French punk doesn't get much respect. Let's try to change that. Un, deux, trois, ALLEZ!
Named after a Paris subway station, Oberkampf formed in 1978. They released two LPs and five singles before calling it quits in 1985. This deluxe 2xCD reissue includes the first four singles and all but one track from their 1983 debut LP, ‘Plein Les Couilles’ or ‘Bollocks to Everything.’ The CD1 kicks off with four tracks from their first release, 1981’s 'Couleurs Sur Paris.’ Oberkampf were considered the French Clash and you can hear why on these recordings: militaristic beats and terrace chanting…Paris Calling! They include an interesting cover of Serge Gainsbourg‘s ‘Poupee de Cire’ or ‘Rag Doll,’ a song that won the Eurovision song contest in 1965. Their second single, ‘Linda’ b/w ‘Irreelle’ moves in a post-punk direction, but is still aggressive and punky. It’s a fantastic 45 and reminds me of Buzzcocks more subdued songs like ‘Autonomy’ and ‘ESP.’ The LP fulfills the promise of the early releases with songs chock full of hooks. Joe Hell’s crooning is straight out of the Dave Vanian playbook and guitarist Pat Kebra impresses with his surf-punkified playing a la Mike Palm of Agent Orange. 'N’Observe Plus’ is a cool dub song. ‘Requiem Por Un Con’ is another Gainsbourg cover. The bonus CD adds some b-sides and seven tracks from the second LP. A stellar band and comp.
Garage Psychiatrique Suburbain (G.P.S.) grew up in the suburbs of Paris and formed in 1977. They were contemporaries of French punk legends Dogs and Bijou, but did not release any records until the 'Quand Revient L’Ete’ single in 1982. This reissue compiles their first four singles and two LPs spanning 1982-86. Curiously, the CD leads off with the second LP from 1986. By this time, the band had transformed into a rock band that is hard to listen to. However, the first LP from 1983 is a completely different animal, ‘Bien Dans La Ville’ or ‘Good in the City” is a great slab of punky rock ‘n roll and Powerpop! The title track opens the LP with a blast of Aussie/Motor City rock that MC5 and Radio Birdman fans will dig. ‘Peut-Etre A Jamais’ and ‘Rock Et L’Amour’ sound like outtakes from the Plimsouls ‘Zero Hour’ EP. Singer Theirry Hazard even sounds a bit like Peter Case. 'Quand Revient L’Ete’ is an excellent mod number. ‘Pour L’Oublier’ and ‘Teleskripteur’ are super-fast Ramones-y punkers. Three versions of their top 40 hit ‘Berlin La Nuit’ are included. The best is the one recorded at the first LP sessions, less polished than the radio-friendly hit version. Sucks that their best song 'Samedi Soir,’ the B-side of the first single is omitted. It can only be found on the 'Power Perles Vol. 2' bootleg. Definitely worthwhile for the early stuff. Check out these early demos for free here:
https://cameleonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/garage-psychiatrique-suburbain
Still shocked by Kidnap and their awesome punk racket! Four 15-year-olds from Blois, about 115 miles south of Paris, spent 1977 listening to the Heartbreakers and Sex Pistols and decided to get in on the action. It wasn’t until 1982 that they would make their first recordings and release them on the ‘Apocalypse Chaos’ comp. “No S.S.,’ ‘Thatcher Dracula,’ and ‘Armée Nationale’ will knock your socks off. The guitar crashes in like the opening of the first Blitz LP and doesn’t let up. ‘No S.S.’ was also included on the ‘Welcome to 1984’ comp, the first LP released by Maximum Rock and Roll magazine. 1983/84 saw the band with two tracks on the ‘Chaos En France’ comps. ‘JR’ and ‘Putain de Vie’ are not the street punk from the previous year but fun pop punk that sounds like the Undertones. The band also put out their first single in 1983, 'Il Faudra Bien Qu'un Jour Tout Change' or 'One Day Everything Will Have To Change.' 'C'est Ton Probleme' and the title track are killer streetpunk with enough 'Whoa-ohs' to make the pop punk nerds go wild. They next released '1984' on a comp cleverly called 'Compilation' A great track with a big rock sound like Cook/Jones Professionals. I really like Fredo's rough, yet clear and forthright vocals. As alluded to earlier, guitarist Chicol has that razor sharp sound made famous by Nidge from Blitz. There's also 11 bonus demo tracks from 1979 when they were called Radiation. Definitely worth the ransom paid.
Parisian duo Francois Guillemot and Laurent Katracazos were in a few bands before forming Berurier Noir in 1983. Taking inspiration from early French punk band Metal Urbain, they use a rhythm machine and focus on guitar, vocals, and an occasional saxophone. This CD reissues their first LP from 1984, 'Macadam Massacre,' four tracks from their 1983 split single with Guernica, and a few demo tracks. The band was one of the most popular punk bands in France during the 80s, known for chaotic live shows. The LP title track kicks things off with bleak throbbing chords and that unflinching rhythm machine keeping time. An air raid siren starts wailing about a minute in, which makes sense since 'Macadam Massacre' translates to 'tarmac massacre.' 'Baston' and 'Elsa Je T'aime' follow with some rock and roll chord progressions thrown into the mix, disconcerting with the automaton rhythms. The rhythm box takes some getting used to, but after a while it recedes to the background and your focus is entirely on the creepy guitar and political lyrics. Francois sings with conviction and is a great complement to the guitar. 'J'ai Peur' and other tracks sound like a sparse Killing Joke. This album really grows on you...insidiously. Early in 2024, the National Library of France had a two-month long exhibition celebrating the band with archival photos, record sleeves, posters, props and homemade clothing they wore on stage, and of course a continuous punk rock playlist. Very cool!
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