Texas underground had many an ugly face and this was maybe the ugliest. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting BOBBY SOXX or seeing him live but I’m sure you all know the stories about him. If only half of it is true, he survived more attempted killings than Fidel Castro. To find out more about him and one of his killer bands STICK MEN WITH RAY GUNS, follow this link!
“Learn to hate in the 80′s” is one of the songs that really really could drive me mad. It’s raw and primitive and sloppy and the production lacks power – but the vocals alone, the hateful lyrics, the embitterment of it all has enough atmosphere to crush you under tons and tons of hopelessness. Notice how towards the end of the song Bobby Soxx’ vocals turn more and more into some kind of barking and slobbering. I can not but to have the highest respect for so much artistic vision!
The B-side is kind of a bummer. It’s okay when you’re really stoned.
There are some mp3 (from a CD probably) from TEENAGE QUEERS floating around and I would have loved to include the two most monstrous of them (“Masochist Ice Cream” and the incredible “Swastikas for Christ”) – unfortunately I lost them. If anybody has them, please send em over and I will post em here – they have got to be heard to believed!
There’s also a live LP from the TEENAGE QUEERS with BOBBY SOXX which has some great fucking moments. Could post that too.
Learn to hate in the 80′s.mp3
Scavenger of Death.mp3
16 Comments
I’ve been looking for this one since ages but it’s just too expensive on eBay and it’s never been repressed on cd. This is so great! Great Blog!!
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I like Scavenger better than Hate. It’s one of the best 7″s ever. Great Blog!
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not long ago 7inch punk had this too but as always your rips are far superior. thanxx!!!
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Someone sure likes to kiss you ass Erich concerning the MP3 links didn’t work when the above comment was posted HA HA LOL
. Anyway! Learn To Hate In The 80′s is massive. But my pick is Scavenger Of Death. That sneering vocals coupled with some of the best produced records ever.
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I actually don’t mind a little ass kissing now and then.
But at least he/she was right – my rips are always the better.
BTW: Is music entusiasm and cecord rollecting still a male game?
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Howdy E,
Sorry to junk up your comments section with this – although holy crap is “learn to hate” ever bleak! – but I couldn’t find an address for you. Since you’re obviously the source for old Swiss records, I was wondering if you had ever heard an LP from around 1985 by a band called The Squirt? I was wondering if it’s any good. Worth posting, maybe? I’ve only heard their track on one of the “Life is a Joke” comps, where they channel the Southern California sound as though Zurich had been twinned with Orange County. Totally brilliant and, in a way, utterly bizarre.
Keep up the good and noble work on one of the few music blogs that matters.
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Howdy anonymous – I used to have that LP from The Squirt. It was released on a german label (I think it was either Weird System or Starving missile. I sold it long time ago as I never really played it. Is it really that good? If so I could probably pick it up in no time; it’s a rather common find.
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Nice quality rip! Always praise for vinyl rippers. I had never heard of Teenage Queers but I hope you find it the title made me laugh. Bobby Soxx learn to hate/scavenger a classick!
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I had the Teenage Queers live LP posted. Even it’s not as great as this is, it’s still a good listen.
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all i have to say is gg allin and bobby soxx should have been in a band together. now both of them are dead. whe will cary on the punk tradition of distruction and mayhem? i don’t know but thanks erich for this one.
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I like the norwegian Bobby Socks better.
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wasn’t hugh cornwell of the stranglers in a band called bobby soxx which played around sweden in the early 70′s before hugh came back to the uk and met jj burnel?
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I was in the Teenage Queers and co-wrote most of the music. I’ve put a high quality download on amazon.com (link attached). I’m also selling a DVD of the often-bootlegged “Live at Zeros” gig.
stevedirkx at hotmail dot com
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P.S. By an odd coincidence, my brother and I played in a band in the mid 70s with Drummer Mike O.—, who later played with G.G. Allin.
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that’s cool dude. gg could play drums and bobby could sing. best punk band ever!
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A friend turned me onto this blog today. Another place some of y’all can look for Learn to Hate at is a CD compilation a friend in Cleveland OH helped put together with his crew up there. It was called Destroy All Music Vol. 1 and they were just giving it away. There is a ton of cool shit on that CD. It turned me onto the Grabbies, for instance.
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[...] of musical manna do I begin with? Von Beat on VVV Records, of course. Home of KBD-Fanboy bands like Bobby Soxx, Non Compos Mentos and The Ejectors. Now Von Beat probably isn’t as “punk” as any [...]
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