Monday, September 7, 2009

SS, The - 2002 - The Original 12'' (JPY)

SS, The - 2002 - The Original 12'' (JPY)
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This live set was recorded at Kid Airac Hall on 3/27/1979, and the copy I have is a one-sided bootleg on 33 rpm. The MRR reviews included (as a transparent insert!) indicate that it was originally a 45 rpm two-sider. Except for the lo-lo-fi recording, this does not really bare resemblance to later Japanese hardcore like GAUZE or S.O.B. (although I have not heard THE STALIN, so maybe them?), and instead comes across as super-charged garage rock a la THE MIDDLE CLASS ("Out of Vogue" or "Love Is Just a Tool," especially) or later THE GERMS. The first half of the record probably will remind one of HÜSKER DÜ's Land Speed Record, while the second half opens with an incredibly catchy mid-tempo song that may or may not get fast, depending on when you think that particular song ends. They also have a song that sounds like 60's surf anthems like "Tequila" or "Wipe Out," if you can believe that. And, yes, there is an absolutely astounding cover of THE RAMONES "Blitzkrieg Bop" as an encore. Someone said it is faster than the SOB version, but I don't know about that. Anyways, this band was as fast or faster than any other band in the US or Britain at the time, and probably would have blown the minds of critics who were saying THE CLASH were "the only band that mattered" that very year. Unfortunately one cannot say this record was too influential, because it was released six years after the fact, but as a document of our punk heritage, and a fucking good time, it's hard to beat.
-BEN PARKER
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source KFTH (link)

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Muito obrigado Felipe!!! I had found some other stuff in the web but for some reason this show wasn't complete. It's a pity that there are no song titles but anyway this is damn great!
Saludos,
Fernando :)

isksp said...

don't tell me about it... don't find the tracklist anywhere (even the front cover was hard to find), even though i was able to download the back cover and photos from the vinyl hehhe fortunely the music is more important!

Anonymous said...

After some research I found some bits of additional info... The first 18 tracks come from a live set rec 27/3/79 in Tokyo (Kid Airaku Hall or something like that). The other 18 were recorded in Kyoto, Circus & Circus, June '79. It seems that 'The Original', the 1984 12", only had the Tokyo show (3/79).

Joe at LDME posted a while ago a collection of Japanese punk & NW clips and amazingly there's one from the SS, check it:
http://www.lastdaysofmanonearth.com/blog/?p=357

This song, "Mr Twist" is track 2 & track 19 in the file you posted. Other obvious ones are no. 18 and 36 (Blitzkrieg bop) and no 27 (= "The First Time" a song by The Boys). Other titles I found are "Shotgun", "Coca cola", "Rock&roll army" but I don't know if they're included on this set; these 3 appeared in compilations (see Discogs).

Hope this (mini-)infos are useful!
Saludos,
Fernando :)

isksp said...

great infos... any kind of help is a good help!

thanks very much, Fernando!

Jack Celliers said...

Oh... link is down... chances of reup? Big thanks, I'm really digging here.

Anonymous said...

Hey dude, could you reupload this please :-)?

reptkeu said...

have been looking for this for 2-3 hours. Anyone with working link please?

Unknown said...

Re-Upload Please!!