26 REDS & A BOTTLE OF WINE

Henrietta Collins & The Wifebeating Childhaters - Drive-By Shooting(Texas Hotel) 1987

1 Drive by Shooting (Watch Out for That Pig) 1:58
2 Ex-Lion Tamer 1:53
3 Hey Henrietta 2:56
4 Can You Speak This 1:56
5 I Have Come to Kill You 5:17
6 Men Are Pigs 2:37
7 The Road Song 2:35

This is one of my favorite records. I found it in the bargain used bin at this East Berlin record store run by this total asshole. It cost me 10 euros. Actually, my last 10 euros. I had to borrow the cab fair to get to the airport the next day.

This little LP kicks off with Rollins doing this take on late 80s LA gang violence set to surf rock. Sounds like something the Circle Jerks could have done for the Repo Man soundtrack. The track opens with a BBC type announcer (“PCP 1 is proud to introduce…”). That little diddy is followed by a pretty great version of Wire’s Ex Lion Tamer. I actually can’t listen to the original anymore, but that’s my problem. Rollins punches up the vocals so they just take over the track. Wire’s version sounds oddly subdued by comparison.

The second side has a bunch of awesome throwaway track including a take on Queens We Will Rock You called We Have Come To Kill You, and the spoken word piece Can You Speak This set to an early Rollins Bandisque backing track.

I play this thing all the time. Especially the side A, which I play straight through cause I think they sound so damn good together. Historically this record is right after Black Flag calls it quits and figures Chris Haskett on guitar, bassist Bernie Wandel, and drummer Mick Green. I guess that makes this the precursor to the Rollins Band album, which was also on Texas Hotel. I like it better than most of the Rollins Band stuff, but I’m an idiot.