アナーキー [Anarchy] "アナーキー" (1979 or 1980)*****

I think I first heard this album blasting from the speakers of a music bar on a warm evening in Tokyo (I think it was Bar Rockaholic? It was directly above a record store I visited for my record stores of shibuya post). The songs sounded like The Clash with Japanese lyrics; I remember there were a few customers shouting the lyrics at the top of their lungs. They seemed quite drunk even though it was still early. Later, I found in second hand shops some LPs by this punk band called Anarchy, and decided to take a couple together with me to The Netherlands - I've always been a sucker for non-English language rock. 

The band's self-named debut アナーキー (1979 or 1980? my sources do not agree) does sound a lot like The Clash , which makes me think they must have been the same band I heard play at the Shibuya bar that night. Three songs are more-or-less direct Clash covers: "東京イズバーニング [Tokyo is Burning]", "ホワイト・ライオット [White Riot]" and  "アナーキー [Anarchy]" (A.K.A. "Safe European Home"). "3.3.3." is a cover of Stiff Little Fingers' "Suspect Device", and "ジョニー・B・グッド" is Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode", while the band took their name from Sex Pistols' "Anarchy In The UK". Other songs sound familiar too, but I couldn't place them - in any case, the aforementioned bands should give an indication of their influences. I must say that this is exactly my favorite punk rock style: short, fast, aggressive, but still somehow melodic. In general, Anarchy seem to be closer to the English punk school rather than the American one. If you think about it, there are quite a lot of similarities between England and Japan in the 70's: former empires in decadence, ages-old society structures with an emphasis in decorum, repression and self-restraint, the institution of monarchy - Anarchy's disparaging attitude to the Imperial Family caused as much a backlash as Sex Pistols' "God Save The Queen" did. The lyrics form, apparently, a rejection of modern Japanese society, attacking consumerism, conformism, and the "worker ant" ethos. More in-your-face than the sarcastic British school or fun-loving American one. Vocals are aggresive, words spat out rather than sung, and tempos fast. Half the songs clock well under 2 minutes, the rest between 2' and 3'. Song structures usually follow the same pattern: Short intro→Verse→Chanted chorus→Short solo/noise break→Final chorus→abrupt ending. The guitarwork is relatively basic (power chords, minimal chord changes), but then again, that's punk; in any case, the guitarist sounds rather more profficient than his counterparts in classic English punk bands. On the other side, there's less variety in the music, at least in this debut lp: no reggae/funk influences like The Clash, or hard rock ones like Sex Pistols. Despite a certain sense of sameness, the urgency and short duration of each track here ensure the listener won't get bored at any point. There are no weak tracks here, on the contrary there are a lot of highlights e.g. the repetitive chant of "Not Satisfied", melodic guitar break of "Aburamushi", rockabilly guitar in "Mou Out", call-and-response vocals of "City Surfer" etc. As I said previously, many of these songs here are either covers of, or partly lifted from, contemporary Western punk rock. Yet, there's also something distinctively Japanese about this LP - other than the obvious, which is the language. It turned out to be hugely influential for the local scene and is listed at No.16 of Rolling Stone Magazine's All Time-Greatest Japanese Rock Albums list. Is the music here derivative? Yes, absolutely. But so is Green Day's, and they are one of the most popular -and therefore important- punk rock bands, ever.

***** for ノット・サティスファイ [Not Satisfied], あぶらむし [Aburamushi], 3・3・3, シティ・サーファー [City Surfer], 団地のオバサン [Danchi no Obasan], アナーキー [Anarchy]

**** for ジョニー・B・グッド [Johnny B. Goode], 東京イズバーニング [Tokyo's Burning], 缶詰 [Kandume], もうアウト [Mou Out], 季節の外で [Kisetsu no Soto de], ホワイト・ライオット [White Riot], 教室の中で [Kyoushitsu no Naka de]

*** for ロック・スター [Rock star]

Panx Romana "Αντάρτες Πόλεων" (City Rebels) 1989****

Last summer, Panx Romana celebrated 40 years of existence with a big concert in downtown Athens. If I'm not mistaken, that makes them the oldest Greek rock band still active, as well as the longest-serving one. It wasn't commercial success that kept the band going all these years; they release their albums on indie label Wipe Out! with minimum promotion. As for income from live gigs, I've been to many of their concerts during the late 80's and 90's and most of them were free in support for one cause or another: legal help for jailed anarchists, free clinics for the poor and marginalized, rehabilitation for former addicts etc. No, Panx Romana retained a constant following throughout the years, firstly by staying true to their beliefs and musical vision, and secondly by doing the unthinkable for punk rockers: being all-around nice guys. Sure, they embraced the aggressive punk fashion and anarchist ideology just like all the other punk bands in the overtly politicized Greek scene, but while others called for destruction, their way was that of non-violent resistance and a positive agenda including ecology, pacifism, and anti-drug messages. Drummer Dimitris Dimitrakas, whose career in music pre-dated punk, had a radio show called "Rock 'n' Roll Assistance" promoting young Greek bands without focusing on specific genres, and he has collaborated with almost everyone in the local rock scene. Singer Frank Ninos used to manage a club in Plaka which became the epicenter of the early Greek punk scene until the government decided to "clean up" the neighborhood. Leaving punk pioneers Stress before they recorded their songs, he recruited other scene members to form Panx Romana in 1982. Two years later they contributed two tracks to legendary compilation Διατάραξη Κοινής Ησυχίας (Disturbing The Peace, 1984) while they released their first LP Παιδιά στα όπλα (Kids At Arms) in 1987. The title song was a denunciation of the Greek system of compulsory military service. At the time it was 2 years for all 18-year old males; one could get a postponement for studies but not escape it altogether. Alternative community service was impossible, and conscientious objectors faced actual jail time. The only way out was the so-called ''crazypaper", being deemed mentally unfit for service - but that came with the expense of being stigmatized for life and excluded from working in a variety of jobs. The obligatory military service cost many young people their lives, either by suicide or accident. Among them was Frank's older brother, who died in a landmine-related incident.

Two songs in this, their second LP, also have an anti-miltarist subject: ballad "Το γράμμα / The Letter", and "Διακοπές στο χακί / Holidays in khaki" - the latter is a Clash-like number with a small ska segment. There's generally not much variation musically: The Clash and Ramones are obviously huge influences, and all the songs here -with the exception of ballad "Το γράμμα" and dub instrumental "Tien An Men"- are straight-ahead punk'n'roll. Anti-cop anthem "Καταστολή στο περιθώριο / Repression for the Underground" is even a Greek-language cover of The Ramones' "Somebody Put Something In My Drink". The subject matter of other songs includes big city pollution and alienation ("Αθήνα Μηδέν χλμ από την κόλαση / Athens zero km from hell", "Η πόλη δεν κοιμάται ποτέ / The city never sleeps", "Χάρτινη πόλη / Paper City"), state repression, ("Παρακράτος της σιωπής / Oppressive State of silence", "Στο ρυθμό της κυβέρνησης / At the beat of the government"), and the celebration of resistance either political ("Ράδιο κατάληψη / Radio takeover" , "Αντάρτες πόλεων / City rebels") or through the power of rock'n'roll ("Rock 'n' Roll βοήθειες / Rock'n'roll assistance", "Το μυστικό πάρτυ / The secret party"). The LP cover depicts the famous photo of the Tien An Men protestor in China trying to stop a tank with his body, while original LP's also included a fanzine written by the band. I used to have this LP as well as Παιδιά στα όπλα on vinyl, but sold them during The Great Vinyl Purge after transfering them on CD. Big mistake! Now they're really rare, and since I've graduated from simple music lover to record collector I wish I had kept them. I managed to get hold of this copy for a decent price, but its condition is nowhere as good as the one I used to have, this one has plays with a low but constant crackle. Should you get a copy if you find one? From a collector's point of view, absolutely. Especially if you like foreign-language punk rock or anarcho-punk in general. Musically the record is upbeat and fun, without the obnoxiousness of some more hardcore bands. Lyrically, it is commendable for the social and political themes it deals with as well as for its approach, which is less militant and more utopian, almost Christian, in nature. For those who speak Greek, Dimitrakas has a set up a great website which includes complete lyrics and sound clips from all of Panx Romana's albums, as well as his various personal albums and collaborations.

**** for Rock 'n' Roll βοήθειες, Ράδιο κατάληψη, Διακοπές στο χακί, Αντάρτες πόλεων, Καταστολή στο περιθώριο, Το γράμμα

*** for Μηδέν χλμ από την κόλαση (Αθήνα), Η πόλη δεν κοιμάται ποτέ, Παρακράτος της σιωπής, Τιέν Ανμέν Πλατεία της ουράνιας γαλήνης, Χάρτινη πόλη, Στο ρυθμό της κυβέρνησης, Το μυστικό πάρτυ

Γενιά Του Χάους (Genia Tou Chaous=Chaos Generation) – "Genia Tou Chaous / Requiem" 1983-1989(rec) 1996(comp)****

Now here's something that reminds me of my student years. I narrowly missed seeing Genia Tou Chaous, along with other Greek first generation (early 80's) punk bands like Stress and Adiexodo. They had disbanded a few months before I got into the University and started going to punk concerts, but their music was still very popular at the time. Not so much in my college which was kind of preppy, but in the student haunts and underground clubs around Exarchia in downtown Athens. It was late '88 or early '89 when another first-year student gave me a cassette including songs from the aforementioned bands including selections from the holy grail of Greek punk, 1984 compilation Διατάραξη κοινής ησυχίας (Disturbing the peace). At the time I was familiar with some English and American punk bands, but not local ones - the reason being that radio stations were under state control and prohibited from playing this music, while the range of pirate radio was so small that in Nikaia, where I lived, it was impossible to get signal from Athens (10 km away) where they might be more open to "underground" bands.  When my friend asked me what I thought about Genia Tou Chaous, I said I liked the music and appreciated their political sensibilities, but I found their lyrics somewhat naïve and grotesque - I probably meant bleak, but couldn't find the right word. She was very disappointed because her punk friends thought of this album as Gospel. To fully understand what it meant to be a punk at that time and place, one must keep in mind that it was a highly politicized stance. People who just listened to The Sex Pistols and Ramones, which I also did, were not punks. Spiky hair or wearing safety pins was not punk by itself. Punks did have a fashion code, but they were also immersed in the anarchist movement. Music and fashion had, by that time, become complimentary to ideology. The whole thing started as a fashionable trend in the late 70's. There were a few punk boutiques at the trendy Plaka area near Acropolis, while the first bands came from middle class suburbs like Genia Tou Chaous' hometown, Agia Paraskevi. Working class suburbs like Nikaia were initially totally oblivious to punk. Concurrently, during the late 70's, there was a growing anarchist movement mostly around Exarchia Square and the Universities in the area. They were fighting increasingly violent clashes against police and fascists, but also against the communists who then dominated the universities and trade unions. The pivotal moment came in 1985, when 15-year old demonstrator Michalis Kaltezas was shot dead by police outside the Polytechnic School at Exarchia. The fact had a tremendous impact on many youths. I had the same age with Kaltezas, and it just blew my mind that a kid my age could get shot by a policeman - I actually had nightmares about it. It was a Them-Or-Us moment and it caused the punk and anarchist movements to merge, and the epicenter of punk to move from the boutiques and pubs to the squats and the streets - especially those of downtown Athens.

 

Now, when I said to my friend that I found Genia Tou Chaous' lyrics "naïve and grotesque" I may have been a bit harsh. They were also political and rebellious, just not in the organized way in which I was accustomed to: Nikaia had a communist mayor, and high school students marched in demonstrations together with our teachers, and under the protection of hardened Builders' Union members. Some of our classmates would peddle Communist Youth's weekly paper Odigitis (The Guider) at school (yes, they were ashamed of doing so, but they had quotas to fill). Plenty of room for anti-systemic rhetoric, but none for anarchy. The politics of Genia Tou Chaous seemed pretty uncooked to me: on album opener "Κοινωνικά Υποπροϊόντα" (Social By-products) they posed a societal division, but it wasn't the class one I knew: on the one side it was the punks and anarchists, whom I could sympathize with, but also all kinds of lumpen elements: junkies, whores, and criminals. The enemies were the State and its repression apparatus, the docile masses, and all political parties, especially those on the left. "Κοινωνικά Υποπροϊόντα" is the most openly political and most musically aggressive song on the album. Listening the CD again, there's less revolution than I remembered and more "poetic" doom and gloom: the bleak and alienated worldview of self-proclaimed misfits, though nothing too strange for teens going through a pessimistic and rebellious phase. Musically, with hindsight, I hear many similarities to Californian punk: Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Adolescents, early Bad Religion and -especially- early Christian Death. There's certainly a strong Gothic influence, especially in the theatrical and desperate vocals, as well as a hardcore and metal one. Songs 1-12 consist of the band's 1986 eponymous debut Genia Tou Chaous, plus an acoustic demo of "Stigma" recorded in 1983, a few months after the band's formation. The dramatic vocals on the latter track remind me less of punk groups, and more of Orthodox church psalms - makes me wonder whether these punks had spent some time as altar boys. Other, typically punk, songs like "Ψυχρές Τοξίνες" (Cold Toxins) and "Καμμιά Ελπίδα" (No Hope) are notable for their irresistible shouted refrains, while some alternate an aggressive lead vocal with a melodic one - usually by more voices singing harmonies. Another notable track is "Τα Παράσημα Του Παραδείσου" (The Medals Of Paradise), featuring a long keyboard intro followed by a nice metallic riff and the aforementioned vocal combination. I also quite like the dark and slow eponymous track "Γενιά Του Χάους" (Chaos Generation), despite the dismal lyrics (they literally sing "life has turned into shit", c'mon, anyone can do better than that!). Album number two Requiem was recorded in 1989, shortly before the band broke up. The guitars display a thrash metal influence, the lyrics are more wordy and less directly political but in the same dark and gloomy style. The vocals remain ultra-dramatic, straining to fit all the words. Greek isn't the best language for rock, much less when you're trying to sing a poem or mini-manifesto. The undisputed highlight of Requiem is "Ο Χορός Της Σιωπής" (The Silent Dance), a speedy tune with a catchy refrain presented here in two (not too dissimilar) versions. My other two choices are also fast and simple, "Αργά Το Βράδυ" (Late At Night) and ''Για Τώρα Και Για Πάντα" (For Now And Forever). On the whole, the second album is rather more mature and better played, but I slightly prefer the immediacy of the first. This CD contains them both but is burdened with a huge omission: their best-known song -arguably Greek punk's best moment- "Μπασταρδοκρατία" (Bastardocracy) remains available only as part of the, now very rare, Διατάραξη κοινής ησυχίας (Disturbing the peace) compilation. A second, less important, foul is replacing the original artwork with the one you see here. Still, it's a piece of history and this CD is a must have for anyone interested in Greek punk/alternative rock - especially since the original vinyl LPs are so rare.

***** for Κοινωνικά Υποπροϊόντα (Social Byproducts), Ψυχρές Τοξίνες (Cold Toxins), Ο Χορός Της Σιωπής (The Silent Dance)

**** for Γενιά Του Χάους (Chaos Generation), Στίγμα (Stigma - 1983 demo), Καμμιά Ελπίδα (No Hope), Τα Παράσημα Του Παραδείσου (The Medals Of Paradise), Στίγμα (Stigma), Αργά Το Βράδυ (Late At Night), Για Τώρα Και Για Πάντα (For Now And Forever), Ο Χορός Της Σιωπής (The Silent Dance - demo)

*** for Ηλίθια Αθώοι (Stupidly Innocents), Λύτρωση (Redemption), Πόσο Μακριά (How Far), Μαύρο Το Χρώμα Της Στέρησης (Black-The Color of Deprivation), Εισαγωγή Στο Ρέκβιεμ (Introduction To Requiem),Αμόκ (Amok), Κραχ (Crash), Ρέκβιεμ (Requiem), Το Μύνημα Της Ήττας (The Message Of Defeat), Δόγμα (Dogma), Αυτός Ο Κόσμος - Θάνατος (This World-Death)

** for Προκατακλυσμιαίες Εικόνες (Precataclysmic Images), Παροξυσμός (Frenzy - demo), Άγγελοι Χωρίς Φτερά (Angels Without Wings)

Toprot ‎"Straight Outta Moerwijk" 2019***

I've said it before, I like all anarcho-punk bands, so Toprot couldn't be an exception. Granted, these young guys from The Hague got their name from a disease affecting cannabis plants and identify themselves as "drunk punk" rather than anarcho-punk, probably to avoid sounding too serious, but they're also closely tied to an anarchist squat in Den Haag Moerwijk called De Samenscholing, and engage in political activities (playing benefits in support of refugees etc). The 7' EP Straight Outta Moerwijk seems to be their first release, at least according to discogs. They sing in both English and Dutch but there is no lyrics sheet included, so I'll be damned if I know what about - other than their apparent disdain for yuppies, hippies and hipsters. I personally find the anti-hippie sentiment too 1977, even punk guru Jello Biafra now agrees that the hippie movement left an overal positive legacy. Hipsters yes, they are a modern plague. As for yuppies, before coming to The Netherlands I'd say that they were an 80's thing. In Greece wearing a suit and tie at work is like wearing a Burger King uniform, you can't wait to get rid of them. In Holland, though, young people wear their suits and ties proudly even when they're not obliged to, and actually study "finance" and "business management" by choice, not just because they suck at everything requiring a modicum of ability. Back to the album at hand, the music is your typical fast-and-furious hardcore punk: 6 songs within 10 minutes, roughly recorded and played with an amateurs' enthusiasm though not amateurishly. If you like 80's punk like Black Flag, Exploited or GBH this may be something for you - the closing tune "Shiver For Ma Livah" even has a bit of oi!-like chorus thing going. If you'd like to know more about the band, check their facebook site

*** for Against Hippies, Vies Pijn En Dronken, A.B.A.B, Vuiluh Hipsters, Die Yuppie Die, Shiver For Ma Livah

Ska-P "Eurosis" 1998 €€€€

The recent European Parliament election was, we were told, the most important ever: these elections could promote dangerous anti-European, populist, forces which could bring the United Europe experiment to an end. Brexit would either be our wake-up call or the start of the unraveling. It's true that the political vocabulary of these "populist" forces is mostly despicable: fearmongering, nationalism, xenophobia, islamophobia, isolationism. One cannot dispute that they represent a danger to what we've come to consider as European values of tolerance and progress. But what exactly is that European status quo we're supposed to fight to save? One where important financial decisions are taken behind closed-doors meetings by Eurozone ministers and a central bank not subject to any democratic control. A Union which has, post-Maastricht, integrated the neo-liberal dogma, whose financial rules were tailored to the German elite's needs, rigged into hoarding surpluses in the economically developed EU core while the periphery accumulates deficit and debt. So when inevitably countries like Greece and Spain got into trouble what did they get? loans that went directly into repaying German and French banks, tied to a program of brutal austerity that plunged them into recession and unemployment. While the people never saw a single cent of the loans they were saddled with for generations, all liquidity was squeezed from the economy to pay back the creditors who had the nerve to appear as saviors. Small businesses closed down, big ones moved to safer havens, wages were cut, taxes were raised, all in the name of the sacred euro. Meanwhile, the German people were made to believe that these billions did not go into saving the banks (again!) but into rescuing lazy and incompetent Southern Europeans. If this is the way the EU and the Euro currently work, why are we surprised when people turn to the likes of LePen and Salvini for an alternative?
Even though Eurosis was released 20 years ago, it suddenly struck me as relevant: its title is a mix of "euro" and "neurosis", and the cover depicts a euro-coin picturing some sort of baby demon - very aptly as the common currency was still in its design stage. Of course Ska-P couldn't possibly have foreseen how thoroughly Spain would be fucked over by the euro-system, so the euro-demon stands for the corrosive power of money in general, rather than for actual Eurozone economic policies. They more or less ignore the EU and attack everything they think is wrong with Spain and the world: their country's corrupt conservative government and financial elite ("Circo Ibérico", "España Va Bien", "Kacikes"), the Catholic Church ("Villancico"), the institution of monarchy ("Simpático Holgazán"), poverty and repression in Latin America ("Paramilitar", "Juan Sin Tierra", "América Latina Libre"), animal furs ("Kémalo"), the narco-police ("Al Turrón") etc. Far from being preachy, they approach their subjects with humor while the music is also, above all, fun: wild, joyous, fast, and very very loud. Their songs are so catchy that they've become very popular in their home country, even among those who do not share their radical ideology. Though I wouldn't call their albums samey, it's fair to say that they all present a similar mix of the same ingredients: Ska, Alternative, Latin, and Punk. "Paramilitar" adds a bit of rap metal a la Rage Against The Machine, while "Juan Sin Tierra" is based on a ballad by Chilean political troubadour Victor Jara and only transforms into Ska-P's familiar latin ska style halfway through. "España Va Bien" starts as a frantic country number to engulf mariachi music, ska, and even can can, while "Seguimos En Pie" sports a relatively slower reggae beat and "Poder pa'l pueblo" is the band's first instrumental. Incidentally, the band features two main vocalists, lead singer Pulpul and backing vocalist/toaster/entertainer Pipi fulfilling a role similar to Keith Flint's in Prodigy - one has to see them live to appreciate the combination. Video clips reveal the band to be at their best live, but all their CD's are worth buying: well produced, pure, infectious fun - with a message!  

***** for Paramilitar

**** for Circo Ibérico, Villancico, España Va Bien, Simpático Holgazán, Juan Sin Tierra

*** for Kémalo, Poder Pa'l Pueblo, Kacikes, América Latina Libre, Al Turrón, Seguimos En Pie

Ex "The Ex 30" 1979-2008 (rec) 2009 (comp)****

I've read about the famous Dutch anarchist movements of the 60's (the provos) and 70's (the kabouters) and their original and provocative ideas, but that spirit seems completely alien to the country I've been living in during the last decade. I hear some of the old activists have drifted toward the GroenLinks party, which recently had a great showing in the national elections, becoming the biggest "Left" party in the parliament with 14 seats (out of 150). If so, I'm disappointed. That party has a benign and level-headed profile, but isn't radical at all. I did meet some Dutch anarchists though, when the occupy movement created a rare stirring in this usually politically apathetic country. At some time we were also invited to their squat. Now, I'm not a stranger to squats: I've been in and out a number of political ones in Athens -most notably the (in)famous Villa Amalia- and of course did the obligatory pilgrimage to the Tacheles artists' squat in Berlin when I visited that city. But the Dutch one really surprised me: these people had more rules than the average Greek civil service. It made me realize that ideology is really surface deep, and that it all comes down to personal character and (centuries of) social evolution: it seems that even Dutch anarchists are as fond of structured and regulated life patterns as the rest of their countrymen. We Greeks, on the other hand, are inherently chaotic. For some people the ability to follow rules is a sign of adulthood. For us, it's a kind of mental paralysis. But, anyway, I don't want to dis Dutch comrades (only half joking here: I certainly wouldn't identify myself as an anarchist but I do have some sympathy for their cause). Their heart is in the right place. And, contrary to the often violent and destructive Greek movement, they have actually come up with a lot of creative artistic ideas, some of which can be linked to this group/musical collective from Amsterdam.
Ex have been around since 1979 and have released 20-odd records which are quite difficult to find in Greece, although they have a fan base there (all anarcho-punk bands do). When I moved to The Netherlands I imagined I'd be able to find some of their CD's in any Dutch record store, but that wasn't the case. Apparently most of their albums are self-released and distribution is difficult. Plus, there's always a problem when it comes to such a prolific band: where does one begin? usually it's either a "best of" or the band's undisputed classic. But I'm not aware of any such classic Ex album, and I wasn't able to locate a good compilation for years - until I happened upon "Ex 30" at a used records store in, of all places, Vienna. It turned out to be the best introduction I could ask for: a comprehensive overview of the band's career spanning 30 years and almost as many albums. With an everchanging line-up and (evidently) wide musical taste, Ex could never be described by any label as restrictive as 'punk' as they experiment with jazz, electronic, folk and world music forms. Opening track "Rules" benefits from funky bass a la Gang Of Four, but is otherwise overtly indebted to Crass, just like the next four punk songs ("Blessed Box at the Backseat", "Sucked Out Chucked Out #1", "The Wellknown Soldier", "Bouquet Of Barbed Wire"). "Jack Frost is Innocent" and "White Liverals" signify a move towards the post punk/new wave sounds of The Fall while the rest of disc 1 (covering 1980-1990) continues in the same aggressive style, sometimes incorporating influences from Spanish folk ("Ay Carmela", inspired by the 50th anniversary of the 1936 Spanish Revolution) or Brechtian cabaret ("Lied der Steinklopfer"), sometimes playing straight hardcore ("Headache by Numbers") or featuring wild saxophones ("Shopping Street"). Disc 2 opens with the dramatic "State of Shock" featuring the cinematic cello of Tom Cora. "Hidegen Fújnak A Szelek" is a cover of a Hungarian gypsy song, with female lead vocals and cello. "Stupid Competitions" from a later Tom Cora collaboration shows some jazz and celtic influences, while the great "Huriyet" and "Ethiopia Hagere" take us to the Middle East and Africa, respectively. The rest of disc 2 is quite eclectic running the gamut from avant-garde jazz ("Atoll", "Poor Bob", "Hat Fits The Shoe") to post punk ("Frenzy", "Listen to the Painters") to rap metal ("Former Reporter"). Forget their description as anarcho-punks; you'd be hard pressed to find another band as creative and eclectic as Ex, and this compilation seems to be the perfect place to start.

***** for State of Shock, Hidegen Fjnak a Szelek, Ethiopia Hagere

**** for Rules, Blessed Box at the Backseat, The Wellknown Soldier, Bouquet Of Barbed Wire, 

Jack Frost is Innocent, White Liverals,Ay Carmela, Shopping Street, The Big Black, Frenzy The Lawn Of The Limp, Huriyet, Listen to the Painters

*** for Sucked Out Chucked Out #1, Gonna Rob the Spermbank, Fire and Ice, Knock, Choice, Rara Rap, State of Freedom, Blah Blah, Der Steinklopfer, Stupid Competitions, Former Reporter, Travel On Poor Bob, If The Hat Fits The Shoe, Time Flies

** for Headache by Numbers, Atoll, Symfonie voor Machines

Zounds "The Curse Of Zounds & Singles" 1980-83(rec.) 1995(comp)*****

This is the vinyl version of the album I just reviewed, the only differnce being the absence of "Alone" which hadn't been recorded yet. In 1995, Greek indie label Lazy Dog from Thessaloniki re-released this rare 1982 anarcho-punk classic as a double LP, to the delight of myself and the numerous Greek Zounds fans. It's a really nice version with good quality vinyl, lyric sheets and informative liner notes by someone signing as Dr. Rock 4, Anarchist, Rockologist, Anarchist Rockologist. The artwork is well printed and looks great on the gatefold LP format. As for the musical content, it's just amazing: you can read my detailed presentation here.

ALBUM Side A: Fear, Did He Jump / My Mommy's Gone, Little Bit More, This Land

Side B: New Band, Dirty Squaters, Loads Of Noise, Target / Mr. Disney / War

SINGLES Side C: War / Subvert, Can't Cheat Karma, Demystification, Great White Hunter, Dancing

Side D True Love, More Trouble, Knife, Biafra, Not Me, Fear, Wolves

Zounds "The Curse Of Zounds Discography 1980-2001" 2011(comp)*****

"The Curse of Zounds" is my favorite anarcho-punk album ever, and I like all anarcho-punk bands. I never bought into the Sid Vicious version of anarchy: (self) destruction as fashion, anger without reason, that kind of thing. No, bands like Crass (and their protégés Zounds) just picked their targets and shot them down one by one: militarism, patriarchy, consumerism, capitalism, mass culture, pop idols, politicians etc. What set Zounds apart was that they avoided the rigid approach of similar bands, by combining noise with melody, anger with melancholia, the political with the personal. A couple of their songs were club classics in Exarchia bars of the late 80's: garage rocker "True Love" and Joy Division-like  "Demystification", challenging established notions of love and life. Zounds' LP and EP's (released between 1980-83) were already rare when I discovered them, but there were always 2nd or 3rd generation cassettes of their stuff going around. Thankfully a Greek indie label (Lazy Dog from Thessaloniki) re-released the album and singles in the 90's in the form of a double LP, which I bought and love. Which didn't stop me from buying this CD version when I spied it last year at the Rough Trade record shop in London. It's an update of "The Curse Of Zounds + Singles" CD, adding the 2001 track "Alone" - a melodic garage punk track every bit as good as what the band did at its prime, released as the B-side of a single with a reworked version of "This Land" on the front. The compilation opens with their 1980 debut EP "Can't Cheat Karma/War/Subvert". The first two songs are excellent but typical punk rock, while "Subvert" is unique, from its acoustic intro to the galloping bass driving the song throughout, and the short psychedelic guitar solo. "Great White Hunter", which reminds me of The Adverts, gives way to the tracks from the original Curse... album. It's darker stuff, from "Fear" to the slow and agonizing teenage suicide story "Did He Jump" played as a meddley with punk rocker "My Mummy's Gone". "Little Bit More" is a fast garage rocker with a catchy chorus and "Target" is straight punk, while the rest of the album tracks are somewhat slower and more experimental, touching on subjects ranging from the music industry ("New Band"), nuclear weapons ("Target/Mr Disney") and -hillariously- the punk squatting scene from the perspective of a neighbour who is disgusted by it ("Dirty Squatters").

Good as the album was, the singles appended here are the true gems: the mid-tempo "Dancing" is psychedelic new wave on a par with Pornography-era Cure, "True Love" and "More Trouble Coming Everyday" are melodic 60's garage. The desperate "Knife", augmented with synths and trumpet, sheds punk orthodoxy for a new wave sound reminiscent of The Sound, while "Biafra" is straight Clash-like punk rock. "Not Me" is just as anthemic, while the CD adds live recordings of "Fear" and Crass-like punk "Wolves". The aforementioned new track "Alone" rounds up one of the best punk albums ever. Easily in my all-time punk Top 5. My version includes a booklet with all the lyrics - and this is one case where you really have to pay attention to the lyrics. You can find them all here, but the booklet is not the only reason to buy this CD instead of downloading it: first of all, proceeds don't go to a big record label, but small indie Active Distribution ("Active" is written with a circled A Ⓐ, just to let you know where they stand). Then, the songs are remastered for the first time, by singer/bassist Steve Lake himself who seems to be involved with the label somehow. Above all, the fantastic artwork (though that's a reason to opt for the vinyl LP instead). Ingeniously, you have to turn the album to discover that the firemen of the cover aren't trying to put out the flames which seem to be engulfing the House of Parliament - they're actually dousing it with petrol. A sight to warm the heart of Greek anarchists, whose favourite slogan is: "Na kaei, na kaei to mpourdelo i Vouli (Burn, burn the parliament whorehouse)". If I haven't convinced you to buy it yet, there's a link in the comments - if Steve Lake is true to his ideology, I don't think he'll mind you downloading his music...

***** for Subvert, Demystification, Dancing, True Love, More Trouble Coming Everyday, Knife

**** for War, Can't Cheat Karma, Great White Hunter, Fear, Did He Jump Or Was He Pushed/My Mummy's Gone, Little Bit More, New Band, Dirty Squatters, Biafra, Not Me, Alone

*** for This Land, Loads Of Noise, Target, Mr Disney, Fear (Live), Wolves (Live)

The Proletariat "Voodoo Economics and Other American Tragedies" 1980-84(orig) 1998(comp)****

Today is election day in my homeland, Greece. As I live in the Netherlands and don't get to vote, I can only wish the voters a clear mind and courage to stand for their beliefs. It seems that a (true) left party will win the election and probably the government for the first time. They have promised to end the austerity policies dictated by IMF and EU, policies that wrecked the country's economy and have raised unemployment and poverty to third world levels. Supposedly that is the "bitter medicine" the Greek people have to swallow to cure their sovereign debt problem. In reality, the debt spirals out of control, wages fall and taxes rise driving the middle and lower classes to desperation while the corrupt politicians, bankers and oligarchs that benefited from the loans are left untouched. I sought an appropriate record for a day such as this. Well, Boston punk-rockers' "Voodoo Economics" may have been written 30 years ago for Reagan's America but it fits like a glove: "Voodoo economics/ force fed, hard to swallow/ the cure is worse than the illness/ this cure, worse than the illness/ pull yourself up by your bootstraps sounds so good in theory/ the poor must shoulder the burden/ pull yourself up by your bootstraps voodoo".

Even in liberal Boston, naming your band The Proletariat and dispensing Marxist propaganda with punk guitars in Reagan's America right in the middle of Cold War must have been asking for trouble. It certainly meant excluding yourself from any kind of radio play, not to mention MTV. No wonder you may have never heard of them, then. I hadn't either, but the band name and cover with the ragged american flag caught my attention. I'm glad I've followed my instinct and bought the CD, because it contains some of the best punk music produced in the US in the 80's. I'd recommend checking out their lyrics at: http://theproletariat.com/prolelyrics.htm, it's all fiery and eloquent anti-capitalist stuff. Fans of agitators like Rage Against The Machine and System Of The Down will certainly recognize a kindred spirit here. But even if you're unpolitical, if you like punk music you're bound to love The Proletariat. This double CD compilation gathers everything The Proletariat ever recorded in one neat package. At 45 songs, it can be overwhelming to say the least. I like this kind of music but too much can be headache-inducing. It has been described as a mixture of Wire and Gang of Four and the angular and minimal guitar sound does remind me of Wire, but the overall feeling is much heavier. I'd certainly add New Model Army, Killing Joke and Black Flag as reference points. Even Heavy Metal, at times - is it my imagination, or does the riff on "Decorations" sound similar to "Enter Sandman"? And while the likes of "Voodoo Economics", "Ten Years" and "Westernization" sound like an angrier Gang Of Four, there's also hardcore ("Allegiance", "Famine". "Blind", "Subsidized") and enough of that old school punk ("After The Rise". "Options") that  Rancid love to recycle. Disc 1 covers 1980-1982 and Disc 2 1983-1984. The latter offers some slightly more melodic new wave and interesting collaborations, namely Laurel Bowman as guest female vocalist on "The Guns Are Winning" & "Homeland" and  Mission Of Burma's Roger Miller in keyboards on "Uneasy Peace". Punk/Alternative Rock fans should seek this CD out and boast they had it before they are re-discovered and their albums declared hidden treasure.     UPDATE 2020> I (only just) found out that the band has in the meanwhile reformed, had their debut LP Soma Holiday re-released, and even recorded a new album. Good for everyone, Trump's America really needs a band like The Proletariat! P.S. Regarding the political events I mentioned in the prologue, the leftist Greek government crashed and burned, having resisted for 6 months before capitulating to all of the EU and IMF demands. I guess there's only so much one can expect from politicians. You gotta stick it to The Man yourself if you can!

**** for Voodoo Economics, Ten Years, Options, Westernization, Splendid War, Decorations, Homeland, An Uneasy Peace, The Guns Are Winning, Piecework, Religion is the Opium of the Masses

*** for Abstain, Allegiance, After the Rise, White Hands, Famine, Events/Repeat, Another Banner Raised, Hollow Victory,  Avoidance, Pictures, Bread & Circus, Blind, Subsidized, Torn Curtain, Purge, Scars, No Lesser of Evils, Choice, Death of a Hedon, Indifference, Better Man, Columns, Recollections, Trail of Tears, Instinct, No Real Hope, Marketplace

** for Embraced, Condition, Decide On Change, It's More Than Soil, Pride, Sins, No Real Hope-Prelude