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Johnny Concrete

JOHNNY CONCRETE “COME WITH…” 5-SONG 7″EP (DANDELION- DENMARK, 1980)

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Denmark had a small but awesome scene in the late 70’s and early 80’s that left us with great records from the Sods(!), Gatecrashers, Lost Kids and a few others– and this EP, which is one of my all-time favorites! A great record from start to finish, no filler at all- every song jumps out at me with sharp guitar noise, great drumming and Johnny’s great vocals that just drip attitude. He was the singer for the Dream Police, and he is being backed by them on this EP so I am not quite sure why this record did not come out under the band name and is instead a “solo record” for Johnny. In ’79 the band Cheap Trick released an LP called “Dream Police” so maybe Johnny and the boys were trying to distance themselves from those guys– the liner notes on the back of the sleeve hint at this. Earlier and slightly less-powerful versions of a few of these EP songs appear on the fantastic “Paere Punk” comp LP from ’79.

Regarding the song “Johnny Johnny”, someone I know theorized that this is an openly gay song since Johnny appears to be serenading another boy. I disagree, though, since to be out and open way back in the late 70’s punk scene was not cool… but maybe Denmark had a progressive scene and didn’t care about such matters (?). Instead, me thinks Johnny is singing the song from the perspective of a young lass lusting after him. What the fuck do you think? Do you even fucking care? If Johnny thought he was hot, though, I have to disagree because- wow- the mullet n’ moustache he was rockin’ makes me kinda cringe almost 30 years later (see the back of the picture sleeve). But maybe in 1980 a big mane of hair and a ‘stache was the hot look in the DK and caused people to fall at your feet in lust. The Dream Police went on to put out another EP in 1981 or 1982 that I have heard is bad metal. I kind of don’t ever want to hear it so my image of the band from this whopper of an EP is not tainted, ya know.