Bleach Boys - 1990-91 (CD) / Skinhead Vikings Rule OK (LP)

Fan-pressing (LP, sleeve pictured) / Pirate Love Records (CD)

 

While hardly affordable, the artwork, pictures and overall look used on the Bleach Boys’ original EP releases have always intrigued by simply looking amazing! Music wise I had to deal with MP3’s that grew from shitty to pretty decent over the years, but still not as much fun to listen to as a real record obviously. This changed in 2012 with the unofficial release of the CD “1990-91” by Russian label Pirate Love Records that have bootlegged anything from Discharge to Indecent Exposure over the years. Now this release, compiling all of Bleach Boys work, is available on vinyl as well under the title “Skinhead Vikings Rule OK”!

 

Not that ‘all of’ Bleach Boys ‘work’ is such an excessive collection like last year’s Skinkorps compilations released by Bords De Seine, but still an essential piece of French Oi! history that must be in your collection one way (by having the original releases) or another (by getting one of these bootlegs).

 

The total amount of songs on “1990-91” / “Skinhead Vikings Rule OK” is ten, clocks just over 25 minutes and contains their contributions to the “Ils Sont Skinheads Pour L’Eternite” and “Il Faudra Bien Vous Y Faire” compilation EP’s, the “Troupes d’Elite” and “Vikland” EP’s and a demo recording from early 1990 when BB Skin and Co. were still called The Elite! Especially songs like “Guerre Civille”, “Fils De Normandie”, “Troupes d’Elite” (music by The Last Resort, “Held Hostage”), “Poseur” (music by Combat 84, “Poseur”), “Rois Des Tempetes” (probably my all-time favorite Bleach Boys song) and “Chant De Fidelite” are absolute must-hears if you are into late 80’s / early 90’s French Oi! like Skinkorps and the West Side Boys!

 

Usually I am a fan of the vinyl version, but the CD version (“1990-91”) comes with a fantastic looking 28-page booklet of top quality in the format of a 7” sleeve featuring all original artwork, pictures and various interviews (in both French and English) while the artwork of the vinyl version (“Skinhead Vikings Rule OK”) looks like straight-up Vulture Rock worship! Either way a must-have, despite it being a bootleg!