals choose get their kicks in different ways; smoking a joint, popping a pill, shooting smack or sailing round the world in a yacht
I’m not saying give heroin away on the NHS, that’d be like paying the pirates a ransom, but what about licensed suppliers, Drugs‘R’Us anyone, or leave things as they are with the dealers calling the shots. Talking of shots, at this point in time every shot of smack is a Taliban bullet fired at a British or American soldier in Afghanistan. I’m not saying that using drugs can’t be harmful to the individual or to society. I haven’t been robbed by drug users, not saying that all drug users are thieves, but on a personal level, over the years I’ve known more people die from drug use than horse riding, but then I also know more people who use or have used drugs and have suffered no lasting harm. This may not be scientific research, but it is fact.
If you don’t wanna be captured by pirates don’t sail into dangerous waters, and this government are sailing pretty close to the wind when they ask for advice and when they don’t like what they hear or don’t agree with what is being said they choose to ignore it. Never mind pirates, this Labour government are just a bunch of fucking cowboys!

Hey!......It's good to be back.

A bit stuck for thoughts and words at the moment, I always find myself feeling like this for a few days after going away and absorbing the beauty and nature of a place; it takes me time to adjust to the reality and normality of the cold concrete urban living. Here are a couple of holiday snaps for you before I get back to the ranting and raving about whoever and whatever interspersed with some Rock’n’Roll. Until then…………….

Back in a week....or so!