Less noticeably than the Runaways wrangler was a German fellow named Jörg Evers. Whether or not the man’s known his part in Amon Duul II, perhaps the most entertaining Krautrock group from the initial era, or not Evers and others claim that he was part of the first proper German punk group.
Pack, from just taking a look at the lone long player’s cover, are dressed the part – of course the trio looks a bit older than everyone else spiking up their hair in 1977. But that doesn’t matter, the music does. And while there aren’t any extended solos – the same air of defiance crops up in this group as was present in Evers’ earlier group.
Even if there wasn’t a discernable link between Pack and older, commune dwelling weirdoes, the album’s second track, “Nobody Can Tell Us,” sounds like a beat combo amped up on pills. Granted, that’s ostensibly what punk is, but the track counts as an effort tying not just Pack, but punk, back to sixties’ groups.
Coming so early in Germany’s development of punk, though, there are some ridiculous moments that can be heard throughout punk’s lesser moments a few years on.
Scruffy vocals are expected when listening to music of this ilk. And while Evers and Pack doesn’t offend too frequently – this whole thing’s in English as well, which might have complicated things a bit – “Terrorist” sports some pretty horrendous singing. Evers definitely wrenches his voice to the point of it simply disappearing. But at the same time, he presages such nonsensical acts as the Exploited and maybe by extensions a few derivations of metal which would crop up in a few years as well.
Despite the various missteps – and there’re really aren’t too many – Pack didn’t really work up anything that winds up being catchy to the point that it sticks in one’s head. That being said, listening to the entire album in one sitting is pretty easy to do. It might only be thirty minutes worth of music, but there’s not a tremendous downer in the bunch. Even the aforementioned “Terrorist” has is moments. Snag this one for posterity or just for shits and giggles.