Wednesday, February 24, 2010

...Until The Bitter End

I first heard the Neurotic Arseholes way back in '83 on Bob Slade's crucial Off The Beaten Path show on WLRN in Miami. I would tape the episodes and then edit those tapes down to the best stuff and then dub those tapes for friends. So as far as I could tell, The Neurotic Arseholes were Germany's best punk band of the '80s ...Bis Zum Bitteren Ende was the band's first album, it was released by the Aggressive Rockproduktionen label in 1983. Fast melodic hardcore with forrays into ska and new wave, and the trademark voice of Dierk "zombie" Pastowski defined the Arseholes sound. The lyrics (mostly in German) were fiercely political decrying war and poverty and the myriad of social ills befalling Germany in the '80s. I think these guys have sadly been forgotten in the annals of international hardcore lore, but I think they had a hand in influencing the great Articles of Faith, and later KPF and, of course, a band called Hickey. Seriously, this is mandatory, or as they say in Germany: "Wenn Sie don' t so haben Sie ein dog' s-Ohr und Ihre Mamma ist ein bayerischer Bierhallen-Dirnebeutel."

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6 comments:

  1. e normousFebruary 24, 2010 at 5:52 AM

    Dude, I can get you a dog's ear, trust me. With nail polish.

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  2. o.kvltFebruary 24, 2010 at 11:35 AM

    don't think they were germany's best punk band - but one of the best. anyways, very cool to see some of the heros of my youth on your blog. thanks a lot and greetings from germany!

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  3. ICHNICHTICHaKaOheiMFebruary 24, 2010 at 12:24 PM

    Hey Man, to speak of good/best german punk: You gotta check out the first albums by ABWÄRTS Amok Koma12"/Computerstaat 7"....well, You can...cheers! Oliver

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  4. whiskers deluxFebruary 25, 2010 at 6:44 AM

    Great post ! They are also one of my favourites from Germany .

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  5. the wizardFebruary 25, 2010 at 12:50 PM

    This band is sorely under appreciated outside of Europe, and this record is damn near flawless, and now i dont have to fuck with digitizing my vinyl. thank you, sir... me like.

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  6. JerryMarch 4, 2010 at 11:55 AM

    Great Blog Aesop !

    I follow on the regular..

    A couple of these guys from Neurotic Arseholes went on to form a band called Drowning Roses who was the band who toured with NOFX on their very first European tour in 1988. There is a rare split 7" with NOFX from that tour as well.

    Later
    Jerry Riddle

    ReplyDelete