I'd wanted to hear this compilation for a long time, so a friend was kind enough to send me a rip of it some time ago (it's also floating around on Soulseek). So here it is, a good tape on Last Rites (the same label that put out the great Midwest tape comp CODE BLUE) that provides an overview of the Wisconsin scene in 1983. For any one who has read my previous posts on similar tapes, I'm a big fan of regional compilations from the early 80s. They capture a moment in time, archiving what was happening in a particular city/state or scene and also giving now-forgotten bands a place in hardcore-history. This isn't the best comp overall, but it's definitely worth a listen. While there's big hitters on here you probably know (DIE KREUZEN, MECHT MENSCH, CLITBOYS, TAR BABIES, perhaps SUBURBAN MUTILATION), the rest is comprised of lesser-known or in some cases completely unknown bands, many who recorded or released little else...
DOWNLOAD HERE.
Most bands have that Midwestern rough hardcore sound; rather than go for the melodic Californian hardcore style or engage in idealistic peace-punk politics, Midwest bands and especially ones from industrial hubs like Milwaukee (where DIE KREUZEN were from) seemed to generally keep things basic, angry and grounded in reality. There were apparently also no large active scenes in the state, like there was in LA or Boston: the bands featured on this comp played shows with extremely low attendance that never reached the level of activity going on in other Midwestern cities like CHICAGO... They were, in a way, the forgotten or often-overlooked bands of the US hardcore landscape. Most bands on this tape have the gruff-vocalled Midwest sound (MALIGNANCE, CRUSTIES, SUBURBAN MUTILATION, GFO, DISTAIN etc) and the recording quality is generally bad (half would be tagged "unlistenable" by some people, I guess). Overall though it's a good comp that sums up what was happening in Wisconsin at the time; for the most part low on innovation but with a fair amount of primitive power and energy... It's such a shame that these kinds-of tapes are so corrosive, and won't last as long as records. I suppose MP3-rips of them are important in keeping the music alive and in existence.
An interesting sidenote: the TAR BABIES tracks are sometimes labelled as being by BLOODY MATTRESSES, the pre-TAR BABIES band (members also split off to be in IMMINENT ATTACK who also appear on this tape). I have no idea if these songs were recorded before or after the name change. Also, there were various versions of this tape with slightly different track listings, this is just one of a few variations...
I'll be posting more old tape compilations in the future...
Maximum Rock'N'Roll review: "Although the sound quality varies, this is one of those must- have regional compilations. There are plenty of keen tracks here from the likes of Die KREUZEN, SACRED ORDER, the TAR BABIES, NR, MECHT MENSCH, the CLITBOYS, S .U .M ., the CRUSTIES, and many more . (TY) ($5 to P . Shanahan--3270A N. Holto'n--Milwaukee, WI 53212)".
Tracklisting:
1. DIE KREUZEN "Think For Me"
2. DIE KREUZEN "Enemies"
3. G.F.O. "Not Fair"
4. G.F.O. "Police Raid"
5. G.F.O. "Begin to End"
6. G.F.O. "Girl Problems"
7. SUBURBAN MUTILATION "Menachem Begin"
8. SUBURBAN MUTILATION "Plastic Chicken"
9. SUBURBAN MUTILATION "Police State"
10. SUBURBAN MUTILATION "I Object"
11. MALIGNANCE "Interagation"
12. MALIGNANCE "Frozen Popsicle"
13. MALIGNANCE "It's Too Bad"
14. CRUSTIES "Stankin Muckworm"
15. CRUSTIES "Dairyland Youth"
16. CRUSTIES "Who Cares So What"
17. CRUSTIES "Farmer Vick"
18. NO "Anti-Christ"
19. NO "Joker's Wild"
20. DIE KREUZEN "Rumors"
21. MECHT MENSCH "Killer Klowns"
22. MECHT MENSCH "What's Right"
23. MECHT MENSCH "Free Animals"
24. TAR BABIES "Boredom's A Fact Of Life"
25. TAR BABIES "Red White And Blue"
26. SACRED ORDER "Cowboy Intro"
27. SACRED ORDER "You Bastard"
28. SACRED ORDER "Erik Estrada"
29. DISDAIN "Killer Kops"
30. DISDAIN "School"
31. DISDAIN "Apartments"
32. IMMINENT ATTACK "We Are Not Alone"
33. IMMINENT ATTACK "Who Are You"
34. IMMINENT ATTACK "Bad Habits"
35. N.F.O.D. "Shock"
36. N.F.O.D. "Stand Your Ground"
37. N.F.O.D. "Intelectual"
38. CLITBOYS "We Don't Play Their Game"
39. CLITBOYS "Slogan Boys"
40. CLITBOYS "I Hate The K.K.K."
41. BACK STAB "No Rules"
42. JUVENILE THRASH "Seek and Destroy"
43. NO "American School System"
4 comments:
thanks for this
jc
Great blog & thanks for posting this! The tracklist for this version of the tape is inaccurate (I note you say there were different versions - which I didn't know). I've made as "correct" a tracklist as I can - in the 38 track You Breed Like Rats version, some of the tracks are burned 2 (or 3) songs per CD track. Can't tell if the ultra-obscure band listed as NO in your tracklist was in fact correctly named (as NR) in the MRR review you quote. I've stuck with NO. (By coincidence they also have the hardest songs to decipher on the tape). Need to dig out my old Maximum RnR's to check...
Here ya go...
1. DIE KREUZEN Think For Me
2. DIE KREUZEN Enemies
3. G.F.O. Not Fair
4. G.F.O. Police Raid
5. G.F.O. Begin to End
6. G.F.O. Girl Problems
7. SUBURBAN MUTILATION Menachem Begin
8. SUBURBAN MUTILATION Plastic Chicken
9. SUBURBAN MUTILATION I object
10.MALIGNANCE Interrogation
11.MALIGNANCE Frozen Popsicle/It's too bad
12.CRUSTIES Stankin Muckworm
13.CRUSTIES Dairyland Youth
14.CRUSTIES who cares so what
15.CRUSTIES farmer vick
16.NO American School System[?]
17.NO anti-Christ
18.NO joker's wild [?]
19.DIE KREUZEN rumors
20.SUBURBAN MUTILATION Police State
21.MECHT MENSCH killer klowns
22.MECHT MENSCH what's right
23.MECHT MENSCH free animals
24.TAR BABIES Boredom's A Fact Of Life
25.TAR BABIES Red White And Blue
26.SACRED ORDER Cowboy Intro/You Bastard
27.SACRED ORDER Erik Estrada
28.DISDAIN Killer Kops/School/Apartments
29.IMMINENT ATTACK We Are Not Alone
30.IMMINENT ATTACK Who Are You
31.IMMINENT ATTACK Bad Habits
32.N.F.O.D. Shock
33.N.F.O.D. Stand Your Ground
34.N.F.O.D. Intellectual
35.CLITBOYS We Don't Play The Game
36.CLITBOYS Slogan Boys
37.CLITBOYS I Hate The K.K.K.
38.BACK STAB No Rules/JUVENILE THRASH Seek and Destroy
something's wrong with dllink?
yeah, i've actually have an original copy of this seminal compilation tape. i picked it up by chance at a local record shop (vinyl fetish) back in 1983... glad i did as it is still one killer tape release. the tape also came with an insert sheet with pictures of the bands on the tape too. i looked at the song listing and they are not as they appeared on the original tape... i haven't listened to what ya have there, but the original song list went like this:
==SIDE A==
DIE KREUZEN - think for me, enemies;
G.F.O. - not fair, police raid, begin to end, girl problems;
SUBURBAN MUTILATION - menachem begin, plastic chicken, i object;
MALIGNANCE - interagation (*sic), frozen popsicle, it's too bad;
CRUSTIES - stankin muckworm, dairyland youth, who cares so what, farmer vick;
NO - american school, anti-christ, joker's wild;
DIE KREUZEN - rumors;
SUBURBAN MUTILATION - police state;
==SIDE B==
MECHT MENSCH - killer klowns, what's right, free animals;
BLOODY MATTRESSES (TAR BABIES) - boredom's a fact of life, red white and blues;
SACRED ORDER - cowboy intro, you bastard, erik estrada;
DISDAIN - killer kops, school, apartments;
IMMINENT ATTACK - we are not alone, who are you, bad habits;
N.F.O.D. - shock, stand your ground, intelectual (*sic);
CLIT BOYS - we don't play the game, slogan boys, i hate the k.k.k.;
BACKSTAB - no rules;
JUVENILE THRASH - seek and destroy.
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