THE ROOSTERS Insane LP

(Nippon Columbia AZ-7129-AX), 1981, Japan

I have only Todd Mayberry of BRAIN LAPSE magazine to thank for this!!

I loved this LP from the very first second the needle dropped due to the fact that it kicks off with “Let’s Rock (Dan Dan) レッツ・ロック.” In light of the lyrics, before Cola Shock there was the “empty shock”… which is the way I feel right now without Cola Shock. (That’s an inside joke.) The only issue I have with this song is that it’s too long. No hit should clock in at 4:10. “We Wanna Get Everything ゲット・エヴリシング” at 1:36 kinda makes up for that. Lyrics like “Busted radio in my hand/Hangin’ around 42nd street” leads one to think that maybe The Roosters rubbed shoulders – and dicks – with both Dee Dee and Jonathan King ( … even though they came from the deep south of Fukuoka City). The following “Baby Sitter ベビー・シッター” with a chorus of “Hay baby shut it up/You’re behind time/ Don’t say a word anymore/I’m not your baby sitter [sic]” as spelled out on the insert is hunky dory. Still, it has a very, very slight tinge of the ol’ rock ‘n’ roll jukebox jive that blew chunks all over their 2nd LP The Roosters a-Gogo. “All Night Long オールナイト・ロング” is probably my most fave track on the whole album because it actually pulls off what they were going for with their last LP. Lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter Shinya Ohe confesses that “what I got is a bad habit,” but everything is going to be okay “if I get what I need.” Jonesing the Chu-Hi? Been there, man. The first side concludes with the instrumental filler “Flash Back フラッシュ・バック” which is just awful. Side Two consists of two songs … And yup, that should tell you all you need to know, right there. Amazingly, “Case of Insanity ケース・オブ・インサニティ” clocks in at 4:55 and basically jacks my bitch over “Let’s Rock (Dan Dan).” Although it’s super long, it’s super duper! Organ chirpin’, acoustic strummin’, electric power chord whammin’, and hopeless lyrics = YET ANOTHER THING BETTER THAN POCARI SWEAT. Sadly, that’s followed by “In Deep Grief イン・ディープ・グリーフ” which is 9 minutes and 14 seconds of utter shit.

Look, I like this LP. In fact, like I said before, I totally love it! I also recommend The Roosters’ circa ’79 self titled first … which is by no means as great as this, their third. Unfortunately, Insane not only put the kibosh on the original lineup but also the “s” at the end of their name. From here on out they were known as The Roosterz. As for the cover, with the obi (that thing on the left), I’ve always wondered about Japanese bands shooting group photos for their LP jackets. I mean, whoever is standing on the far end is going to get covered by the obi no matter how you shake it. In this case, the bassist – a.k.a., the guy behind “Baby Sitter” – got the shaft. It was between him and the drummer. Like, “No, man. I’m cool. You stay there.”

Anyway, here’s a spiffy YouTube of the young dudes

WE WANNA GET EVERYTHING

ALL NIGHT LONG

CASE OF INSANITY

ZIG ZAG - MADD POWER LP

Japan Record 1981

First and only LP from Zig Zag, a Kansai area Punk band that supported the Ramones on their first trip to Japan in July of 1980.

Record sleeve and insert play off the MAD magazine artwork of the 1970s and complement the music perfectly. Many of the songs have a UK punk feeling like the Vibrators or Eddie and the Hot rods but the sound is completely original... Totally great band!

Zig Zag and the Ramones 1980

FOOLISH GIRL

COKE HIGHT

get the entire record here!

and if you haven't already please donate to the tsunami/earthquake/nuclear disaster by texting "redcross" to 90999

ANARACHY - シティ・サーファー (City Surfer) b/w 333 (Suspect Device)

VICTOR Records, VIHX-1508, 1980.

Both these tracks are on Anarchy's debut LP and its worth tracking down. I'm sure you'll notice that the b-side is SLF's Suspect Device but its got new lyrics here.

A. シティ・サーファー (City Surfer)


B. 333 (Suspect Device)


((if you haven't done so yet... please consider texting "JAPAN" to 50555 to make a 10 dollar donation to globalgiving.org))

HIROSHI MIKI Mada Utaerukai Love Song b/w Chance

Japan Record 1980

I found this 45 in a club in Kyoto several years ago. The back room of the venue held the stock of an old radio station and in a narrow hallway there were literally thousands of 45's priced at 100 yen each. I spent all night digging through records with friends and end the end came out with about 20 really great singles. I bought this just for the sleeve but later found out that the band Zig Zag also released an LP in 1981 called Madd Power that I'll post in the next few days. .

have been getting some emails about this record.. apparently this single was a solo 45 from the singer of Zig Zag Hiroshi Miki. Both songs were used for the soundtrack to a movie.

CHANCE

and if you haven't already you can text "JAPAN" to 50555 to make a 10 dollar donation to globalgiving.org

SHEENA AND THE ROKKETS #1 LP

Alfa records - 1979

First LP from seminal Japanese Mentai group Sheena and the Rokkets. The band is still together today and have released over a dozen LP's and as many singles since this one.

members are:

Sheena Rocket- Vocals

Makoto Ayukawa _ guitar, vocals

Takeshi Asada - Bass

Kazu Kawashima - Drums

It's been a while since I've listened to this and since I pulled it out a few days ago it hasn't left the turntable, really Killer Punk-wave LP.

Below is a video of the band doing Teary Highway off their first 45

here are two tracks from the record..

HEAVEN OR HELL

MOONLIGHT DANCE

Get the entire LP here

and if you haven't already, text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 dollars to help people affected by the total mess over there.

CAROL-FUNKY MONKEY BABY LP

Philips-1973

One of my favorite records by CAROL, Japan's answer to the Flamin' Groovies!!! Carol formed in 1972 by bass player Eikichi Yazawa, a transplant from Hiroshima to Yokohama who played the go- go circuit with several groups before meeting up with future CAROL members Yoichi "Johnny" Okura, Toshikatsu Uchiumi and Yu Okazaki. . In all,the band released 7 singles between 1972 and 74 and 10 LP's ranging from 1973 all the way into some avoidable cash in LP's in 1978.. The groups leader Eikichi is like the Japanese equivalent to David Bowie these days, A really big deal!!

here are the first 2 songs ( again, I've included label scans from the LP for Japanese speaking folks who can actually read them)

FUNKY MONKEY BABY

JUST ALL RIGHT

get the LP here

and if you haven't already please donate 10 dollars to the Red Cross by texting " redcross" to 90999

It's only ten bucks!

SKIN SKINLESS LP

Seven Seas 1980

This is the first LP by the Japanese punk group SKIN. As the packaging suggests it's a bit more wavy than their album ZUN ZUN released a year later. Nevertheless, Skinless is a totally solid LP that reminds me alot of the 1st Edith Nylon record at times in the sense that the well written songs haven't been completely swallowed by the production.

Also, I wanted to add that you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate 10 dollars to help folks over there who've been affected by the tsunami and earthquake. Below are the 1st and 4th song from the record.

SKIN 1

SKIN 4

get the entire LP and label scans here

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM - another bottle of wine b/w 2.25

PRT records- 1982

ANOTHER BOTTLE OF WINE

2.25

Mysterious band from the U.K. composed of siblings Lindsay and Nick Bliss, Keith Walters and Simon Joyce. The record was released in the U.K on the Banana label as a sleeveless 45 and also as a 12".The above copy is the German issue, with picture sleeve . Both tracks have a De Cylinders/Ivy and the Teachers feel to them and to my knowledge this is their only release.