Learning English, Lesson One

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Learning English, Lesson One
Learningenglish.gif
Compilation album by
Die Toten Hosen
Released11 November 1991
18 October 1994 (USA import version)
2007 (jubilee edition) [1]
Recorded1991
Genre Punk rock, protopunk
Length49:10
77:18 (re-release)
Label ToT
Virgin Records
Producer Jon Caffery & Die Toten Hosen
Die Toten Hosen chronology
125 Jahre die Toten Hosen: Auf dem Kreuzzug ins Glück
(1990)		Learning English, Lesson One
(1991)		 The Nightmare Continues E.P.
(1991)
Alternative cover
LearningenglishUSA.jpg
USA import cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Robert Christgau Rating-Christgau-dud.svg [3]

Learning English, Lesson One or Learning English, Lesson 1 (other punctuation variations possible) is a cover album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. [4] [5] The album includes covers of mostly British bands, which were big influences on the band.

Contents

It is the first all-English album for Die Toten Hosen; the first English language studio album was released three years later. It made the band better known outside of German-speaking countries.[ citation needed ]

The album features many guest stars, including Johnny Thunders, who died after recording "Born to Lose" for Learning English. [6] According to band members, he already wasn't looking very good when he came to record his part.[ citation needed ]

The album has a central parody theme of an independent language-learning tape, where "Janet and John" are the teachers. Janet and John are heard in short humorous introductions.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "the excellently performed and impressively reverent Learning English is less a tribute than a precise re-creation." [7] People called the album "more than just a quirky collector’s item ... [it] is the perfect way to look back—or discover—where [punk] all began." [8] Washington City Paper deemed it "a sappy, charming album of class-of-'77 covers." [9]

Track listing

  1. Learning English • Step One − 0:31
  2. "Blitzkrieg Bop" − 1:50 (Ramones)
  3. "Brickfield Nights" − 3:34 (The Boys)
  4. Step Two − 0:11
  5. "Just Thirteen" − 2:30 (The Lurkers)
  6. "If the Kids Are United" − 3:08 (Sham 69)
  7. "Nasty Nasty" − 2:06 (999)
  8. Step Three − 0:17
  9. "Dirty Pictures" − 2:15 (Radio Stars)
  10. "Baby Baby" − 3:13 (The Vibrators)
  11. "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" − 2:15 (The Adverts)
  12. "Born to Lose" − 3:21 (The Heartbreakers)
  13. How the Rockafellas Went to Hollywood − 0:18
  14. "Do You Remember" − 3:25 (The Rockafellas)
  15. "Carnival in Rio (Punk Was)" − 3:08 (Campino, von Holst/Ronald Biggs)
  16. Step Four − 0:18
  17. "Right to Work" − 3:03 (Chelsea)
  18. "Whole Wide World" − 3:19 (Wreckless Eric)
  19. "Smash It Up" − 2:57 (The Damned)
  20. "Stranglehold" − 2:11 (UK Subs)
  21. Step Five − 0:22
  22. "Love and a Molotov Cocktail" − 2:30 (The Flys)
  23. "Do Anything You Wanna Do" − 4:27 (Eddie and the Hot Rods)
  24. Goodbye from Janet & John − 1:01

2007 remastered anniversary edition bonus tracks

  1. "No One Is Innocent" (Steve Jones/Biggs) – 3:03 (from "Carnival in Rio (Punk Was)"; Sex Pistols cover)
  2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" (Mick Jones/Joe Strummer) – 2:43 (from "Warum werde ich nicht satt?"; The Clash cover)
  3. "Rockaway Beach" (Colvin, Cummings, Erdelyi, Hyman) – 1:59 (from "Alles wird vorübergehen"; Ramones cover)
  4. "Eddie & Sheena" (Rogers) – 4:24 (Wayne County & the Electric Chairs cover; recorded for Jürgen Krause's birthday, who is a good friend of the band)
  5. "Richmond" (Billingsley, Allen, Griffiths) – 2:39 (from the US version of Learning English Lesson 1; Pin Point cover)
  6. "In Still of the Night" (Frege, Plain) – 4:11 (Learning English Lesson 1 demo)
  7. "Anything but Love" (Frege, Dangerfield) – 3:58 (Learning English Lesson 1 demo)
  8. "I Met Her at the Jet Grill" (Meurer/Frege, Plain) – 1:56 (Learning English Lesson 1 demo)

Singles

1991: "Carnival in Rio (Punk Was)"
1991: "Baby Baby"
1992: "Whole Wide World"
1992: "If the Kids Are United

Personnel

Charts

YearCountryPosition
1992 Germany 30
1991 Switzerland 23
1991 Austria 38
Chart performance for Learning English, Lesson One
Chart (2021)Peak
position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [10] 3

Related Research Articles

Campino (singer) Singer of Die Toten Hosen

Campino is a German-British singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as the lead vocalist of Die Toten Hosen, a German punk rock band.

<i>Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau</i> 1988 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Reich & sexy II: Die fetten Jahre</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Crash-Landing</i> (Die Toten Hosen album) 1999 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Opel-Gang</i> 1983 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

Opel-Gang is the debut album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The title is a reference to an article in a Düsseldorf newspaper, where a gang of small-time thieves, who drove self-tuned Opels, were named Opel-Gang, even though the band wasn't initially into car modding. The album took under 10 days to record.

<i>Unter falscher Flagge</i> 1984 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Damenwahl</i> 1986 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

Damenwahl is the third studio album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The term "Damenwahl" appears in "Verflucht, verdammt, gebrandmarkt" and the intro of "Altbierlied". It is regarded by some as the weakest album by DTH.

<i>Never Mind the Hosen, Heres Die Roten Rosen</i> 1987 compilation album by Die Toten Hosen

Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen, sometimes Never Mind the Hosen, Here's Die Roten Rosen is the first cover album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, released under the pseudonym Die Roten Rosen. The band covers German schlagers on the album. This is the first DTH album to reach the charts. According to Campino, this album has won the most from the release of remasters (2007), because the impact was initially lost, but regained with remastering.

<i>Bis zum bitteren Ende – Die Toten Hosen Live!</i> 1987 live album by Die Toten Hosen

Bis zum bitteren Ende – Die Toten Hosen Live! or just Bis zum bitteren Ende(To the Bitter End) is the first live album of the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. It contains songs from the "Ein bunter Abend für eine schwarze Republik" tour. Because of an injury Jakob Keusen replaces Wolfgang Rohde on drums on some tracks.

<i>The Nightmare Continues E.P.</i> 1991 EP by Die Toten Hosen

The Nightmare Continues E.P. is a promotional EP by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen for the cover album Learning English, Lesson One. It includes four songs from the album.

<i>Reich & sexy</i> 1993 greatest hits album by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Love, Peace & Money</i> 1994 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

Love, Peace & Money is the first English-language album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen, not counting the cover album Learning English, Lesson One. It was intended for the Japanese market. Most of the songs are just English versions of other DTH songs.

<i>Opium fürs Volk</i> 1996 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

Opium fürs Volk is the seventh studio album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. Although it's not considered a concept album, it has a central theme of religion. It is regarded as one of the best Die Toten Hosen albums. The title is derived from a common misquotation of Karl Marx, who called religion the Opium of the People - Opium des Volkes.

<i>Im Auftrag des Herrn... – Die Toten Hosen Live</i> 1996 live album by Die Toten Hosen

Im Auftrag des Herrn... – Die Toten Hosen Live or just Im Auftrag des Herrn is the second live album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The album is compiled out of concerts of the 1996 Ewig währt am längsten tour. The title is a reference to the film The Blues Brothers.

<i>Soul Therapy</i> 1998 EP by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Unsterblich</i> 1999 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

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<i>Auswärtsspiel</i> 2002 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

Auswärtsspiel is the ninth studio album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. It was released in 2002. This is one of the band's favourite albums. The record is much more personal than previous albums. This is also the last album re-released remastered in digipak, with a new booklet and with bonus tracks along with all the previous major albums in 2007.

<i>Zurück zum Glück</i> 2004 studio album by Die Toten Hosen

Zurück zum Glück is the tenth studio album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The cover is designed by Dirk Rudolph.

<i>Nur zu Besuch: Unplugged im Wiener Burgtheater</i> 2005 live album by Die Toten Hosen

Nur zu Besuch: Unplugged im Wiener Burgtheater or Nur zu Besuch: Die Toten Hosen unplugged im Wiener Burgtheater is a MTV Unplugged album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen.

Carnival in Rio (Punk Was) 1991 single by Die Toten Hosen & Ronnie Biggs

"Carnival in Rio " is a song by Die Toten Hosen and Ronnie Biggs. It's the lead single and the fifteenth track from the cover album Learning English, Lesson One, being also the only non-cover on the album.

References

  1. ↑ "Learning English, Lesson One - Die Toten Hosen: Releases". allmusic.com. Allmusic . Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Learning English: Lesson One - die Toten Hosen | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic .
  3. ↑ "Robert Christgau: CG: Die Toten Hosen". www.robertchristgau.com.
  4. ↑ Thompson, Dave (July 1, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   9780879306076 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (November 26, 1994). "Album Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Deming, Mark. "Die Toten Hosen - Biography". Billboard . Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Die Toten Hosen".
  8. ↑ "Picks and Pans Review: Learning English, Lesson One". PEOPLE.com.
  9. ↑ "Learning English, Lesson One". Washington City Paper. 27 September 2002.
  10. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Die Toten Hosen – Learning English - Lesson 1" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
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