Learning English, Lesson One


Learning English, Lesson One or Learning English, Lesson 1 is a cover album by the German punk band Die Toten Hosen. The album includes covers of mostly British bands, which were big influences on the band.
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.
The album features many guest stars, including Johnny Thunders, who died after recording "Born to Lose" for Learning English. According to band members, he already wasn't looking very good when he came to record his part.
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." People called the album "more than just a quirky collector’s item... is the perfect way to look back—or discover—where all began." Washington City Paper deemed it "a sappy, charming album of class-of-'77 covers."

Track listing

  1. Learning English • Step One − 0:31
  2. "Blitzkrieg Bop" − 1:50
  3. "Brickfield Nights" − 3:34
  4. Step Two − 0:11
  5. "Just Thirteen" − 2:30
  6. "If the Kids Are United" − 3:08
  7. "Nasty Nasty" − 2:06
  8. Step Three − 0:17
  9. "Dirty Pictures" − 2:15
  10. "Baby Baby" − 3:13
  11. "Gary Gilmore's Eyes" − 2:15
  12. "Born to Lose" − 3:21
  13. How the Rockafellas Went to Hollywood − 0:18
  14. "Do You Remember" − 3:25
  15. "Carnival in Rio " − 3:08
  16. Step Four − 0:18
  17. "Right to Work" − 3:03
  18. "Whole Wide World" − 3:19
  19. "Smash It Up" − 2:57
  20. "Stranglehold" − 2:11
  21. Step Five − 0:22
  22. "Love and a Molotov Cocktail" − 2:30
  23. "Do Anything You Wanna Do" − 4:27
  24. Goodbye from Janet & John − 1:01

    2007 remastered anniversary edition bonus tracks


  1. "No One Is Innocent" – 3:03
  2. "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" – 2:43
  3. "Rockaway Beach" – 1:59
  4. "Eddie & Sheena" – 4:24
  5. "Richmond" – 2:39
  6. "In Still of the Night" – 4:11
  7. "Anything but Love" – 3:58
  8. "I Met Her at the Jet Grill" – 1:56

Singles

  • 1991: "Carnival in Rio "
  • 1991: "Baby Baby"
  • 1992: "Whole Wide World"
  • 1992: "If the Kids Are United

    Personnel

  • Campino - vocals
  • Andreas von Holst - guitar
  • Michael Breitkopf - guitar
  • Andreas Meurer - bass
  • Wolfgang Rohde - drums

    Charts

Chart Peak
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