14 April 2016

From Underneathica the Boardwalk, Down by the Long Beach





Hell Comes to Your House (Bemisbrain Records ‎– BB 123/124) was a shock to the senses when it came out in 1981, and it remains a classic compilation.  Established LA bands shared wax with exciting new groups.  HCTYH marked the debut of 45 Grave and Christian Death, two bands that cross-bred goth with West Coast punk.  I was the most impressed by a young Long Beach band called Secret Hate.




The breakneck tempo shifts of "New Routine/Suicide", the sneering voice, the hell-bent drumming, and those lyrics!   Who can forget "Standing in line wondering what to do/ I'm taking a piss when I think of you"?



After another compilation appearance (1982s You Cant Argue with Sucksess, Mystic Records ‎MLP 33102), Secret Hate released their 1983 EP, Vegetables Dancing (New Alliance Records NAR-016).




The EPs seven songs demonstrated an innovative musical range that incorporated Jamaican and Latin influences, reflecting the interests of the multi-ethnic band.  Along with Carla Maddog (of The Controlers) and D.H. Peligro (of the DKs), Secret Hate's guitarist Reggie Rector was one of the first black musicians on the West Coast punk scene, and vocalist Mike Davis (born Michael Lafiadi Garcia) is Hispanic.  They shared practice space with the Minutemen, who may have inspired Secret Hate to stretch their wings.  I think of Mike Davis as one of the most underrated punk singers (and writers).   Listen to his voice swell from Jim Morrison's Lizard King croon into a venomous rage worthy of Johnny Rotten on "Charade".  

Secret Hate split up in the mid-80's.




They appeared on the compilation When Men Were Men... & Sheep Were Scared (Bemisbrain Records 72927-1) in 1985.  




In 1987 Reggie Rector was murdered in downtown Long Beach.  Then, almost a decade later, Secret Hate was unexpectedly in the spotlight when Sublime (another Long Beach band) covered "The Ballad of Johnny Butt". Sublime's self-titled album was a multiplatinum hit, and the punky reggae of "Johnny Butt" reached millions of ears.



Mike Davis, bassist Kevin Roach, and drummer Rick Selga found two new guitarists (Blake Davila & Bob Schaeffer) and recorded a new Secret Hate composition for a 1998 split single on Sublime's label (Skunk Records CRAS - VNL006) with Long Beach punks Das Klown.   Vegetables Dancing made it to CD in 1999 (Cornerstone R.A.S. CRAS-CD010) with bonus tracks, followed by an album of new songs called Pop Cult Vomit.




Then, once again, their Hate was spent.

The Vegetables Dancing CD is great, but two important pieces were missing.  The band was dissatisfied with their performance on Hell Comes to Your House and may have chosen to omit those two songs from the CD.  I'm guessing that the Cornerstone label couldn't reach an agreement with a certain moody mogul to include on the CD three more Secret Hate tracks from their 1982 comp.   So here is Secret Hate's full studio output from '81 through '85, plus a tribute to their roots from the reunited group on 1999's "Dick".




Vegetables Dancing remains a vital purchase, as the CD includes a hot live set from '82 that shows why Secret Hate were legends on the Long Beach scene.


Tracklist –

New Routine/Suicide
Deception – from Hell Comes to Your House

Charade
Misery Chord
Rich Man's Son – from You Cant Argue with Sucksess

Get on the Bus
Theme Song
Rixadic
The Ballad Of Johnny Butt
Midas Touch
Edge Marine
Latin Chongo - from Vegetables Dancing

Bomb Chic
Death In The Desert – from When Men Were Men…& Sheep Were Scared

Dick - from Long Beach Blvd. (Skunk Records ‎– SKNK-998, 1999)

We hate you, but it’s a secret,
Jonder (& NØ)

4 comments:

  1. Please, I would like to download "Hell Comes To Your Huse" compilations, both volume I and II, but mainly Volume I. Thank You so much in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was a guest post from a blog friend, jonder. If you are interested in Hell Comes to Your House you might leave a comment over at his blog & he may be able to help you out.

    jonderblo.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your quick and kind response.

      Unfortunately, the blog you mentioned seems to be no longer available.

      When I tried to go there, this is the message I got from my browser:

      Blog not found
      Sorry, the blog you were looking for does not exist. However, the name jonderblo is available to register!

      Thank you anyway, and if you get another way to get it, don't hesitate to contact me

      Best regards

      Delete
    2. I am do sorry for any unnecessary trouble I put you through. I made a stupid typo error in my haste to reply.

      it is jonderblog not jonderblo. So sorry & good luck. Jonder is a wonderful chap who enjoys sharing music as much as I di & I'm certain that if he has it, he'll hook you up.

      Delete