1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts (1980)

"Tuning the guitar is kind of a ridiculous notion. If you have to wind the tuning pegs to just a certain place, that implies that every other place would be wrong. But that's absurd. How could it be wrong? It's your guitar and you're the one playing it. It's completely up to you to decide how it should sound." - David Fair, Half Japanese

Half Japanese apparently wanted to start a band so bad, that they never bothered to learn how to properly play their instruments. (Not that this is a bad thing.) At least, that's the impression that I always got from them. Their sound is pretty much the definition of DIY. Their loud, noisiness almost sounds like a punked-up version of the Shaggs. Like the Shaggs, Half Japanese makes up in enthusiasm what they lack in ability.

The group formed in 1975 by brothers Jad and David Fair. Jad Fair is also well known for his solo albums and work with fellow outsider artist Daniel Johnston.



Half Japanese's album 1/2 Gentlemen/Not Beasts features covers of some of their influences such as The Velvet Underground, The Modern Lovers, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and others. The result is an almost no-wave noise that sounds completely different than the originals. Throughout the record, the band definitely seems like they're having a lot of fun re-making the songs. I recommend the album to fans of noise punk, no wave and noisy lo-fi sounds.

Disc One
1. No Direct Line from my Brain to my Heart 2:00
2. 10th Avenue Freeze Out 1:49
3. Ta Sheri Ta Ta 4:55
4. My Girlfriend Lives Like a Beatnik 1:04
5. Her Parents Came Home 0:58
6. Shhh - Shhh - Shhh 2:12
7. Girls Like That 2:12
8. Rrrrrrrrrrrrr 1:26
9. No More Beatlemania 1:52
10. Tangled Up in Blue 3:44
11. Patti Smith 2:22
12. School of Love 1:07
13. Jodie Foster 2:15
14. Shy Around Girls 1:36
15. Grrrrrrrrrr 2:24
16. Bogue Millionares - Cool Millionares 2:10
17. Tn Tn Tn Tn Ki 3:10
18. I Can't Stand it Anymore 2:23
19. I Love Oriental Girls 1:44
20. Dream Date 1:32
21. Du Du Du - Du Du Du 7:22
22. Ain't Too Proud to Beg 1:10
23. Ann Arbor, MI 0:32
24. I'm Going to the Zoo 1:13
25. Shi Yi Yi 0:58
26. Rave On 1:42
27. I Ta Na Si Na Me Eee 1:02
28. Til Victory 2:16
29. Rip My Shirt to Shreds 0:19
30. I Don't Want to Have Mono No More 1:40
31. She Cracked 1:57
32. Bbbbbbb / Bbbbbbbb 1:36

wooooooooooooooo

Disc Two
1. Funky Broadway Melody 4:12
2. I'm Sorry 1:36
3. T-T-T-T-T-T 6:43
4. The Word I'd Ever Do 0:43
5. Live in Baltimore, MD 20:16
6. Live in Washington, DC 18:16
7. Battle of the Bands 1:59
8. Worst I'd Ever Do 0:42
9. Ann Arbor, Mi 0:53
10. School of Love 1:31
11. Her Parents Came Home 0:56
12. Shy Around Girls 1:10
13. Dream Date 1:42
14. Bogue Millionares - Cool Millionares 3:29
15. Knock on Wood 1:43
16. Top Secret 0:47
17. Guitar Solo 0:41
18. Calling All Girls 1:04

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay


Half Japanese fansite