Learning English Lesson 2 - Die Toten Hosen (May 2017)

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Learning English Lesson 2 - Die Toten Hosen

JKP

Released 5th May 2017*

Learning English Lesson 2

Trailer

Tracklist and Guest List for
 Learning English Lesson 2

Due to a lack of tracks on You Tube for this album I was pleased to see that someone had put together a Playlist of the Original Versions of the songs featured.

Learning English Lesson 2

The Originals

*The album was released as part of the Special Edition of the brand new album Laune Der Natur.

Listen to a Live Concert 
by
 Die Toten Hosen
from the release party for the Laune Der Natur album at the Gloria Theater, Köln on the 5th May 2017.
Click Here!

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 Due to a lack of tracks on You Tube from the actual album I have put together a playlist of the Original versions of the songs featured on the album!

It's been twenty six years since Die Toten Hosen offered up Learning English Lesson 1 and so there was a lot of expectation regarding the Learning English Lesson 2 album that was released on the 5th May 2017 as part of the Deluxe Edition for their brand new album (Laune Der Natur), their first studio release since Ballast Der Republik in 2012.

Tracklist and Guest List for Learning English Lesson 1 - 1991 version

The US 1994 CD Reissue was a little bit different with No One Is Innocent (original recording by Sex Pistols featuring Ronnie Biggs),  the removal of Just Thirteen and adding New Guitar In Town featuring Honest John Plain (original recording by The Lurkers), Dairy of A Lover (original recording by Johnny Thunders) and Richmond (original recording by Pinpoint) featuring Arturo Bassick.

I have included these tracks on the Playlist above.

With such a great cast of characters on Lesson 1 (apart from Ronnie Biggs!) it was interesting to see who would be on Lesson 2. They somehow managed to keep it totally secret as even guys like Spizz, Segs (Ruts DC) and JC Carroll (The Members) did not even let the cat out of the bag until the details were officially released by Die Toten Hosen! 

So what you get is a top notch opener with Sound of the Suburbs featuring JC Carroll that still sounds so brilliant all these years on followed by Where Are They Now with Colin McFaull (Cock Sparrer); Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) updating a little the classic California über Alles (removing Governer Jerry Brown and replacing him with Arnie Schwarzengger); and Viva La Revolution featuring Monkey and Pete (The Adicts) - which I have to confess I wasn't a huge fan of the band at all, though the song sounds quite fine!

It's like a Greatest Hits of the Punk and New Wave scene with a storming version of Nobody's Hero featuring Jake Burns (SLF); Teenage Kicks featuring Damian O'Neil (The Undertones); Flying Saucer Attack featuring Eugene and Fay (The Rezillos); Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone featuring Wayne Barret (Slaughter and The Dogs) - it's good but is spoiled a bit I think by some unnecessary bad language; Sonic Reducer with Cheetah Chrome - (Dead Boys) on guitar, he had played on the Lesson One album as well; Lookin' After No.1 with Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats); one of my favourite singles The Jinx with Pete Bywaters (Peter and the Test Tube Babies); Your Generation with Tony James (Generation X); Darling Let's Have Another Baby featuring Johnny Moped; Where's Captain Kirk? with the mighty Spizz (Spizzenergi); Harmony In My Head with Steve Diggle (Buzzcocks) - one of his finest vocals I've heard in ages; This Perfect Day with Chris Bailey (The Saints) - he actually sounds less gruff than on the original; Wunderbar with Eddie Pole Tudor (Ten Pole Tudor); I'm An Upstart with Mensi (Angelic Upstarts); (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) with Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers) - thought his vocal sounded quite flat I have to say; Fight To Be Yourself with Phil Thompson (Pasty Faces) - have to say I didn't know this one; and finally Staring At The Rude Boys featuring Segs Jennings (Ruts, Ruts DC).

The album as a whole is fantastic but there are a few stand outs that are worth spotlighting: Sound of the Suburbs, Nobody's Hero, Your Generation, Harmony In My Head, This Perfect Day and Staring At The Rude Boys. A special mention as well for Fight To Be Yourself - I was not aware of the original at all (and can't actually find it) and I really liked the lyrics which are clearly in the mould of songs like I Wanna Be Me (Sex Pistols) and Do Anything You Wanna Do (Eddie and The Hot Rods) so pretty good methinks.

Oh, and as for the actual Laune Der Natur album, I had a listen to it yesterday and whilst musically it sounds good, I have no idea what on earth they are singing about as it's in German!....A need for a Learning German Lesson 1 album is awaited with bated breath! 😏