Grindcore

(Contribution by CK – Contact us if you’d like to contribute!)

Electro Hippies are an oft-overlooked group that was very underground and short-lived, lasting only 4 years since their inception in 1985, and are usually only noted for having Jeff Walker of later Carcass fame as their bassist.

The Hippies’ music was no-nonsense crust punk: the exposed, fleshless bones of grindcore. Protesting with sonic power the evils of groups such as McDonald’s and embracing your typical, wholesome DIY values.

The Only Good Punk gives us a look at the influences surrounding the Hippies at the time. They released a split 7″ with Napalm Death, both tracks being jokish 1-second micro-songs.

© Peaceville, 1987

Track Listing:

1. Faith (0:39)
2. Acid Rain (2:53)
3. Run Ronald (0:40)
4. Scum (1:05)
5. B.P. (0:47)
6. Unity (1:59)
7. Terror Eyes (2:40)
8. So Wicked (0:46)
9. Profit (0:54)
10. Freddy’s Revenge (1:47)
11. Mistake (0:43)
12. Things Of Beauty (4:05)
13. Protest (0:30)
14. Gas Joe Pearce (0:54)
15. Lies (1:55)
16. Tortured Tears (1:31)
17. Turkeys (0:56)
18. D.I.Y. (1:01)
19. Suck (0:42)
20. Deception (2:53)
21. Could You Look Me In The Eyes (1:42)
22. Sometimes I’m So Glad (2:03)
23. At The Edge (1:02)
24. Reject (1:26)
25. Escape (0:58)
26. Mega Armageddon Death (0:05)
27. Mother (Live) (2:16)
28. Faith (Live) (0:22)
29. Unity (Live) (1:58)
30. Sheep (Live) (1:22)
31. City (Live) (0:55)
32. Acid Rain (Live) (2:52)
33. Run Ronald (Live) (0:32)
34. Chickens (Live) (0:41)
35. So Wicked (Live) (1:02)
36. Profit (Live) (1:06)
37. Meltdown (Live) (1:51)
38. Mega Armageddon Death (Live) (0:07)
39. Mega Armageddon Death Extended (Live) (0:24)
40. Silver Machine (Live) (3:49)

Most of the tracks themselves are punky, simple, but show a semblance of riff organization to be found in later grindcore bands and songs by the masters of crust-metal, Amebix. Not just that, but the tracks bleed into one another (especially Acid Rain/Run Ronald/Scum), with the dying gasp of one track’s end seeding the life of the next, which could be unintentional, but is notable anyway.

It’s difficult to sit through the entire album, but this compilation has the best of the Electro Hippies, so you’re free to skip around some of the slower tracks.