Man, I just blasted a radio show from 1982. I found it on the great “More than a Witness”-Blog and it hit me like a brick: I suddenly found myself in a state of euphoria. The music cranked up loud, the adrenaline was rushing through my blood and I had the overwhelming feeling of going berserk in my mind (wild and chaotic streams of pictures, sentences, colors – a fucking rush!). That’s how I felt about Hardcore in the first half of the 80s, when everything was fresh and happening at this very time. Radio shows seem to capture the spirit of the times so perfectly. The quality is raw, the moderation hectic and “unprofessional” yet affected and the music hits you like a fucking freight train. Yes, Hardcore was the final, the ultimate, the most radical form of musical teenage rebellion – for as long as it wasn’t pressed into stereotypes. Although bits and pieces of it have been sucked up by the industry and regardless of the complete destruction of Hardcore through the global militia of right wing, religious, middle class, animal loving assholes in the second half of the 80s – Hardcore has kept much of its rebellious power that jumps at you (sometimes). It’s not domesticable (well, as a matter of fact, let’s just pretend it weren’t. That alone would help!).
And which band came to mind almost immediately when I thought of how to pin down this moment of mine on the blog? THE FARTZ – we all know them and yet they seem to get a bit overlooked. Why is that? Or am I wrong and it only appears to me that they’re overlooked when in fact they are fully appreciated? Anyway – this first EP rips shit up like it did almost 30 years ago. “Waste no Time” is one of the immortals of Hardcore and when the characteristic counting in by the drummer begins (perfectioned on the 12″), I have goose bumps all over my alabaster body.
Speaking of the 12″ (“World full of Hate”): It was even harsher, of, say, RATTUS-like wall-of-sound-quality (I mean the second Rattus 12er), but all in all, this EP does it more for me. Raw, brutal, aggressive as fuck. The trillion of retro bands that keep infesting the world since more than 20 fucking years now can all eat their own shit – they will never ever even get close to the brilliance and emergency of a band like FARTZ. I know, my prayer mill is on again, haha, but what can I do gawddammit.
This is the original version of “Because this fucking World stinks”. Before Alternative Tentacles re-released it in 1983 (not sure about the date though, could’ve been 82), the band had released the EP on its own label. It has a different mastering job and a thin paper sleeve and if you don’t have it any form, go buy the official re-releases of THE FARTZ, don’t just download.
Fuck art, let’s Fartz! Or in my own words: Fuckshitupism NOW!
You got a Brain.mp3
How long.mp3
No Wordz.mp3
Campaign Speech.mp3
Waste no time.mp3
Congame.mp3
Idiots Rule.mp3
War.mp3
F.A.L.F.mp3
36 Comments
Hardcore destroyed by the middle class? And religious fanatics? LOL. You have got to be joking! IMO it was destroyed by leftist dogmatists (marxists). Who also hate the middle class.
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I don’t think there were that many Marxist in the original HC scene – but yeah, the dogmatics ruined the fun, I think we agree on that.
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you say prayer mill. I say : Can’t hear it enough! hate what hc has become. this is awesome tho’!!!!!
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Track 4 link doesnt work, fantastic blog though & really appreciate what youre doing here. Long may you continue.
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Thanks Karlos! Link’s working now.
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sweet hometown hardcore, saw these guys a few times way back when. if you dig the vocals 10 minute warning and the accused are worth checking out as well. another great post!
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Thanks for reminding me, Howard: I was actually going to write something about 10 Minute Warning and the strange fact that their “Buried alive” track appears in one and the same version but in extremely different recording quality on two old compilation Lps and that this has always been something that puzzled me, haha.
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…and waste no time with boring and predictable lyrics.
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BRAAAAAAAP!!!
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i have 2 different 10 minute warning demos, i think they both have “buried alive” on them, man that is a raging song, well worthy of being shared here. “judgement day” is excellent as well.
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A couple of things man. What a killer site you mention in “More Than a Witness”, didn’t even notice it in your links. What a great well written resource of hard to find materials, thanx for cluing me in there. The Fartz, one of a kind hardcore, I think the vocalist always put them over the edge for me, but that hacksaw of a guitar makes them special too. Played them for my wife a few times and joked with her that they were Duff McKagan’s good band. Neven even heard of “10 Minute Warning”, damn… Quote of the week for me, “I have goose bumps all over my alabaster body.” Thanx as always.
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Spot on about the importance of radio shows to us kids in the 80s. I always loathed this EP so I sold my AT release years ago but listening to this rip it sounds like a total different band or is my mind fooling me? Is the reissue that different sound wise? Love it!
To think that HC became nothing more then boring metal with chugga chugga guitars and male acrobats is more annoying then fun.
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“Because this fucking world stinks” -one of my all time favorite names for a 7″. And you can’t beat those old cut and paste/xerox layouts (how else could you do it back then?).
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My initial reaction, from my obviously limited perspective: The middle class element of hardcore’s destruction can be seen in what is now referred to as “hardcore” by teenagers: a slick, well-marketed set of products and aesthetics that you can find at any megacorporation-owned “alternative” youth store like Hot Topic, with bands that have obnoxious chugging breakdowns and either macho thug attitude or someone dressed in expensive clothing with dyed, straightened hair whining ill-conceived misogyny at their ex-girlfriend. Our local NYHC scene had a lot to do with it, too…without the influx of middle-class, Long Island suburbanites and their ridiculous tough, hip-hop-appropriated posturing “hardcore” would have had a more difficult time surviving the 90s and reaching its present state.
I also see a lot of people (crusties) who have either fallen into the grips of predictable, kneejerk leftist tyranny or its unfortunate byproduct, the anti-leftist reactionary who ends up with boring, fanatically uncritical, middle-of-the-road thinking, which I think translates into a lack of musical energy. Sometimes I wonder if those Nazi punx are doing a better job keeping their music alive and having fun with it than anyone else…
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I thought you put it up as a lark, but that you like that “Invention…” movie makes me wonder if your record collection is pure corn as well. Of course, every morning I wake up with what I think are called with the beer Fartz. More Nordic walking, less sentimentality.
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Thanks for your words, WTT! I must say that I find it increasingly more difficult to draw an exact line between crusties and nazi punx, but I would totally agree: The latter seem to be making more fun out of it, being less dominated by quasi-religious ideologies.
LJ: I wish my record collection would be corn, really. Instead, it’s pretty much what you’re getting here. What was it about that movie that you didn’t like (or understand)?
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what do you mean by religion in hc?
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All those phantom “Nazi punx” must hang out with all the “islamofascists” ; ). It’s very amusing thinking back 25 years and remembering all the commies calling each other nazis.
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Jesus love you!!
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Great Stuff !!! The music that is, not the CONSTANT COMPLAINING about what was. Some of us got over it YEARS ago. Shit changes, but there has always been a core of good bands scattered around that rejected the whole NYHC-Clevo thing. Personally I think there’s enough great old material out there
that I don’t really give a shit about
new music. Great BLOG!!
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Hey Erich,
great that you have Manilla Road’s ‘crystal logic’ LP on heavy rotation. I try to play this record daily-especially the A side.
I am waiting for you to post a rip so I can update my iTunes. My rip, made from my LP(by a friend-I’m not that technologically advanced), is sub-par. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the Fartz.
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thanks for this. I’ve never seen this press before I figure it’s very rare.
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Heidi Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 08:42
Yeah, there were only 500 pressed under the Fartz label, so it’s not easy to find. Not long after, the pressing company quit doing punk records at all, in between this one and Solger, with that fantastic little ditty “Raping Dead Nuns”, I guess the ladies in the plant had fits.
Should anyone ever discover this reply back here, I’m full of info on the Fartz, I was the original drummer’s girlfriend and general band helper and am still in touch with most of them. I was around the Seattle punk scene until just before it descended into general heroin use.
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@ Peter: I don’t think the AT press sounded that different, but I can’t remember as I’ve sold it like 10 years ago after I found this baby.
@ Steve: I’m positive you don’tt even know what a marxist is.
@ Clinton: You mean ripping the “Crystal Logic” LP? That’s not likely going to happen: It’s so easily available on CD.
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dumb, primitive and boring. just like this blog.
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Thanks, Billy!
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Bill C. is a dildo!
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Wow, what is get-my-cock-sucked-Bill-C doin’ here?
haha, I love your responses to true criticism, Erich!
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I prefer metal.
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Great writing as usual, but I gotta say The Fatz just never did it for me…so wonder if anyone is interested in a remaindered copy (hole punched in corner of cover) of the 12″ ‘world full of hate’ (AT) – i never listen to it, some-one might as well have it. Erich, don’t know how you feel about spuiking this on yr site, but this would be gratis – only condition would be that the interested party makes a donation to this here blog (something I always feel guilty about not doing myself)…let me know…& yes it has the big fold out poster inside…
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But Erich, you know your rips are always far superior and the rants you give we all live for. Sometimes the rants are even better than the music posted. In any case, I’ll carry on playing my vinyl copy-that I scratched. Oh well. just don’t trust me with your rare records.
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the Fartz were awesome. even the newer stuff they put on AT was pretty good, IMO. Blaine’s new band, Toe Tag are like a cross between the Accused and the later Fartz
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I agree Erich’s rips are superior. Just don’t mistake them for his fartz! : )
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I don’t know… A blueprint for the P.C. crust/punk/junky stuff who ruined the hc scene later on. Not too great, even for the relatively early times.
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Wow, I’ve never seen the lyrics to these songs before, I’m actually quite impressed by how good they are. ‘Con Game’ is such a great fucking song, I love it. It’s the rhythm of that song which really does it for me. The drums are awesome and hilarious, I fucking love the battle cry that proceeds the pounding rhythm, and all of the simplistic drum fills are just perfect, especially the tumbling one at the end of the first bridge. Every time I hear it I smile and rock out. The rhythm of the vocals are perfect on that song, and the lyrics are grear. And the pure, simple guitar line is classic. All together Con Game is one of my favorite hardcore songs of all time. It really is perfect to my ears, so thanks for this interesting version!
Do y’all suppose that this might be the first punk record to feature Donald Rumsfeld on the sleeve? I also find it totally awesome that they call their label ‘Fartz Wrekords’ long before that other label…
Rock On!
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I know Tom, the guitarist. He did some bad heroin and is now not in very good shape physically. Sad.
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Heidi Reply:
April 21st, 2011 at 08:45
He actually wrote a good book about that, “American Junkie” by Tom Hansen.
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Sorry for my bad English (I am from Russia)!
Respected Mr. Erich. It’s about Manilla Road “Crystal Logic”. I don’t like sound of “Iron Glory”! Because his sounds is “modern thrasher-y”, but not “original heavy”. Please, if you possess this “original vinyl thing”!, then could you “Riped” it. Thanks in advance.
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