Various Artists - Beserkley Chartbusters / Beserk "Alive Over Germany" (1976-2000 us, power fun rock double disc compilation)

Out of nowhere, it seems, along came Beserkley Records - and the Beserkley Chartbusters in particular. The original album featured the label's first four signings namely, Earth Quake, Greg Kihn, The Rubinoos and Jonathan Richman & The Modem Lovers. 

One Matthew 'King' Kaufman and Steve Levine had formed the label in collusion with Berkeley based hard rock outfit Earth Quake. Released in the UK initially under license to the United Artists label, under the auspices of Andrew Lauder (the man who signed Brinsley Schwarz, the Flamin' Groovies and ultimately, the Stranglers), the album quickly became a firm favourite amongst disaffected pop kids, and in it's own way, became a kind of Stateside mirror of what Stiff Records would become. 

Label boss Matthew 'King' Kaufman, in association with experienced CBS studio engineer Glen Kolotkin quickly developed a distinctive sound and feel to Beserkley recordings. Most of the Beserkley label albums were cut at the CBS Studios on Folsom Street, San Francisco, which aided in the undoubted sense of continuity in sound from album to album. 

This sound tended to feature drums with a slight amount of presence echo, a very upfront vocal, and (with the exception of Earth Quake!) relatively distortion-free. Guitars were played at low volume in the studio, but a combo feel was preserved, the sound dean without being clinical. This compilation features all of the tracks from the original Beserkley Chartbusters album, plus choice cuts from the subsequent 'Beserkley's Back' compendium, and a live double album, “Bezerk times”, taken from a German TV recording.

Artists - Tracks

Disc 1 Berserkley Chartbusters

1. Earth Quake - Friday On My Mind (Young, Vanda) - 3:34

2. Greg Kihn - All The Right Reasons (Kihn, Bimler) - 3:15

3. The Rubinoos - Gorilla (Tracey) - 2:57

4. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - The New Teller (Richman) - 1:40

5. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Roadrunner (Once) (Richman) - 4:43

6. Earth Quake - Tall Order For A Short Guy (King) - 2:19

7. The Rubinoos - I Think We're Alone Now (Cordell, Gentry) - 2:52

8. Earth Quake - Hit The Floor (Dunbar, Doukas, Miller) - 3:42

9. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - Government Center (Richman) - 2:16

10.Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - It Will Stand (Hohnson) - 2:35

11.Greg Kihn - Mood Mood Number -  (Kihn, Bimlar, Dunbar) - 2:13

12.Earth Quake - (Sitting In The Middle Of) Madness (Doukas, Dunbar) - 3:30

13.The Rubinoos - I Want To Be Your Boyfriend (Dunbar, Gangwer) - 3:17

14.Spitballs - Let Her Dance (Fuller) - 2:27

15.Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers -  Egyptian Reggae (Johnson, Richman) - 2:35

Disc 2 Beserk Times (Alive Over Germany)
1. Greg Kihn - Future Girl (Kihn) - 3:22
2. Greg Kihn - Madison Avenue Man (Kihn, Bimler) - 4:50
3. Greg Kihn - Cold Hard Cash (Kihn) - 2:02
4. Greg Kihn - Secret Meetings (Kihn) - 6:17
5. The Rubinoos - Rocking In The Jungle (Girona) - 2:27
6. The Rubinoos - Falling In Love (Dunbar, Gangwer) - 2:13
7. The Rubinoos - Hard To Get (Dunbar, Gangwer) - 3:01
8. The Rubinoos - Red Light Green Light (Dunbar, Gangwer) - 3:33
9. The Rubinoos - Promise Me (Dunbar, Gangwer) - 3:48
10.The Rubinoos – Ronnie (Dunbar, Gangwer) - 2:36
11.Earth Quake - Street Fever (Phillips, Bilmer) - 4:38
12.Earth Quake - Mr Security (Doukas, Dunbar, Eartti) - 7:25
13.Earth Quake - A) From Here To Eternity Bj Trainride  (Noroder, Bellotte, Doukas, Dumbar, Earth) - 7:24
14.Tyla Gang - Young Lords (Tyla) - 3:30
15.Tyla Gang – Styrofoam (De Vore) - 2:03
16.Tyla Gang – Fireball (Tyla) - 3:57
17.Tyla Gang - A) Hurricane B) Whizz Kids  (Tyla, Irvine) - 9:35

1975-93  Beserkley's Best

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