V/A - I Don't Care, The No Fun And Plurex Singles
Pseudonym Records
Dutch punk, or Nederpunk as the genre is titled, was something I had a hard time getting into for no apparent reason. Some, including myself, could find this weird since I am from Holland and into punk music, but that is just the way it… was. Because over the years my interest in the genre started to grow and I started to respect the history of punk music of my own country more and more.
Unfortunately for me the prices of these early records, I am talking 1978 here, have only increased over the years. Making it nearly impossible for me to pick up any of those original No Fun or Plurex Records singles… until now! Because the Dutch label Pseudonym, famous for reissuing various artists from The Netherlands since the early 90’s, threw the first four 45’s of both labels onto one LP for the “I Don’t Care” compilation, making all these gems available again for only a fraction of the price these records are going for on the better known auction websites!
The A-side belongs to the No Fun label and features the first, and the only, singles ever recorded by God’s Heart Attack, Helmettes, Mecano Ltd. and Subway. As it are singles, every band drops two tracks each of their own interpretation what punk should sound like in 1978. This can vary from full-blown ’77 punk mayhem to a proto-punk sound where the rock ‘n’ roll / rock influences echo through just a little bit louder, like the tracks “Jesus Loves Me (But I Don’t Care)” and “You Gotta Support” by Subway. But with that being said, all eight tracks on the No Fun side are pure gold (both literally and figuratively speaking) and gives great insight into the label’s first, and only, four singles!
Plurex Records started out in 1978 as well, but unlike No Fun this label made it until 1987 before calling it a day, and their B-side also features the first three 7” releases from their starting year. Also for Plurex’s side counts that the records that are featured on this compilation LP, by the Tits, Mollesters and Filth, are their first and only records ever recorded! Again Pseudonym Records pressed a pure goldmine on the single side of a LP, but also musically this is more my cup of tea with fantastic tracks like “Daddy Is My Pusher” and “We’re So Glad Elvis Is Dead” by the Tits, “Plastic” and “I Am” by the Mollesters and “Don’t Hide Your Hate”, “Sex” and “Nothing For Me” by Filth. As a bonus the “I Don’t Care” compilation features the original, but deleted, fourth Plurex Records single by Dutch vocalist Ton van der Meer with the track “Niets Aan Me Leven”, of which a much more smoothed out version was released a year later as the “’k Heb Niks Aan M’n Leven (Kommer En Kwel)” single through Philips.
If you can’t, or don’t want, to spend over a 1000 bucks on original pressings, the “I Don’t Care” compilation is a must have! The LP comes in a nice looking gatefold sleeve that features an excellent story on both labels and their releases on this LP and on top of that all tracks have been remastered from the original master tapes, making the songs sound amazing nearly 40(!) years after their original recording and release! Superb release!
