12-03-2019, 21:40
^Must get out my copy and listen again. Thanks for the reminder!
ASYLUM KIDS – Fight It With Your Mind
![[Image: R-4314509-1464872140-9195.jpeg.jpg]](https://img.discogs.com/a7P7tG1MSMtgntFTJITV2WzjtQ4=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/R-4314509-1464872140-9195.jpeg.jpg)
South Africa’s premier punk rock band – not a lot of those around in the early 80’s and this is actually quite tame by comparison to many international acts under the label of punk! Listening today because I just acquired the album on vinyl and haven’t lent them my ear for a VERY long time - longer than bears mentioning!! Might have heard all this many more times live than any other way, which is an even scarier thought!
These guys were positively subversive and had a lot to say about the apparent societal norms back in the day. They were protesting and questioning on all of our behalf and they were faced with serious conservatism, on every level. To put it in perspective, TV had made an appearance a mere five years earlier and there was little to no exposure to what was going on in the rest of the world, generally, as well as musically speaking. Scant information, no internet, no mobile phones, a controlled and regulated press and international sanctions. Around this time, Chris de Burgh’s Spanish Train was banned, for goodness’ sake, and it was around that time that Rodriguez started to take hold – also subject to bans.
Three years after Fight It With Your Mind was released, Queen and Rod Stewart, among a few others got severely lambasted by their peers for performing at Sun City and breaking the silence that had been imposed on us – up to then there were virtually no international artists coming here, certainly not in the world of rock anyway, and even that was only possible as Sun City wasn’t officially in SA – it was in Bophutatswana – a supposed separate ‘state’, which it was, in name only, pretty much. We had access to records and tapes, but no live acts – no tours. There have, and continue to be, waves of other protest bands since, in all sorts of genres – these were forerunners (in my experience), as was Johnny Clegg and his cohorts – just doing it a bit differently.
Looking back and listening more critically than I did then, I can see how courageous these guys were, and how important it was for what they were saying to be voiced by someone – anyone – and preferably loud enough for others to notice – and that they put themselves across in enough of a serious and accomplished manner to earn that notice. Very topical and relevant to the SA situation at the time; and 38 years later, I’m sorry to say, not altogether irrelevant. This was pacifist punk, I think, if there is such a thing – and they really rocked! Not my usual cuppa but nostalgia goes an awfully long way and I think they deserve their place in the annals. Also not sure where they all are today, although I think Robbi Rob is in the USA, and is still involved in music.
The whole album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_oP5d6c4mI
"We Are The Ones" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YytZV_uZF88 - so true
"Girl Gone Solo" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3cc5ait8JI
Title track …
ASYLUM KIDS – Fight It With Your Mind
South Africa’s premier punk rock band – not a lot of those around in the early 80’s and this is actually quite tame by comparison to many international acts under the label of punk! Listening today because I just acquired the album on vinyl and haven’t lent them my ear for a VERY long time - longer than bears mentioning!! Might have heard all this many more times live than any other way, which is an even scarier thought!
These guys were positively subversive and had a lot to say about the apparent societal norms back in the day. They were protesting and questioning on all of our behalf and they were faced with serious conservatism, on every level. To put it in perspective, TV had made an appearance a mere five years earlier and there was little to no exposure to what was going on in the rest of the world, generally, as well as musically speaking. Scant information, no internet, no mobile phones, a controlled and regulated press and international sanctions. Around this time, Chris de Burgh’s Spanish Train was banned, for goodness’ sake, and it was around that time that Rodriguez started to take hold – also subject to bans.
Three years after Fight It With Your Mind was released, Queen and Rod Stewart, among a few others got severely lambasted by their peers for performing at Sun City and breaking the silence that had been imposed on us – up to then there were virtually no international artists coming here, certainly not in the world of rock anyway, and even that was only possible as Sun City wasn’t officially in SA – it was in Bophutatswana – a supposed separate ‘state’, which it was, in name only, pretty much. We had access to records and tapes, but no live acts – no tours. There have, and continue to be, waves of other protest bands since, in all sorts of genres – these were forerunners (in my experience), as was Johnny Clegg and his cohorts – just doing it a bit differently.
Looking back and listening more critically than I did then, I can see how courageous these guys were, and how important it was for what they were saying to be voiced by someone – anyone – and preferably loud enough for others to notice – and that they put themselves across in enough of a serious and accomplished manner to earn that notice. Very topical and relevant to the SA situation at the time; and 38 years later, I’m sorry to say, not altogether irrelevant. This was pacifist punk, I think, if there is such a thing – and they really rocked! Not my usual cuppa but nostalgia goes an awfully long way and I think they deserve their place in the annals. Also not sure where they all are today, although I think Robbi Rob is in the USA, and is still involved in music.
The whole album - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_oP5d6c4mI
"We Are The Ones" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YytZV_uZF88 - so true
"Girl Gone Solo" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3cc5ait8JI
Title track …
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
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