The Saints

Who here digs this Australian band, probably the first punk band proper. If not at least tied with the Ramones. Actually i read a great interview with these guys and one of the questions was "what you thought of the Ramones?" and they said "we hated them because they had our sound, we thought we were unique". Which just shows punk was a case of parallel evolution around the world in the UK, US and Australia brought on by the Stooges influence.

Anyway the Saints were a great band that i would include with the other "Heavy Metal" punk bands of 76-79. The debut (I'm) Stranded(1977) being in the top 4 heaviest original punk albums with The Sex Pistol's Nevermind the Bollocks, The Dead Boy's Young Loud & Snotty and the Damned's Damned Damned Damned.

They were brought over to the UK after Sounds called their single I'm Stranded from 1976 the best single of any week of the year. They signed to EMI who wanted to dress them up in punk uniform but they told them to bugger off. Which was probably the reason why the didn't go over so well because they were very anti-image in the way Grunge was, The Pistols, Clash, Damned all had a specific organised image but the Saints didn't.

After their second sand blasting punk album Eternally Yours (1978) the band went in a more musical direction something akin to the Church more than anything. And those post punk albums are brilliant.

If you haven't heard these guys and you like the Ramones, The Damned, Motorhead i say get on it particuarly the first two classic albums. Hugely influential band. Ed Kuepper's buzzsaw guitar totally shames Johnny Ramone.

Heres a clip of I'm Stranded



Demolition Girl



Lipstick On Your Collar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYqSsDuOOvc

Know Your Product
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjqwuBBI2UU&feature=related

I must be honest (and duck the tomatos tossed by RP)....I have never heard THE SAINTS....heard of them but never checked them out...unti now.

They are great...not too far removed from other "almost metally hard rock" bands like DICTATORS, DEAD BOYS and THE PISTOLS...

good call....again!!!!

The thing is these guys are legends and so influential, ask Thurston Moore or Kurt Cobain (Bit hard now) and they would rattle on about these guys.

Bob Geldof said "Rock music in the Seventies was changed by three bands — the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and The Saints".

First punk single as well. They were doing their thing way before Mclaren even thought about putting the Pistols together and before the bruddhas had emerged from Queens. It's almost like a secret history.

The Saints are to Australian Punk what AC/DC are to Australian Hard Rock, both shunned the terms Punk and Hard Rock but both had untold influence on those genres and beyond. Both formed in the same year as well.

Is their stuff availible on cd?

Yeah their albums have been reissued countless times over the years.

The first two are the metallized punk rock classics and the latter 5 or so are the more musical. Kind of like the Church, stunning 80's alternative. I'd think you would like both eras of the band.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm a big Ramones fan, and like you said, I like these guys too. I'll have to check 'em out next time I go on a hunt.

Might as well bump with the Damned and Sex Pistols threads.

This is what i'm talkin' about.....the first Punk single ever, beat out the Ramones, Pistols, Damned etc.

I just snagged "(I'm) Stranded" used for $8 at CD Warehouse...

original EMI Australia pressing even....

I am with Shiney I have heard the name the Saints but never their music, now I am going add them to my lists, thanks for the recommendation ratt/poison, I am looking forward to hearing their music.

I'm Stranded is the only song I know by The Saints. I had it on a vinyl comp that also included stuff like "Peaches" by The Damned and "Oh Bondage Up Yours" by X-Ray Spex.

Now that I think about it, I think Fad Gadget's "Ricky's Hand" and "I Like Electric Motors" by some guy I can't remember was on there too.

Good score Shiney. On a not so random note....are you a fan of the Damned.

Anyway if you see any other Saints albums you should snap them up....particuarly the latter day ones in the mid 80's. Stunning rock n' roll that rocks with countrified celtic aplomb akin to the wonderful Waterboys.

Ghost Ships is one of RP's favourite songs.....

tohostudios wrote:

I'm Stranded is the only song I know by The Saints. I had it on a vinyl comp that also included stuff like "Peaches" by The Stranglers and "Oh Bondage Up Yours" by X-Ray Spex.

Fixed it for ya!

You know Toho when i was younger i used to get The Saints and The Angels mixed up, not just for the similar names but when you think about it... both Australian bands that released debut's in '77 and musically The Angels were just a boogie step away from The Saints and their metallic punk rock n' roll.

The Angels a great band but when I was growing up they were know as Angel City and sometimes The Angels from Angel City, it was confusing, I got into them by accident when I bought "DarkRoom" thinking it was Angel the American glam sometimes prog metal band, and it turned to be these guys, so the Saints are even a little like The Angels (or Angel City) than I am going to be happy to be turned on to them.

Warning Toho! Another Angels fan.

Manny you should lay down your love for the Angels in mine and Toho's Angels Love Shrine!

https://heartofmetal.niceboard.com/heart-of-metal-f1/the-angels-t4191.htm?highlight=the+angels

Yes The Saints and Angels are not to dissimilar, The Angels always had that punk edge in their nononsense busy metallic rock n' roll much like that of the Saints....although the Saints have that incredibly rough buzzsaw guitar which is close to Ramones.

rattpoison wrote:

tohostudios wrote:

I'm Stranded is the only song I know by The Saints. I had it on a vinyl comp that also included stuff like "Peaches" by The Stranglers and "Oh Bondage Up Yours" by X-Ray Spex.

Fixed it for ya!

You know Toho when i was younger i used to get The Saints and The Angels mixed up, not just for the similar names but when you think about it... both Australian bands that released debut's in '77 and musically The Angels were just a boogie step away from The Saints and their metallic punk rock n' roll.

Yeah, I get The Damned and The Strangler mixed up all the time. Both got lots of airplay on the punk radio show I used to listen to for 3 hours every Sunday night when I was a teenager.

Quote :

Manny you should lay down your love for the Angels in mine and Toho's Angels Love Shrine!

Yeah, since Therion laid a turd with Gothic Kabbalah, The Angels moved into my number one band slot.