Worshipping japanese hardcore since the day before yesterday!
TV-Magic 7“ from 1979 was Lizard’s very first release, though both tracks also appeared on their great debut LP. Both 7“ and album were produced by the Stranglers’ J.J. Burnell. Just like the album, the songs (TV Magic and Love Song) on the 7“ are somewhere between new wave and punk rock, up-beat, crazy and wild.
One of several 1980 releases by Lizard, this 7“ is less punk and more new wave and pop than their S/T LP from the year before. Asakusa Rock on Side A is an upbeat number (about Rock in Asakusa, I presume?), Misha on Side B is „russian sounding“ including a musical quotation of the famous folksong Kalinka.
The A side of this 12“ released in 1982 contains the 3 tracks off Lizard’s Save Momoyo 7“: Robot Love and Requiem are re-recorded studio versions of the tracks off Tokyo Rockers, Asia was released as a different version on their first album. On side B, I think the tracks may have been mislabelled, but I’m not quite sure: Modern Noise is an otherwise unreleased song, while Theme is a re-recorded version of Modern Beat (off the first LP) with the slowed down ending of Kingdom (also off the first LP) attached. Modern Noise? Modern Beat? Theme? Two tracks or three? Dunno.
This record is a solo release by Lizard’s singer Momoyo from 1985. It’s not punk, more like minimalist electro stuff. Since this is definitely not my area of expertise I’ll just shut the fuck up and let the music do the talking. Also the record’s not in very good shape.
If I am not completely mistaken, Tōkyō Rockers was originally a video documenting Tōkyō’s 78/79 punk scene, with this LP of live performances being released by CBS/Sony as the soundtrack. All the bands are kind of experimental, somewhere between Post-Punk, New Wave and Punk. Friction are jangly, noisy and aggressive on this recording. They kept releasing stuff at least up into the nineties, I’m not sure if they ever split up. Mr. Kite, who seemed to have named themselves after a song by the Beatles (ack, again), are slower and more quiet, and only released one 7″ of their own. Mirrors are mid-tempo punk with somewhat dissonant guitars; they later released two 7″es. S-Ken produced psychedelic pop music with wah-wah pedals and synths, and managed to release on LP afterwards. Lizard! (exclamation mark!) are the undisputed winners on this comp with two awesome, bouncy synth-heavy tracks. Sadly missing from this compilation are SS who also recorded live tracks for this release. One song (Mr. Twist) can be found on youtube for all those who want to know just how much more awesome this -already awesome- LP could have been!
I’ve fallen in love with this album! Lizard were among the early Tōkyō punk groups who got to contribute a couple of tracks to the Tōkyō Rockers compilation. Their debut album from 1979 (produced by the Stranglers’ J.J. Burnel) is sick mix of new wave, punk, pop and post-punk: it’s got jangly guitars, out of tune oscillating synths, Devo’s quirkyness, Grauzone’s melancholy, great melodies and atonal noise! Great shit!
狂気の日本 