August 29, 2017 Playlist

"Nina Hagen Band" by Nina Hagen Band (1978)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Nina Hagen Band "Nina Hagen Band"  1978 (Germany)
A child prodigy opera singer from communist East Germany winds up leading the proggiest punk band of all time. Her favorite song topics are heroin (she's against it), Hinduism (for it), and UFOs. The self-proclaimed "Mother of Punk" emigrated to West Germany through a loophole in the mid-seventies and was immediately signed to a record contract (she had lready been a TV actress and singer in the East). The label sent her to London to get acquainted with the latest Western youth culture and styles just as The Sex Pistols and punk rock exploded. Her outrageous hairstyles, makeup and costumes have always been iconic: her spiky shag hairdo on the debut album would prove to be her most conservative look (at least until she started dressing like a nun in the mid-eighties! Or when she was performing in drag as a man!) Musically, the band formed in her name seems to have been a bunch of prog rockers pressed into new wave service (much as groups like The Police had their roots in Eric Burdon's psychedelic Animals and Curved Air). The unusually high level of virtuosity makes Nina Hagen Band sound a bit like Frank Zappa or The Tubes, whom I think of as "New Wave Zappa" though they debuted well before punk and new wave in 1975 (this album even includes a Tubes cover with new German lyrics). NHB only lasted two albums before Nina launched her solo career, while the rest of the band become the obscure new wave band Spliff (I just bought one of their records!) But ultimately, the magic of Nina is her incredible voice, and the incredibly strange things she does with it - check out this music video from the 1980's where she plays all the parts. They sure don't make them like that anymore, and hardly did in the first place! 
(N) = New Release
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
Mission Of BurmaLaugh The World Awayouttake from Vs. album sessions
(Mission of Burma Ryko compilation)		rec. 1982, rel. 1988USA
XTCRedGo 21978UK
Talking HeadsWarning SignMore Songs About Buildings And Food1978USA
Guided By Voices Paper CutzHow Do You Spell Heaven? (N)2017 (GBV Inc.)USA
Magnetix Impaction (live)Live In San Francisco (N)2017 (Castle Face)France
 
 
Peaking Lights Eclipse Of The HeartThe Fifth State Of Consciousness (N)2017 (Two Flowers)USA
The Thin Cherries Oven MittThe Thin Cherries (N)2017 (self release)USA
Wire Playing Harp For The FishesSilver/Lead (N)2017 (Pink Flag)UK
The Striped Bananas The Sun And The MoonStone Of Madness (N)2017 (Cosmic Sunshine)USA
(Thee) Oh Sees Nite ExpoOrc (N)2017 (Castle Face)USA
   
 
X-Ray SpexI Live Off YouGermfree Adolescents1978UK
8-Eyed SpyLove Split With Blood8-Eyed Spy1981USA
Bush TetrasToo Many Creeps7" single (Boom In The Night compilation)1980USA
Public Image Ltd.Public ImagePublic Image1978UK
   
 
Nina Hagen Band TV-Glotzer ("White Punks On Dope" by The Tubes) Nina Hagen Band
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1978
 Germany
The TubesMondo BondageThe Tubes 1975
USA
Nina Hagen BandAuf'm Bahnhof ZooNina Hagen Band
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1978
Germany
Nina HagenAtomic Flash DeluxeNina Hagen In Ecstasy 1985
Germany
Nina Hagen BandHeissNina Hagen Band
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK 		1978
Germany
Can Don't Say No (single edit)The Singles (N - reissue compilation)1977 (2017 Mute)Germany
   
 
Amon Duul IISurrounded By The StarsWolf City 1973
Germany
FaustKrautrockIV 1973
Germany
Moebius, Plank & NeumeierPitch ControlZero Set 1983
Germany
NEU!HallogalloNEU! 1972
Germany
   
 
Moon Duo New DawnOccult Architecture, Vol. 2 (N)2017 (Sacred Bones)USA
Suspirians Black HolesTi Bon Ange (N)2017 (Super Secret)USA
Alex G CountyRocket (N)2017 (Domino)USA
Triptides AfterglowAfterglow (N)2017 (Requiem Pour Un Twister)USA
 
  
OOIOODon Ah
    / Jesso Testa		Gamel2014
Japan
      
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