Kaos - Komplete Kaos (2003)

A collection of demos and rehearsal tracks from Johnny Stingray’s post-Controllers outfit that, prior to this, only managed to release the Product of a Sick Mind 7” on What? Records back in the early 1980s. As evidenced here, these guys had the chops and the tunes to put out what would’ve been one hell of a classic album, yet never got the chance. Also included here is a pretty funny interview with the band from KPFK circa 1980 with El Duce making a phone-in appearance. A consistently good listen here and a nice retrospective of one of LA’s more obscure bands.

Kaos was the second straight co-ed trio formed by Johnny Stingray after his previous punk band, the Controllers, split up. And their sole 12" single was one of the few releases on the original What? label (along with the Controllers' first single, the Dils' first single, and theControllers/Eyes/Skulls 7" EP). Now, more than two decades later, Artifix once again serves up a retrospective to give us an idea of what one of those band's LPs might have entailed. (Again, very few of those incredible L.A. first wave bands made any LPs, so it's this or nothing!) Perhaps Komplete Kaos should have opened with what little the band released (the 12"), rather than leading with the way rougher-edged demos and rehearsal tapes that makes up the other 17 tracks unearthed here. But it's a good thing to get any kind of document of even a somewhat later, lesser band on the scene (anything pre-hardcore 1981 is of the principal interest, since the 1981-to-present scene was properly documented in their time).
The trio steams and burps along on such raw and ready tracks as the opening "Cone of Silence" (yup, a Get Smart reference, what taste!), the rapid-fire "Roses on My Grave," and the hottest, quickest, fattest, loudest, and best two cuts (where they come off sounding like a newAvengers!!! No kidding!), "I Don't Want To" and an instrumental cover of the Germs' "Forming" -- to go with the familiar "Top Secret" and "Alcoholiday." More covers, including the Velvet Underground's "White Light, White Heat" (which here sounds a lot more like a version of the Misfits' then-new single B-side, "Teenagers from Mars."), the Chantays' immortal 1963 surf hit "Pipeline" (a staple of Johnny Thunders'Heartbreakers and solo sets of that era), and Chuck Berry's ubiquitous "Memphis" are actually less interesting than the better originals, but give the reader an indication of what you get here. And it's really interesting to hear the give and take in the full interview with those snide, smart and hilarious people from the influential L.A. cable program New Wave Theater (remember the national syndication via Night Flight?). It's all another fine Artifix artifact, of a time when punk was all for the art and the fun, 'cause you weren't going to get signed, put out records, or tour, that's for sure; so you really had to just love the thrill of rock & roll in its purest state.

http://depositfiles.com/files/zjfipt7mv