One of the advantages of being a writer is that by reviewing albums, you often end up researching more about the band and the currently released record, not just out of personal interest but also to provide the interested reader with a bit of input. For example, I thought I knew "Are You Staying Still?!" by S.I.K. relatively well since its release in 2009, having listened to it numerous times and read several reviews. And yet, there are still some pieces of information that slip by; there are various cover versions on the record that one could certainly be familiar with if one were a bit more knowledgeable about the Angelic Upstarts or the Oi-Melz, which apparently is not the case for me with either combo.
So, "Hope and Glory" was originally released by the Angelic Upstarts under the title "Solidarity." The Oi-Melz contribute "Fahnen im Wind," and there’s another cover piece, "Korken auf dem Wasser" by Geier Sturzflug. That’s how it goes.
Yes, it definitely seems that Nix Gut is releasing a reissue of the record, which I can only highly recommend and represents an absolute development compared to the previous albums, as the longer break seems to have had a positive effect. I'll try to summarize it in one sentence: S.I.K presents with "Are You Staying Still?!" damn good 15 short and concise German punk songs characterized by Fraggle's scratchy vocals with clear political statements, without much fluff, without fillers, from the first to the last track, where standing still is not an option.
