RED ROCKERS Condition red cd 1981 415 records 320 kbps
Guns Of Revolution / Teenage Underground /Peer Pressure / Can You Hear /Grow Up /Know What I Think / Dead Heroes / Folsom Prison Blues / Condition Red / Hold On / White Law /Live Or Die / Guns of revolution (7" version) / Teenage underground (7" version) / Nothing to lose (7" version) / Hidden track.
Produced by David Kahne.Red Rockers : John Thomas Griffith : vocals, guitar, keyboards / Patrick Butler Jones : drums / James Singletary : lead guitar /Darren Hill : bass.
The Red Rockers were a great punk band from New Orleans who took their name from the Dils song of the same name. Inspired by groups like the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers and the Dils, they started off as the Rat Finks doing cover tunes of aforementioned groups, then changed their name and released the "Guns of Revolution" single before moving to San Francisco. There they hooked up with 415 Records and put out this great LP in 1981. Despite popular claims, this was not produced by Jello Biafra, something which has been constantly perpetrated on rare punk lists for years. He does, however, sing backing vocals on their punk-country cover of "Folsom Prison Blues." That said, the sound quality is excellent, and their raunchy but melodic sound is heard in full force on this CD. Songs like "Teenage Underground," "Know What I Think," and "Can You Hear" are totally rockin'. "Dead Heroes" also hits home with its lyrics "We've gotta fight - I don't know why/We've gotta die - tell me why/I've got to kill - that's the American way" that unfortunately still ring true today. After this LP, their original drummer left and was replaced by former Stiff Little Fingers drummer Jim Reilly, and they were signed to CBS, for whom they recorded two subsequent LPs, "Good As Gold" and "Schizophrenic Circus", neither of which come close to capturing the raw energy on this album. They did score a minor A.M. radio hit with "China," but much of the magic was gone and the slick major label production didn't do them justice. But, stick with this one and you can hear how great they were in the early days.
A. Wright
4 commentaires:
RED ROCKERS "Condition red" 320 kbps + covers
Enjoy it & leave comments if you like it !
Thanx for sharing this great LP !!!
My opinion is that this album is a timeless classic and one of the best american rock albums. For me this is not just another US west coast hardcore punk record. This LP could easily be compared to L.A.'s X or to their british soundalikes stiff little fingers or Clash. Of course many people who love this album, despise their latter work (Good as gold and Schizophrenic Circus). I am not one of them and I think that, although they changed the course of their music, they never tried to be another flock of seagulls-ish shitty 80's hair band, but more jangly power pop, new wave with ringing guitars.
Thx a bunch for this classic album Rambler :-) I used to it on vinyl (maybe with a different cover..?) but lost it somehow many years ago. D*mn glad I can now have it back! Cheers buddy :-)
vex - the Red Rockers weren't a west coast band at all... more like a "South Coast" (or "Dirty Coast" as we call it nowadays). They were from New Orleans, Louisiana. John Thomas Griffith is still active in the music scene here, in fact.
I do agree with you 100% that this is one of the best American rock albums!! (interesting comparison to Stiff Little Fingers - you do know that the RR's drummer Jimmy Reilly was the SLF's drummer around 1978-81, when he joined the RR's... he was a perfect fit for the band, too. :)
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