Anarka and Poppy BUY THIS RECORD
Just got Ian Glasper's new book 'The Day the Country Died: A history of Anarcho-Punk 1980-1984' Cherry Red : 2006 today.
I will review it here, but need to deal immdediately with something which has been pissing me off for 22 years - the failure of All the Madmen to release Anarka and Poppy's 'If it Dies, We Die' .
Ian rates this in his section on narka and Poppy as an 'unsung classic' . It was. It would have been the best record All the Madmen ever released. But it wasn't. At the time I was 'manager' [on £15/ week] of All the Madmen, but due to a situation beyond my control [I got sacked], I never got my hands on the master tape and so could not release it.
However, water under numerous bridges, the song is now available via Volume Four of Overground records 'Anti-Capitalism' series - see
http://www.overgroundrecords.co.uk/release.asp?Release=OVER111VPCD
also on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anti-Capitalism-Anarcho-Vol-4-Various-Artists/dp/B000HIVH6Q
and other sources.
Ian's book covers 80 groups. Of these 90% were crap ( within which I include Crass, Conflict and Flux) - making a tuneless, noisy racket over indistinguishable, cliched and mindless lyrics.
A few , a very few, are still worth listening to : Rubella Ballet, Hagar the Womb, Youth in Asia, Flowers in the Dustbin, Blood and Roses, The Mob, Zounds and - Anarka and Poppy. I make that 10% of colourful, alive, meaningful, thoughtful, wonderful groups.
This list is based on memory. Sure, I never heard all of the groups, but I did have to listen to a lot of them at the 'Grimaldi' Church on Pentonville Road, Wapping Anarchy Centre/ Centro Iberico/ Zig Zag squat etc. Most passed in an indistinguishable blur of black/grey noise. The ones above did not. Think Meanwhile Gardens ... but then you had to be there.
Oh no, you say, surely not? Here is Alistair being an arsehole again. [Just as I was then] So buy Volume 4 of Anti-Capitalism and decide for yourself.
Anarcho- Punk? Ha Ha Ha.
I will review it here, but need to deal immdediately with something which has been pissing me off for 22 years - the failure of All the Madmen to release Anarka and Poppy's 'If it Dies, We Die' .
Ian rates this in his section on narka and Poppy as an 'unsung classic' . It was. It would have been the best record All the Madmen ever released. But it wasn't. At the time I was 'manager' [on £15/ week] of All the Madmen, but due to a situation beyond my control [I got sacked], I never got my hands on the master tape and so could not release it.
However, water under numerous bridges, the song is now available via Volume Four of Overground records 'Anti-Capitalism' series - see
http://www.overgroundrecords.co.uk/release.asp?Release=OVER111VPCD
also on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Anti-Capitalism-Anarcho-Vol-4-Various-Artists/dp/B000HIVH6Q
and other sources.
Ian's book covers 80 groups. Of these 90% were crap ( within which I include Crass, Conflict and Flux) - making a tuneless, noisy racket over indistinguishable, cliched and mindless lyrics.
A few , a very few, are still worth listening to : Rubella Ballet, Hagar the Womb, Youth in Asia, Flowers in the Dustbin, Blood and Roses, The Mob, Zounds and - Anarka and Poppy. I make that 10% of colourful, alive, meaningful, thoughtful, wonderful groups.
This list is based on memory. Sure, I never heard all of the groups, but I did have to listen to a lot of them at the 'Grimaldi' Church on Pentonville Road, Wapping Anarchy Centre/ Centro Iberico/ Zig Zag squat etc. Most passed in an indistinguishable blur of black/grey noise. The ones above did not. Think Meanwhile Gardens ... but then you had to be there.
Oh no, you say, surely not? Here is Alistair being an arsehole again. [Just as I was then] So buy Volume 4 of Anti-Capitalism and decide for yourself.
Anarcho- Punk? Ha Ha Ha.
posted by Unknown | 8:50 pm
5 Comments:
99% is shit - we're the 1% who don't fit and don't care - like the vivienne westwood t-shirt.
the vast majority of the black masses had just found somewhere else to fit in - their conservative (thoughtless) music reflected this. flux were probably the worst (nay fraudulant) offenders of all, particularly in hindsight.
Hey. The single is floating around the internet if you are interested and as you say, it is very good Anarcho Punk! Since you were involved with the band during the recording of the record in some form, do you happen to have or know of any artwork being made for it? I would love to see the sleeve that was intended to go with the record and I'm sure many others would like to see that as well. Look forward to hearing back from you!
I have it on very good authority that Anarka and Poppy are getting back together and planning to record the album that should have been released in the 1980's
That is great news Anon, thanks for passing it on.
Thanks all for your appreciation. I have never been approached to record an album but Stoko and I are supporting Zoundz in Preston as a one off(21st Sept 2013), so far. I have set up a facebook page(there was one that appeared that had nothing to do with the band)for friends of the band to share memories and any other news in future. As for artwork for the single? I never saw any? But I have done some. Thanks again all.
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