1936, The Spanish Revolution
| 1936, The Spanish Revolution | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Ex | ||||
| Released | 1986 | |||
| Recorded | Emma's Koeienverhuurbedrijf, Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||
| Genre |
Anarcho punk Post-punk Spanish folk music | |||
| Label |
Ex Records Ron Johnson Records AK Press | |||
| Producer | Dolf Planteijdt. | |||
| The Ex chronology | ||||
| ||||
1936, The Spanish Revolution is an album of songs and archival photographs related to the Spanish Civil War, recorded and assembled by Dutch anarchist punk band The Ex. The band released it in 1986, the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Revolution, on their own label as a square 7" (17.5cm) soft-cover book with two 45 rpm records. A 5" (12.5cm) hardcover edition was republished by AK press in 1997, replacing the records with a pair of 3" CDs.[1]
Background and book
In 1936 two Spanish anarchist trade unions, the CNT and the FAI, waged war against Francisco Franco's nationalist troops siding with the legitimate republican government, until Franco defeated the republican army in 1939 with the help of German and Italian troops. With further involvement from the Soviet Union, France, Mexico and Portugal, the conflict is widely regarded as the first battle of World War II. In wanting to highlight the original values and spirit of the revolution rather than the conflict and eventual defeat of anarchist forces, The Ex compiled 144 pages of previously unpublished photographs taken by journalists aligned with the revolutionary forces, along with several short essays about the revolution. Text appears in both English and Spanish.
Music
For the double-single, The Ex recorded two Spanish language songs with music and lyrics originally sung by 1930s Spanish revolutionary forces and supporters. On the flip side of each single was an English langiuage song about the revolution. The 1997 CD reissue split the songs up similarly as 2 mini-CDs.
Track list
- "They Shall Not Pass"
- "El Tren Blindado"
- "Ay Carmela"
- "People Again"
Musicians
The Ex:
- Luc (bass, guitar, backing vocals)
- Katrin (drums, hand-clapping, backing vocals)
- Terrie (guitars, hand-clapping, backing vocals)
- G.W. Sok (vocals)
Guest musicians:
- John (vocals, hand-clapping, backing vocals).
- Dolf Planteijdt (guitar, hand-clapping)
- Cobie (hand-clapping, backing vocals).
Reception
1936 was the first of The Ex's releases to gain some notoriety outside of the Netherlands, selling enough copies to reach No. 6 on the UK Indie Chart.[2] AllMusic called the book a "powerful and enlightening visual document that casts a fresh light on a major historical event little understood in the United States," and said that The Ex's music "find them inviting the spirit of the revolution as if it occurred five minutes ago, not 50 years past."[3]
Notes
- Cogan, Brian. Encyclopedia of Punk Music and Culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-313-33340-8.
- Mount, Heather. "Three Looks into The Ex". In Crane, Larry. Tape Op: The Book about Creative Music Recording, Volume 2. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Corporation, 2010. pp. 230–233.
- Robbins, Ira A., ed. The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock: The all-new 5th edition of The Trouser Press Record Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0684814374.
- Sok, G.W. A Mix of Bricks & Valentines: Lyrics 1979–2009. New York: PM Press, 2011.
- Temporary Services. Group Work. New York: Printed Matter, March 2007.
References
- ↑ "1936, The Spanish Revolution". The Ex. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1999. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
- ↑ Deming, Mark. "Spanish Revolution". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 August 2012.