Monday, October 22, 2012

Spermbirds: Thanks (1990)



Another long-running German band (German bands do have a thing for longevity - I see the Scorpions are still rocking us in a hurricane-like manner) who are under-appreciated in the wider-world would be The Spermbirds.


 Cover art by CANADIAN Dave Sim (who may be crazy...)


The Spermbirds were led by an American G.I. named Lee Hollis who was stationed in Germany, which, like The Monks back in the sixties, helped the band create a very particular sound. While The Monks primitivism foreshadowed punk to come, The Spermbirds' loud, fast n' snotty fundamentalism resulted in what was probably the last great eighties hardcore LP that couldn't be called a throwback.





The album, 1986's Something to Prove, while rooted in both the American and British punk styles, seemed most related to California bands from The Angry Samoans to Agent Orange to Dead Kennedys. And the album does kick some righteous ass, despite some wince-inducing sexism that the band has since apologized for.





I'm not conversant with the entire Spermbirds discography but nothing ever seemed to match their debut for hooks, humour and hits and hence why today I'll offer you up the long out-of-print Thanks live CD from 1990, which acts as sort of a 'Best Of'.

Tracklist
1         Something To Prove        
2         Common Thread        
3         Nothing Is Easy        
4         Stronger        
5         Two Feet        
6         Kill Me Quick        
7         With A Gun        
8         Get On The Stage        
9         The Dangers Of Thinking        
10         Only A Phase        
11         You´re Not A Punk        
12         Americans Are Cool        
13         Try Again 




HEY,
GIVE US YOUR VIEW
ON THE SPERMBIRDS IN 
THE COMMENTS SECTION!


HOMEPAGE

12 comments:

  1. Hey fans of the Deutsch-punk,
    if you've got something to prove leave us a COMMENT right here!
    https://rapidshare.com/files/817886054/Spbds%20-%20Dnk%2090.rar

    ReplyDelete
  2. i have a feeling another german band covered try again, pissed up german thrash merchants Tankard
    Phinky

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I noticed that when searching YouTube. Perhaps I shall go listen to it now!

      Delete
  3. I usually dont like german bands. Im gonna have to download and listen to this just because you cant stop posting german stuff and you just mentioned scorpions.
    Have you heard their "fox on the run"-cover in german (fuchs geh voran)released under the pseudonym "the hunters"? File under the label; "mid 70s weird stuff"...
    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. fuchs geh voran by The Scorpions was fun, especially the falsetto part at the the end.

      Delete
  4. I am big on Deutsch Punk. You haven't lived if you never bothered to listened to at least two essential albums from back then: it's gotta be RAZZIA's (Hamburg) masterpiece "Ausflug mit Franziska" and TORPEDO MOSKAU's sole roadblock of hi-energy Rock'n'Roll, "Malenkaja Rabota" - also from Hamburg. SPERMBIRDS -- i must say that i never cared much about them but i guess i will give it a try cos i remember liking SKEEZICKS a lot lately. Same goes to CHALLENGER CREW & EVERYTHING FALLS APART. And did i mention TU-DO HOSPITAL??

    DD

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Guest post?
      I know you're blogging days are behind you but let me extend an open-ended invitation to talk Deutsch Punk (Deutsch-core?) here and do a post on any one of those bands - about who I know almost nothing!

      Delete
    2. Awright, count me in. Will write something 'til end of the week, jeffen. And i just started another blogging adventure here: http://hcbd1984.blogspot.de/ - i concentrate on German and Euro hard core punk and rock'n'roll.

      DD

      Delete
  5. DD
    Good to have you back in the game. Let me know when you're ready to roll!

    ReplyDelete
  6. well, well . . . thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I appreciate your blog, and all of the great stuff that I've discovered through it. There are definitely a lot of musicians out there who didn't get what they deserved, were overlooked or misunderstood.

    I'm a big fan of Dave Sim's artistic work, and all that he's done for the medium of comic books. While it's fine to have an opinion of the man, just like checking out bands yourself instead of taking someone's word for it, it's best that opinions be your own. Offhand comments like "...may be crazy" are unnecessary. If you want to comment on the man, read his work.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey thanks for the good words about the blog and our purpose!

    I'm a big fan of Dave Sim's artistic work myself and began reading Cerebus in the early 80's (the first issue I bought off the stand was #51!) I bought the so-called phone-books devoutly until 'Going Home" when I just had all of Sim's poisonous gender politics I could stand.
    Sim has alienated a great deal of his admirers by pronouncements on women that do not reflect mental well-being.

    http://www.theabsolute.net/misogyny/sim.html

    I can no longer discuss Sim without mentioning that I not only do not agree with his hateful gender politics but that I also do, in fact, believe those views are but a reflection of an untreated mental disorder.

    So, I have read his work, extensively, and feel free to make a comment on his work and it's implications, even in an off-handed manner.

    ReplyDelete

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