Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Dictators - "Bloodbrothers" (Asylum Records, 1978)

"Miami" Steve Van Zandt once said about them that they really were "the connective tissue between the eras of the MC5, Stooges, New York Dolls, and the punk explosion of the mid to late 70s". 
What I like most about the Dictators is the fact that they were a true rock n’ roll band. I don’t have problems with tags but hey, if you wanna tag something do it right, OK? You can’t count the VU or the Talking Heads as rock n’ roll, cause if you do what in the hell then the ‘taters were/are? Here again many label them as the first/perfect mix of punk rock and heavy metal… C’mon gimme a break. I heard in my life (and I mean it) many heavy metal records and not a single note played by them have elements of this genre. I guess all this came due to the fact that Ross the Boss (guitars) and Mark Animal Mendoza (bass on 2nd album) had a pass from bands like Manowar (i fuckin' hate them and their zincky panties) and Twisted Sister in correspondence. But then again, were the Sister ever a metal band…?
They loved every single little pop, R&B or rock n' roll masterpiece of the 50s and the 60s decades and that’s showing a lot on their stuff. I mean, “Cars & Girls” must be the first and the best surf revival song and compared to this whatever the Barracudas did (a band that I LOVE truly to fore run the suspicious minds),  is just a sha-la-la popper or Beach Boys mimic. Throughout their boisterous career, they attracted the public’s eyes unfortunately for the wrong reasons. The infamous incident with Wayne/Jayne County or songs like “Back to Africa” on their first album, got them some publicity but for the wrong reasons. A lot of people and because of the aforementioned happenings, thought of the Dictators as racists and homophobic. Of course no such thing existed. Many Dictators members are Jewish but irony, humor and no hold barriers fun wasn’t (and still isn't) many people’s stronger point.
Bruce Springsteen was and still is a huge fan if that says something to you. Actually, you can hear him count like another Dee Dee Ramone on the very first seconds of this record. That’s the third and my favorite if I had to pick just one cause I dig them all the same.  They used for some reason Blue Oyster Cult’s production team and the result’s simply superb!  If you ever heard Blue Oyster doing “Kick out the Jams”, maybe you’ll be able to understand what’s happening in here. Evil, dark humorous and “Faster & Louder” punk rock, delivered with just one purpose, to have fun! I'm pretty sure the Nomads (from Sweden) when they tried some "different" things on that Screaming Dizbusters single, had not only the Blue Oyster Cult on their minds, but also the Dictators. "Borneo Jimmy" and " Minnesota Strip" are two more standout and well covered tunes that almost every newbie likes to sing and oh, the last track it's Flamin’ Groovies masterpiece “Slow Death”. Many tried to cover it, almost all failed. Well, not the "taters"…
320Kbps 

Bloodbrothers 


4 comments:

  1. I caught the Dictators about ten years ago on their "D.F.F.D." tour. Did they ever play in Greece? They were still awesome when I saw 'em.

    I discovered the Dictators' music when I heard the Devil Dogs cover "Stay With Me" and I just HAD to find out who wrote such a great song!
    ("Stay With Me" always reminds me of Teenage Head's "Ain't Got No Sense," which is an equally rockin' song that I also first heard in a cover version (by Screeching Weasel))

    (Also, I love The Vibrators, but The Dictators inspiring the name of Teengenerate is a greater achievement than The Vibrators inspiring the name of Stiff Little Fingers)

    The Dictators get called "punk" a lot, but they really were one of those just-plain-ROCK bands that defies further attempts at categorization. A band that covers Iggy & the Stooges AND Mott the Hoople and even Sonny Bono(!) cannot be accurately described as just "punk." The Dictators are the band that call Lou Reed a "creep" in one song, and then turn around and cover "What Goes On" right after!
    Genius!
    (And I agree with you about their "Slow Death" cover: it's the best non-Groovies version of that song!)
    These days, it's hard to believe that a band like the Dictators was ever actually signed to a Major Label. Can you picture the record label assholes sitting around the office trying to figure out just what in the hell to do with the new Dictators record? I almost feel bad for the record company marketers who had to try to sell the awesomeness of THE DICTATORS to all the squares in middle America.

    By the way, if you don't already own it, you simply MUST purchase a copy of "Slade vs. the Monkeys." It's a book of rock-inspired "artwork" that includes an AMAZING depiction of Handsome Dick Manitoba shooting Adolf Hitler in the stomach with a White Castle burger-gun. It's probably the single greatest work of visual art ever created by man. I mean, it makes the Mona Lisa look like a pile of crap.
    You can order it online from Goner Records for six american dollars. Here's a link:

    http://www.goner-records.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2741

    I absolutely guarantee you will not regret the purchase of this book. Cheers!

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  2. Hey mate. No, they never came here. I told you guys, this place sucks! In Greece most people think as rock n' roll the Dire Straits (go figure...), so...
    I'm sure they still kick ass, cause "DFFD" was a GREAT album, and i got a live CD possibly from this tour("Viva Dictators")that saw 'em on ON FIRE! I really liked your comment! Especially these excerpts:
    ""Stay With Me" always reminds me of Teenage Head's "Ain't Got No Sense," which is an equally rockin' song "
    - Pfff! Man you really got it! You really go deep when you hear a rock n' roll record! And what a great band the Teen Heads were!
    "The Dictators are the band that call Lou Reed a "creep" in one song, and then turn around and cover "What Goes On" right after"
    - That's why were soooo COOL! And as you can easily understand, i TOTALLY agree with them...Lou Reed is a creep.
    "By the way, if you don't already own it, you simply MUST purchase a copy of "Slade vs. the Monkeys." It's a book of rock-inspired "artwork" that includes an AMAZING depiction of Handsome Dick Manitoba shooting Adolf Hitler in the stomach with a White Castle burger-gun. It's probably the single greatest work of visual art ever created by man. I mean, it makes the Mona Lisa look like a pile of crap"
    - WoW! I didn't know about it! Thanx man! I'm putting out my credit card right away!

    Thanks for the time you spent on this, buddy!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hey guys. If you like lo-fi punky rock'n'roll you might like this from my old band. Get our album for free!! http://themutantsoftheholocaust.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete