The Nerves - "One Way Ticket" (CD, Alive - 2008)

Name your favorite power pop band quickly. Come on, you don't need to think about it, just drop the name your mind's database finds first.
Flamin' Groovies? OK, an obvious choice, but what I need is something less obvious, so drop another...
Badfinger? Mmmm, I'm sure you can do better, too boogie to fit in don't you think?
Cheap Trick? Way cool, but those hard rock twists they got sometimes... don't know.
The Raspberries? Wimpy and campy, you know...
Big Star? Now, you're talking man, but... a bit dark for a springtime post... Remind me about them when the winter is setting in, OK?
Dwight Twilley? Oh great! Wait a minute... I'm not in the mood to make a vinyl rip now man. I know I'm a lazy bastard but since Jean Philippe came to pic, my mind's have cool down about it so...
The Nerves? BINGO! I thought you never gonna tell it man! You know, I must admit I'm cheating a little here cause that's what I had in my mind from the first moment but I thought it was easily for someone knowing my taste which is probably my fave powerpop group, man! The words 'seminal', 'trademark', 'irresistible', 'ultimate' are synonymous with the Nerves short lived existence. What you get here's everything! The beyond any critic classic 7'' EP, the embryonic Paul Collin's Beat diamonds ("Walking Out on Love", "Working Too Hard", "You Won't Be Happy"), bonus studio material, live and demos. More or less the varia Nerves output. I adore Paul Collins Beat's first two and all Plimsouls works equally but let this be the subject of another time's case. After this, you have really no excuse to cite "Hangin' on the Telephone" as a Blondie tune...

Jeff Dahl - "All Trashed Up" (CD, Triple X - 1999)

A true Underground hero for how long, three decades now? I'm only having good words about Jeff Dahl, in everything got involved through years passing! He managed to have a pure rock & roll career without selling out his punk rock ethos not a single time, he had putting out fanzines (Sonic Iguana especially, belongs to the better ones ever printed, up there with Ugly Things, Sniffin' Glue or Kicks), released records to amazing artists through his own label Ultra Under (Freddy Lynxx, Gunfire Dance, Jacobites) and who knows what else am I forgetting now?
I remember asking him for an interview some years back, sending him the questions and after a month of no reply and without getting back at him, I received an email asking me if he ever answered my questions... I was amazed! And you know,  they were lots of 'heroes' that said me they 're gonna give me an interview but never replied, not caring for the love and time I have put into these questions... NOT Jeff though! Saying all this, there's no way for such a cool person to not having a CV of ass-kicking and purely honest (at least) records .
A three chord wonder in the very close meaning of the title! Check out if there's still around somewhere (my friend Mr. Rambler from SOTD had posted them both quite back) the sadly never re-printed and an only  for the fan club release of  Glamfag volumes/tributes for instance (only 500 pressed). A very basic, almost childish approach on 70s glam numbers by Suzi Quatro, Alice Cooper, New York Dolls, David Bowie and Sweet among others well known and not, that somehow and due to Jeff passion's re-birthed with a Dead Boys/Heartbreakers prism and a know for the first time freshness!
This one's for sure in my top-5 Jeff Dahl list and perhaps, the last one I ever enjoyed from start to finish. In "All Trashed Up" Jeff for the first time gives us more of the glam element of his sound, without of course dumping the well known Thunder-esque guitar styling.The album features as well Mr. Michael Brooks, guitar slinger supremo of the Beat Angels (great band!) on some tunes and you know what this means... A full twin attack blazing and bastardizing Mott and Dolls, New York powerpop in the vein of the early Boyfriends and Ramones with the usual Heartbreakers/Dead Boys feel. If Jeff had in mind to make a variation of the glam Bowie produced period of Lou Reed, he failed entirely...Thank God, he-he!!!

Iggy & the Stooges - "Unrough Powder: The Trueborn Raw Power Mixes" (WAXEP001)

Well, well, well... Is there anything about "Raw Power" that hasn't been said or written yet, especially after all those previous years re-mixes, re-masters and re-issues? Quite honestly, no. I just deleted a 3000 words piece cause it had nothing utterly new to tell... Lester Bangs did it first and it sucked too some times. Come on, feel free to abuse me for the previous line but the best thing ever wrote (and it sums perfectly the punk rock attitude) was this Troggs appreciation (RIP Reg Presley) on Who put the Bomp... I hate the 'Funhouse' review!
Include ourselves of course to the above, cause if you can recall almost two years back to this day, we have tried to give you some of our postures on the subject by posting the rare original UK CBS vinyl. So?
So, we had absolutely nothing to discover hither, at least the we way did with "L.A.M.F."  and we knew that from the very start. It was however the natural next step for us to try something with "Raw Power". I mean, the similarities with "L.A.M.F." are spotless. A hugely influential rock & roll record, a blurry history/mythology, a long lasting 'bad production' debate, a 'Revisited' like attempt (Iggy's 1997 remix) and the most important thing, is 'the other' fave ever record for the Bobcat Twins (JP must own 20 different issues)!
What we also knew was that CBS was no Track at all. There were/are many bad pressed or bad transferred "Raw Power" editions around through the years (the first ever CD edition is a very good example) but if you're looking for secretly different mixes to be found somewhere, I'm sorry no such thing here (with the only known exception of "Search & Destroy" of the UK press). Actually what we had on our hands and deserved to be used for WAX-ing was the "Original Bowie mix" in some pleasant pressings, "Iggy's remix" which btw lead us to some arguments with JP (a VERY infrequent situation - I like it, he hate it) and the often bootlegged "Original Raw Power Mixes" again by Iggy, which in most cases were barely audible but never altogether compiled. Bomp's "Rough Power" had 'em all of course if you want to object, but this WEIRD reverb/echo storm throughout the songs presence, destroyed everything and makes us STRONGLY believe now that 'some hand' added these ridiculous and totally extraneous effects just to sound 'different'. Don't get us wrong, WE LOVE Bomp and you know it well BUT this is clearly some cook kind of thing.
There was no motivation for us to deal actually with the first two well known foresaid mixes and it's easily understood the reason why of this. All of them are in print now and most of the 'different' pressings have been posted on internet many times before. If we had to touch our hands somewhere there was only one path for us to cross. The one of the 'Original Mixes'.
So why an EP this time? Cause after countless conversations my buddy convinced me he was right. Quality over quantity as he wrote me! The often recycled WABX radio broadcast has a crappy sound in all cases/releases and any thought on using it, abandoned immediately. There's no need to represent something's not worth a shit (and it ain't won't worth a shit!). On the other hand what through the ages surfaced as what was Iggy's original essay that annoyed all the jerks at MainMan, were only four songs (Search & Destroy, Hard To Beat, Raw Power and Shake Appeal). We couldn't do much except to find the best ones. And that's what we did. Look no further, these are actually the best sounding survivors, scattered in four different and very hard to find now bootlegs plus the rare as hell "Search & Destroy" version of the UK press, for the first time all gathered in one!
We found A LOT entertaining the way we created the covers with this 'hostile to Bowie' approach. After all we're not his biggest fans, he-he... We sure like what he did at times, and as you perhaps, we both grew with his mix, that's what we learned to like and love but hey, this is an Iggy and the Stooges 'release', dedicated to the most furious rock & roll ever commited to tape, so a hate note and a sour feel it is incumbent upon, right? RIGHT!!!
And, oh! One more thing... The 'badly produced/recorded Ashetons' steam engine or the 'visionary' Bowie mix are in questioning with these tapes...Hear for yourself, and let us know!

"It wasn't about production and it wasn't about being popular. It was about this gut-level expression, almost like a soul singer. And it's no accident that it comes from Detroit". 

Rod Firestone, 

Rubber City Rebels 

The Nomads - "Powerstrip" (CD, World Service/Rough Trade - 1994)

Hi there!

I just figured it out but it's almost a month since the last post...Sorry guys and gals, but too much things going on and naturally no spare time. I'd like to ask for forgiveness all of you guys who sent me an email and haven't replied back yet (I will though) and especially our friend Steve (thanks so much man for the GF stuff, I know I owe you something I promised LONG time ago, but hopefully I'll make it up this weekend). I'm slow sometimes but I never forget. Anyway, this cursed LAMF stuff has haunted us in a way and ever since whatever we tried with JP to touch with our hands stayed in the can. I'm not gonna say much but yes we're almost done for the next WAX hit and we already have another one in plans, so I guess there's life on the planet White Trash Soul/WAX, he he!
The past weekend I went to see the Nomads for the third time. It was pretty good. I mean no-one can mess with time it's obvious and it was quite frustrating seeing them aged, but they made me quickly forget all these stupid thoughts with just one song, actually my fave song ever and these Swedes are totally responsible for saving it from time's lethe! "16 Forever" man and I was such a jerk forgetting a statement supposedly is my life moto..! So, at the end I'm saying just this: If the Nomads ever come to your town don't have second thoughts, go see them. Satisfaction guaranteed as the old song says.
That's my fave Nomads record and the strange thing's that even a 90s release, has the fewer posts around and with dubious quality. I recently found the LP but I'm c-o-m-p-l-e-t-e-l-y useless in vinyl rips so here's what a friend of WTS, Pubbi had offered me some months back!

See ya in few days (probably...)

The Boyfriends (USA) - "I Don't Want Nobody (I Want You)" / "You're The One" (7" Single, Bomp - 1978)

I was checking up lately some old stuff and came to this great band and single. The Boyfriends from New York had some great power pop blood running through their veins (The Poppees) and as a result of this, some more great tunes! This Bomp seven inch has a special place among my favorites for what is known to this day as 'powerpop'. The reason why is not that difficult for someone to imagine it when the needle make its dive. Cause both tracks are some great examples of raw pop & roll jewels with a heavy Heartbreakers influence upon them. And on "I don't want nobody" exists this great Stooges drum beat ruffle ("No Fun" obviously) - elevating the song in the 'irresistible' heights of sentiments! As far as I know they had another one on Signal (1981, "Wrapped Up in a Dream" / "Same Old Song") which was equally good but clearly in more pop oriented paths. But this...WOW! Imagine Johnny Thunders' gang with all their girly pop influences up front and you're in. No wonder really why the Ramones chose to cover an unrecorded gem of theirs for the 'Subterranean Jungle' ("I Need Your Love"). Joey was nuts about pop vignettes like these, and so am I !!!

The Real Kids - "No Place Fast" (CD, Norton - 1999)

Hi there! Happy New Year to everyone!
Hope this year be better than the previous but the chances so far are not with our side (at least here in Greece). We got our families, our friends, our books, our rock & roll , quite a lot if you think to all  have a happy life, so fuck the rest.
Mmmm, I noticed many of you guys and gals want some re-ups. Even though I said I'm not going to do it, I will. It's not that easy cause my spare time is limited but in the next few days a first "package" hopefully gonna take place in the 'clouds'.
The limited spare time as well has halted all WAX confections for a while, cause JP just like me had too much things to take care, but hey, we're not giving up. And we are going to hit quite soon hopefully with two 'releases', an EP at first (for the first time in WAX's history) with the true-born survived material of a legendary record and a GREAT live tape our friend Steve handed us, a huge surprise for all the friends of real rock & roll, just be patient!
So, to our subject I was always a big Real Kids fanatic. But I never understood the reason why most people don't equal in quality matters the early 80s works of the band with the CLASSIC debut? I mean, sorry, but "Senseless" and "She" and "Can't Talk to that Girl" are among my fave rock & roll or power pop (you know, raw rock & roll with la-la-las as my buddy Vex used to say) tunes ever! 1999 Norton's compilation offers in one package these brilliant songs. The Taxi Boys side project on the legendary Bomp label that lead to reformation and the "Outta Place" second LP (produced by Andy Paley!!!) are here in all their garage-punk-pop furious glory! For my money only the Boys (UK) can match Real Kids' chop.

PS: Real Kids photo that used here as front sleeve it's one of the best ever captured on camera, I LOVE IT!

BUY IT HERE!

************************* Happy Holidays! *************************

See ya next year!

Crushed Butler - "Uncrushed - First Punks from the British Underground 1969-1971" (CD, RPM - 2005)

The perfect example of someone being ahead of its time. Of the few bands deserving the tag 'proto-punk'. Legendary Jesse Hector, Darryl Read and Alan Butler's three piece dynamite and predecessors of the Helter Skelter and the sadly underrated Hammersmith Gorillas (later just Gorillas) was probably Britain's own answer to MC5's soul guttering rock & roll (Whaaat? The Deviants? Come on, you must be joking right..?)! Hippie haters and prog-rock's squall enemies, were just what the Tubes immortalized with their classic "I was a Punk before you were a Punk" a few years later...Back to the basics rock & rollers, primal screamers and ex-mod mobsters. Waaaaaaayyy too wild to be compared with any other act of their time. They blew Slade, Atomic Rooster and Mott among many as the story smugly is saying now and they set the parameters for the generations to come (glam, pub rock, punk). Sometimes I really wonder what the public was then thinking by consuming massively Led Zep's pseudo blues crap...? If you think you 're offended by the last statement, stay away - if not, well this is the shit!

**** DON'T BUY ****

A site full of Johnny Thunders boots that 've been made available through the years by all of us fans for all of you fans, hoards up shamelessly! I tried in the past to communicate with them and buy their things just to be sure but guess what... They NEVER replied. I tried for the second time by asking if anyone of you guys had a boot I was looking for a long time (and they're selling, the one Johnny plays with the Heroes) for download, but they got lucky again. This time I don't need any proof. And if for many people I'm a pirate too, OK but I'm telling this: Even pirates have ethos ... and balls! AND I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY OUT OF IT.  It's all for the love of Rock & Roll and all you regulars here know it well. They didn't even tried to change Brian's tape scan as you can see, all the 'dirt' and the 'shadows' are there, the same as the one we posted - yep in such heights boldness had come for some people. And the prices they are asking from you guys are enormous. So, if someday catch anyone in person selling stuff made through here available just for FUN and education, I swear to Link Wray's memory (and that's a very serious sanction for me) I'm gonna put both of my dirty smelling Cons up his ass! And that's a threat! I mean it...
Even though in the past, all of our links were deleted, I NEVER get a message saying me to remove anything, never a complaint from someone that had the legal right... And I'm writing this on an eminent position of the blog from day one. I want to believe that this happened because of the integrity and the desire this space shows through the years. But I'm getting second thoughts right this moment. I let you know when my anger goes away...

Take care.

Mihaleez

Cock Sparrer - "The Decca Years" (CD, Captain Oi! - 2006)

Oi!  He-he, I’m quite sure some loyal eyebrows have been raised to the view of a Cock Sparrer post here at White Trash Soul but hey, stop the chattering and listen to what I've got to say first. 

No, I didn't changed my mind about Oi! in general, even though there are quite a few lies lying there ‘bout racism and fascism matters… And I know it now cause I've been fooled too! There’s a HUGE gap between bands like the Business or Screwdriver and the Sparrer or Sham 69, OK? And that’s the easy part cause all you have to do to witness the above (the truth actually), is just to give a listen to those bands stuff! I’m not going to write more on this, but it was a good way for opening today’s pick. Cock Sparrer are IT, period! Most people knows the band from the “Shock Troops” territory which for punk rock at least it’s a CLASSIC but for my disturbed point of view, Cock Sparrer’s glory days were the early ones where their boot-boy, loud, raw and hooligan sound had more in common with the Small Faces and original Slade, than Sex Pistols… 

Cock Sparrer themselves separated group’s existence with punk ‘trend’ by citing constantly the inimitable ‘We‘re not punks – we‘re football hooligans!’ phrase. Btw, Decca for some strange reason (company’s entire history somehow have been build upon peculiar decisions…) seems to have seen ‘punk rock’ early on in boot boys like the Sparrer or Slaughter & the Dogs but for some even stranger reasons drop them when they were ready to cash in… The Beatles 'legacy' resurrected? Perhaps... So, the Sparrow (as the ‘Sparrer’ should be pronounced) in those days were nothing but a hard edged pub rock band! Heavily influenced by their country’s previous years’ heritage on R&B only this time played even sloppily (and aggressively)! For many years band’s 'immature' FANTASTIC recordings were left to the hands of the bootleggers. I believe this stand out Captain Oi! release is the first one that gathers all the stuff (and more). It worth’s his price alone for the original (and SUPERB!) version of “I Need a Witness”, a song at least for me previously bonded with the Little Roosters fame and history (what a band!). Rolling Stones’ “We Love You” is being treated the way the younger and snotty-er Jagger/Richards should have did, and “Runnin’ Riot”, “Taken for a Ride” and “Planet Suzy” are showing the way for the sound about to come with Sex Pistols and their followers. Boogie riffs in hyper speed and tradition rejection by the oxymoron of doing it by looking at the roots!

Don't know if it's a myth or something but the story says that the Cock Sparrer were at first Malcolm McLaren's look for his 'big plans' but they denied making a deal with him due to the fact that they didn't wanted to cut their hair as the devilish manager demanded... True or not -  a cool one, right?

Pic taken from Punk77.co.uk

Henry Rollins on "L.A.M.F.T.M.J.B." !!!

Click to enlarge!

Hey! This is really something special for the White Trash Soul team and we thought it's cool to share it with you guys and gals. Henry Rollins dedicated the most of the second hour of his radio show on our 'L.A.M.F.T.M.J.B.' essay! He blog-ed about us on his site and L.A. Weekly the day before and what wrote and said on air, makes us REALLY PROUD and somehow red faced, cause after all you all know we are down to earth kids, right? Hehe!
I grew up with "Damaged" and "My War" so it's kinda easy for you to understand how much honored I felt with this. The same thing for Jean Philippe cause we both know who Henry Rollins IS!!!
Anyway, if you want to check it out too here it is:



Thank you Mr Rollins! Stay tuned for more Rock & Roll!

The Senders - "Goodbye Cruel World" (CD, Action Records - 2000)

Hi there!
You know, the hardest thing in this blog thing situation is what to write the second time you present a band or an artist from your 'pages'? To think what you haven't notice the first time and put it down. But what about the third? OK, I guess is not that hard if this band are the mighty Senders from New York and happens (naturally) to belong on your 'favorites' close club.
We 're leaving out this time the usual Johnny Thunders references and go further, straight to the point. So this album's my fave. Even though is from latter period of the band and has original ace guitarist Wild Bill Thompson playing in half of the songs. Cause you know, on the rest there's some Freddy Lynxx guy (he-he!!!) filling his shoes! Hmm, I guess the Senders and the Thunders relations would never stop, cause Freddy's like the only one ever never mimic the Saint but carried the torch of his unique style playing to the new generations. The production's great, the performances are SWINGIN' and the songs as usual a prefect blend of originals and splendid taste cover toons (from Willie Dixon to the Stones and from Gene Vincent to the Crazy Teens!). You really have no idea guys HOW MUCH I DIG bands in the vein of the Senders, like the Red Devils or the Fabulous Thunderbirds! This greasy punkitude R&B wailin'! I wish they were more of that heritage around today...

PS: I must thank one more time WTS faithful 'follower', Steve, for handing me this in a better bitrate til the day find it somewhere in its real condition. Thanks man!

Norton Records Needs Your Help!

Damn! Sometimes I’m thinking ‘bout this old Greek proverb my grandma used to say to me and I shit my pants from the horror: “When man doing plans, God’s laughing my child…” and you know, I declare my self an atheist… 
The good thing’s that I’m not talking about a person’s health this time, so from my point of view at least if you’re OK in this, FUCK all the rest! But after seeing this morning Miriam’s post about  hurricane Sandy's maniacal appetite on Norton records warehouse, my mind instantly rolled to the silly thought if this ‘upper force’ has something against real rock & roll..? I mean, about a decade back the fire destroyed Estrus stuff too and I’m starting to think if all these lunatic preachers/evangelists are true eventually… Of course I’m kidding, but I still like the ancient devil related mythology on rock & roll, hehe! And I’m doing black humor cause I can’t really do something more at the moment…The pics and the videos are sawing a knee deep situation to the label I owe the most of my R&R education, and If I was a New Yorker I would have been a volunteer/helper from day one. So you know what you have to do after reading this, right?

There are MANY ways to help the label with the able stable get up on his knees again. A donation button has been set on the official website for all the international/overseas Nortonians. HELP THE LOUD SOUND REBOUND!

Norton Warehouse...

Various - "The Ace Blues Masters, Vol. 2 - 4th and Beale and Further South" (CD, WestSide - 1998)

I've bought this CD in a second hand store some years back, that was in a good 99% a load of crap situation in its four light green painted bordello like walls. And it was really a treasure thing waiting to be rescued from the cesspool of Madonna, 50cent and Puff Daddy waste of plastic and alumina. And I was such a dick then to pick it up just for the Frankie Lee Sims stuff, but man, I've LEARNED so much through this and in a good part what is actually the real primitive raw blasting rhythm & blues music!
As I said, the driving force for me to buy it was Frankie Lee Sims' "Walking with Frankie" an amazing song I first heard from the Barrence Whitfield & the Savages hyper frenetic debut and wasn't containing on another one Sims CD comp I had. And OK, Sims' songs are standouts obviously but NO LESS impressive are also Joe Hill Lewis one man band pounding (here in a previously unissued 1954 session) or Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup's by 1952 (Yes! The one a young, greasy and pink suit wearing Elvis cut his song and wrote history with "That's All Right Mama") all for the legendary Memphis Ace label! I'm no blues expert but I know when something's REALLY GOOD and honest and if you 're in a mood for some serious crankin'/blastin' Rhythm & Blues action, well, here's a very good shot of it!

The Jim Jones Revue - "Savage Heart Documentary"

The Crushers - "Glory of the Day" (CD, Soyuz Music -2002)

Hi there. Not in a good mood, so right from the start I have to apologize my self to anyone that haven't got a reply yet by my side. I'm trying it but I'm not succeeding. I know this misanthropic cheer and when it gets me (thankfully not so often), makes a 'very difficult' person for someone to deal with but at least I know it (some people don't) and I'm warning public to not giving me any attention. This fuckin' situation, this collapsing society finally seems to come to an end... If you see anytime soon Greece on your TV screen in riot and our cities on fire don't get worry, THIS IS WHAT WE ALL NEED actually! Greece's the new 'Weimar democracy', a strange and outrageously experiment and if you haven't noticed it yet - I'm pretty sure you're gonna face it too quite soon...
Anyway, enough with that shit. I wasn't sure in what to post. Maybe some Strummer/Clash would be perfect for the occasion, but I'm parking this need when it's time for my Left-wing anger to come out, he-he! Looking through my CDs found this. And I must give credit to my friend Peris from Lost In Tyme for getting my attention to these cool Russians. The Kinks, the Hollies, the Who (of course!), the Troggs and the Animals are key influences for the Crushers, but the whole feel brings in mind a wild dimensioning American garage psych gang! I mean, this is a shit hot piece of wild rock & roll and came straight outta Moscow, who would have think it, right?! I'm definitely convinced that the Crushers some years from this moment gonna be treated like monsters of the garage genre for the 00s, believe me. Truly amazing combo!

Roky Erickson and the Aliens - "Mine Mine Mind / Bloody Hammer" (7inch, CBS - 1980)

Hi there. My good partner mailed me this the other day:

"Just got the Roky Erickson single shown below. I always thought 'Bloody Hammer' was his best song, as strong as the Elevators 'Roller Coaster' or the Stones 'Gimme Shelter' or anything from the Stooges LPs. Killer track, but I've always been disappointed by the mix found on LP or CD. Kinda loud but muddy. The single version has a much clearer mix, especially on the drums (which are buried on the LP mix), intro is slightly different and it lasts longer. I don't think it's available elsewhere. Play it loud!"

I always thought of these Aliens accompanied Roky records' as Elevators equals and quite (if not much) underestimated. So, who am I to disagree? Play loud then!