Tuesday 4 August 2020

La Polla Records "14 Años De... La Polla Records" 1983-1994(orig) 1996(comp)***

I had seen this band's CDs before but, despite the fact that after every visit to Spain I left with a few albums by local bands, I only got around to them during my last trip. The reason of course is that "La Polla Records" seemed to me to be the title of a record label rather than that of a band. I guess they must have realized how it sounds in English too, since shortly after the release of this compilation, they shortened their name to plain La Polla (translation: "The Cock"). The band comes from a small town called Salvatierra which is in the Basque country, although they choose to sing in Spanish instead of the Basque language - I guess they haven't been touched by the nationalism virus sweeping Europe lately. I don't speak Spanish myself, so I have to accept wikipedia's word that "the lyrics of the band harshly criticized fascism, militarism, capitalism, and catholicism". Of course the fact that Ska-P apparently consider them one of their main influences would be indication enough of La Polla's political sympathies - or should I say political antipathies? The band started out in 1979 with a gig at their town's only pub, with everybody present to -in their own words- "see what the fools of the village made". From the very start they were heavily influenced by classic English punk, and judging from the contents from this compilation, never strayed far from the path - something easy to see, as this CD is chronologically arranged. The oldest tracks here come from the EP ¿Y Ahora Que?(1983). These are "10 Perritos"*** and "Y Ahora Qué?"***. From their first LP Salve (1984) we get "Nuestra Alegre Juventud"**** and "Delincuencia"**** - two Clash-influenced compositions with nice guitar breaks and improved production. Obviously the band's musical influences lie in England, but I can't help but notice the striking similarities with their Greek counterparts, Panx Romana.

The two bands probably wouldn't be aware of each other, but they have similar influences and sing in similar languages - well, Greek and Spanish are actually very different but curiously similar-sounding. The next 4 albums seem to be more hardcore, with very fast and short songs (slightly over or even under the 1-minute mark), sometimes reminiscent of the Dead Kennedys and (more often) The Exploited: "Es Política"***, "Moriréis Como Imbéciles"*** (from 1985's Revolucion), "Odio A Los Partidos"***, "Todo Por La Patria"** (No Somos Nada, 1987), "El Avestruz"****, "Los Monos"*** (Donde Se Habla, 1987), and the live "Porno En Acción"** and "Chus"*** (En Directo, 1989). The frequent use of Oi!- like backing vocals is another new element. From 1989's Ellos Dicen Mierda we get the eponymous song**** (a veritable "epic" at 4,5 minutes, featuring guitar solos and a catchy chorus) and the more hardcore "Nací Sin Carnet"***.
The 90's find them incorporating some American elements, specifically the melodic hardcore sound of Epitaph bands like NOFX and Pennywise: "Huelga General"****, "El Coleguilla"** (Los Jubilados, 1990), "Ángeles Caídos"***, the rockabilly-ish "Juanito Tergal"**** (Barman, Maxi-single 1991), "Alicia"**,"Fuego Y Cristal"** (Negro, 1991), "Calienta El Odio"***, and the uncharacteristically melodic "Hoy Es El Futuro"**** (Hoy Es El Futuro,1992). Their -up to that point- most recent album Bajo Presion (1994) is the only one that breaks the (apparent) rule of including 2 tracks per record. We get 3 songs from here: "El Ojo Te Ve"**, "Monopoly"***, and "Analizando"****. Whether you'll like this compilation depends entirely on whether the idea of Spanish-language punk rock appeals to you. Musically, there's nothing embarrassing but nothing especially exciting either. It's honest, workmanlike, straight-up punk rock with no detours to Latin or Ska territory like you'd get in a Ska-P album. That said, it's possible I'd be much more positive if I understood the lyrics - always an important factor in politically charged punk music. The latest news about the band is that they've reformed in 2019 after a 16-year absence, and that they are active, touring and releasing a new album which seems to include a number of re-recordings of older songs, not clear whether it's studio or live.

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