'Big cats, small cats, some cats are fat cats, those cats are bad cats, what we gonna do?' Anarcho punk. Lots of questions, not many answers. Still, it made us all think at the time which is more than a lot of punk bands could manage. Great song this one.
2. GENERATION X - 'Your Generation' - Chrysalis 7" - UK - 1977
Billy Idol, Tony James, blah blah blah. First single. Performance on Marc Bolan's show here with Marc losing all credibility by sniffing a carnation.
3. BLITZ - 'Someone's Gonna Die' - No Future 7" - UK - 1981
Streetpunk, Oi, did have it's moments. This was one of them. From their first release, the 'All Out Attack' E.P. 'Is this where the good times went, with his brains lying on the pavement?'
4. THE RALPHS - 'Vegetable Romp' - Demo - USA - 1980
I can only remember one single by this quirky bunch, but a retrospective collection 'Zeros, No-Ones' came out on Existential Vaccuum some time back. This is on it.
5. SHAKE - 'Night By Night' - Peel Session - UK - 1979
Formed by Jo Callis after the Rezillos split, Shake didn't make any great waves but the Peel session was definitely a winner.
6. THE FLESHAPOIDS - 'Nuke The Whales' - Trashtone 7" - USA - 1979
A satirical art-punk band from Frisco. Their sole release. The bass solo was supposedly inspired by the song of humpback whales.
7. TOY LOVE - 'Sheep' - DeLuxe 7" - New Zealand - 1980
The B-side of 'Don't Ask Me' - this is much the better song.
8. GENERATION X - 'Day By Day' - Chrysalis 7" - UK - 1977
The B-side of 'Your Generation'. 'I feel like a robot on the production line'. It's called the music biz, Billy.
9. DIRT - 'Democracy' - Crass 7" - UK - 1981
More anarcho punk now, from the 'Object Refuse Reject Abuse' E.P. - a slogan I remember spray painting on many a bus shelter way back when. DIRT itself stands for 'Death Is Reality Today'.
10. BLITZ - 'Fight To Live' - No Future 7" - UK - 1981
Another scorcher from the 'All Out Attack' E.P.
11. SPEED - 'El Tiempo Mata' - Victoria LP - Spain - 1985
I'm afraid I can't tell you much about this lot except that they released a few decent discs between 1985 and 1990. This is from their one and only self-tiltled album.
12. THE KILLJOYS - 'Recognition' - Peel Session - UK - 1977
They didn't get such a blazing guitar sound at the Maida Vale studios as they did at Spaceward for their single, but Kevin Rowland's songs, whatever you might think of him, were always well-structured and lyrically interesting. From their only Peel Session.
13. GENERATION X - 'Ready Steady Go' - Chrysalis 7" - UK - 1978
Third single about the old '60s pop show. Top of the Pops performance here.
14. THE MOB - 'Witch Hunt' - All The Madmen 7" - UK - 1980
Class War, Mob-style. 'Stubbing out progress where seeds are sewn, killing off anything that's not quite known, sitting around in a nice safe home, waiting for the witch hunt'.
15. BLITZ - 'Never Surrender' - No Future 7" - UK - 1982
I didn't expect their second single to top 'All Out Attack', but in power and delivery it certainly does. Brutal.
16. TOY LOVE - 'Pull Down The Shades' - DeLuxe LP - New Zealand - 1980
From their self-titled album. They moved to Australia in 1980, didn't like it, came back home and split up.
17. GENERATION X - 'No No No' - Chrysalis 7" - UK - 1978
The excellent B-side of 'Ready Steady Go'.
18. TERVEET KÄDET - 'Saappaat' - Barabbas LP - Finland - 1984
Terveet Kadet were either brilliant or horrendous, usually the former. This is from the 'Yalta Hi-Life' compilation album.
19. SHAKE - Teenbeat' - Peel Session - UK - 1979
Another goodie from the Peel Session, previously a Rezillos live favourite.
20. SPEED - 'Gabacho' - Victoria LP - Spain - 1985
Another from their self-titled album.
21. BLITZ - 'Razors In The Night' - No Future 7" - UK - 1981
Having been blown away by 'Never Surrender' I then flipped it over over. The song that followed nearly brought me to tears. This is the streetpunk anthem for a generation. 'Backstreet boys wear boots and braces, razor blades and angry faces, too much tension, too much beer, what the hell am I doing here?'
22. GENERATION X - 'Wild Youth' - Chrysalis 7" - UK - 1977
Second single. Is there a video? Of course there is.
23. THE KILLJOYS - 'Back To Front' - Peel Session - UK - 1977
Another from their John Peel session.
24. TOY LOVE - 'I Don't Mind' - DeLuxe LP - New Zealand - 1980
The lead-in track from their self-titled album.
25. DIRT - 'Hiroshima' - Crass 7" - UK - 1981
And finally a second cut from the Crass E.P. The burning question is, though, Deno's delivery of the word 'can't'. Would you call it a scream or squeal? This is the sort of thing that keeps me up at night . . .
***BONUS TRACKS***
26. GENERATION X -
'King Rocker'
27. BLITZ - 'Attack'
28. THE RALPHS -
'Mass Confusion'
29. GENERATION X -
'Trying For Kicks'
30. THE FLESHAPOIDS -
'Electro-Shock'
31. BLITZ - '45
Revolutions'
32. GENERATION X -
'Gimmie Some Truth'
Get it here
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