Punk 45: There Is No Such Thing As Society (Get A Job, Get A Car, Get A Bed, Get Drunk! Underground Punk in the UK 1977-81, Vol.2) 2014. Soul Jazz Records. 2024 limited edition reissue on blue vinyl. A comp of fairly obscure British punk singles, which are mostly just as good (if not better) as the more popular releases from their contemporaries like Sex Pistols, The Clash, Buzzcocks, etc. Some of the bands on this 2-LP release I am familiar with like The Mekons (their track “32 Weeks” originally released in 1978 as the b-side to their single “Never Been In A Riot“) and The Killjoys (mostly because two of the members formed Dexys Midnight Runners; they appear on this comp with the formulaic punk’d “Johnny Won’t Get to Heaven” from 1977). But most are unknowns. Top picks for me are the very 70’s UK punk sounding The Users “Sick of You” (1977),  the raw “Incendiary Device” by Johnny Moped (1977) and The Nerves “TV Adverts” (1978). The Now’s “Development Corporation” (1977) is as sparse, stripped (I think there are 2 chords, total) and simple as a nursery rhyme with vaguely reggae beat, it’s kinda great!  The Scabs’ “Leave Me Alone” (1979) infuses 60’s garage organ into snotty a snotty Brit-punk banger. The postpunk offerings like PiL-ish “Last Words” by 23 Skidoo (1981), the complex world-beat infused mostly instrumental “Spin” by The Impossible Dreamers (1982) and the messy  (with saxophone!) “Everything Stops for Baby” by The Astronauts (1981) are also all excellent. And while “Wot’s For Lunch Mum?” by The Shapes (1979) isn’t great, it is hilarious (spoiler: the answer is beans. again).