uk punk Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Punk 45: There Is No Such Thing As Society

sfilzen — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 17:39:43 +0000

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).

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The Stranglers “Live (X Cert)”

sfilzen — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 17:47:41 +0000

The Stranglers “Live (X Cert)” 1979. Live UK punk, recorded at shows in ’78 and ’79. Some of The Stranglers best cuts from their first three LP’s sprinkled with banter, insults and a request for the crowd to stop spitting at the band. All of Side A (except “Hanging Around“) plus two tracks on Side B (“Straighten Out” and “Five Minutes“) comes from their concert at The Roundhouse in November 1977 (“Hanging Around” is from June ’77, Roundhouse); the rest are from a show at Battersea Park, September ’78. Live (X Cert) went to #7 in the UK which is pretty impressive for a live punk album. The sound quality is really good, the performances super-tight and as good as the studio versions, with the same swirly keyboards, infectious and danceable beats and aggressive vocals, accented with harmonies. Not surprisingly my top track on this live album is also my overall favorite by The Stranglers: their debut single “(Get a) Grip (On Yourself).” They go extra weird on “I Feel Like a Wog,” both weird and angular on “Do You Wanna?” go super-angry on “Straighten Out” and are particularly messy on “Curfew.” I thought maybe The Drones, who I wrote about yesterday, opened for The Stranglers at The Roundhouse in ’77 (they performed with them that year) but it seems that instead it was the Ramones and The Flaming Groovies, if the internet is to believed.

Here are The Stranglers at the Roundhouse playing “(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)” in 2010.

And here’s what I think is the concert at Battersea in 1978:

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The Drones “Further Temptations”

sfilzen — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 18:39:34 +0000

The Drones “Further Temptations” 1977. Valer Records. The debut LP from Manchester UK punks, with a very 70’s UK punk/pub rock sound. I’m not familiar with The Drones but for sure with many of the bands they performed with in the late 70’s including Generation X, The Vibrators, X-Ray Spex and The Stranglers. They started as a pub rock band in ’75 before switching gears and some of that pub sound definitely comes through on the more rock/pop orientated tracks like “Lift Off the Bans” and “Corgi Crap” (though a lot of punk elements that one). Or big guitar posturing: “Sad So Sad” and “No More Time” are both great, with punk anthem flavoring. Some are more sharp, snotty and snappy like the excellent “Bone Idol” or “Lookalikes.” But those, and a lot of the other tracks sound like other bands in their 70’s UK punk circle: the aforementioned Vibrators and Stranglers, plus Buzzcocks, The Ruts, Subhumans, 999, etc. (The Drones’ tracks “Persecution Complex” and “The Change” kinda sounds like all of them). It looks like The Drones are still at it and rocking hard, almost 50 years on, as the below video of their live performance of “Bone Idol” from this past January indicates.

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“Punk and Disorderly: Further Charges”

sfilzen — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 17:37:15 +0000

“Punk and Disorderly – Further Charges” 1982, Anagram Records (US version released on Sounds Interesting Records). A comp of mostly British punk singles from ’82, the second in a series of punk comps that gave the US market a way to find and afford the import 45 singles. I wrote about this LP nine years ago; it’s been sitting in my to-do pile (we are trying to thin the herd) and since I live in Milwaukee and it’s the week of the RNC this pull just feels right. (I am hunkered down, no plans to be disorderly or even get anywhere near the convention). I picked this record up back in ’85 or ’86 because of the cover and it definitely was a way for me to afford a bunch of British punk songs that I would not have had access or funds for otherwise. Best is G.B.H.’s “Sick Boy” that leads off the record. Also great is “Dreaming” by The Expelled, the goth-punk “The Masque” by The Dark (I’m pretty sure I had their ’82 LP The Living End at one point in my collection), the sole non-UK band Channel 3’s “I’ve Got a Gun” (they were popular in the UK because of John Peel) and the epically long (by punk standards) “Gangland” by the Violators. Action Pact’s “London Bouncers” is really funny (spoiler: they don’t like London bouncers), though it’s not necessarily a great track and while it’s super-simple, raw and lo-fi I appreciate the Germs-esque flavor of “Death to Humanity” by Riot/Clone (Erazerhead’s “Shellshock” is pretty good too but a total Ramones ripoff). Overall, the comp is an interesting (and angry) snapshot of the UK punk scene in ’82 and since it was one of the first comps I bought (at age 14 or 15), I think it’s a keeper.

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“I’m A Mess! Punk 45”

sfilzen — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 19:18:35 +0000

“I’m A Mess! Punk 45: Punk 45s In the UK 1977-1978” 2022. Soul Jazz Records. Limited edition double LP. As the record’s title suggests, this is a singles comp from the heyday of UK punk by bands that have mostly been lost or overshadowed in punk rock history. There’s 19 different artists and tracks, mostly short, sharp and/or messy, so I’m only going to focus on the ones I like best. “I Am a Dalek” by The Art Attacks is one of my tops; they were a pretty short-lived band, only around from ’77-’78, with just 2 single released and clearly Sex Pistols inspired. “Saints and Sinners” by Johnny and Self Abusers has a bit of an early Damned feel; they split the day the single came out and members would reform into Simple Minds which is kind of mind-blowing. Trash’s “Priorities” is great chugging mod/garage-punk; they only released one other single but their claim to fame is they “auditioned in front of Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle for the role as a mod group in the film Quadrophenia, but didn’t get the part and split in ’79” (Discogs).The comp’s title inspiration, “I’m A Mess” by Stormtrooper is so British-sounding; they’re from the Isle of Wight and were active from ’75-’78; this was their only recording. Social Security’s “I Don’t Want My Heart to Rule My Head” is angular fun, very Buzzcocky; besides this single they actually put a full LP…in 2009 from recordings in ’77. The Cybermen’s “Cybernetic Surgery” is really short and pretty great; this track appeared on a 4-song EP in ’78 and they released just one more song in ’79. The Exile’s “Fascist DJ” has a great title, the music is pretty simple with a 70’s American pre-punk vibe; which makes a bit more sense when I learned that they “eventually morphed into The Television influenced [band] Friction” (Discogs). “True Life” by Machines is buzzy, a bit Exploited/oi; they put out just this single in ’78 but are one of only bands on this comp to resurrect themselves years later, recording a new album in 2011.

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The Clash “The Clash”

sfilzen — Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:31:34 +0000

The Clash “The Clash” released 45 years ago today, April 8th, 1977, in the UK. Considered one of the best punk albums ever as well as one of the greatest of any genre, The Clash’s debut went to #12 in the UK and, upon its release in the US in ’79, hit #126 on the Billboard album chart. The UK and US versions differ significantly: the tracks “Deny,” “Cheat,” “Protex Blue” and “48 Hours” do not appear on the US release and the cover is also altered. British singles traditionally are not included on LP’s so while “Clash City Rockers,” “Complete Control,” “(White Man) in Hammersmith Palais,” and “I Fought the Law” do appear on the US version, they aren’t on this UK album. The exception to that rule is “White Riot,” which was The Clash’s first single (’77, #38 UK). From Last Gang in Town The Story and Myth of the Clash by Marcus Gray: “One of punk’s great concerns was the principle of Value for Money (VFM), a reaction to the inflated ticket prices charged by the rock’n’roll stars of the day. Just as entrance to gigs should be affordable, so singles should not have throwaway B-sides and albums should not contain tracks previously issued as singles. In keeping with this philosophy, the Clash had earmarked two of their most memorable rabble-rousers for their first single. Unfortunately, this threatened to diminish the impact of the album somewhat. They sidestepped this problem by deciding to include a different version of ‘White Riot’ on The Clash” (it is a remastered version of the 8-track remastered demo from the mid-January ‘77 Beaconsfield recordings).

I love this record so much and every song is tops but if I have to choose, my picks are “I’m So Bored with the USA,” “London’s Burning,” “Career Opportunities” and, of course, “White Riot.” One of my favorite moments ever was in 2019 when Joe and I went to London on a musical pilgrimage and recreated The Clash album cover at Camden Market.

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Skids “Scared to Dance”

sfilzen — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 19:11:21 +0000

Skids “Scared to Dance” 1979. The debut album from Scottish punks, Skids, who formed in ’77 (they put out a s/t EP in ’77). It skews rock/new wave on the punk spectrum. I wondered why they sounded so much like fellow Scots Big Country: soaring and anthemic guitar and vocals over a pounding, almost militaristic beat, and then realized that Skids co-founder/guitarist/singer Stuart Adamson started Big Country in ’81 after leaving Skids. The opener of Scared to Dance, “Into the Valley,” really highlights those sounds; it’s a great track and Skids first big hit, going to #10 in the UK. It also falls into the Scot stereotype of being totally unintelligible – so much so that it was hilariously used in a Maxell tape commercial with misprinted lyrics.

Other highlights on Scared to Dance include “The Saints Are Coming” which first charted in ’78 when it went to #48 in the UK when Skids released it as a single. U2 and Green Day covered “The Saints Are Coming” in 2006 at the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina and the sales of the recorded performance went to benefit Music Rising, a charity to help musicians affected by the hurricane. “The Saints Are Coming” continues to be played at home football games in New Orleans. A studio version of U2/Green Day’s version was also released in 2006 and it was nominated for a Grammy. I also really like the title track “Scared to Dance,” which is a great punk/new wave banger with abrupt tempo changes and a killer riff as well as “Calling the Tune” which is grinding, hypnotic and dark punctuated with that soaring, almost bagpipe-ish guitar sound that characterizes these Scots’ sound.

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Anti-Pasti “Anti-Pasti”

sfilzen — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 22:22:19 +0000

Anti-Pasti “Anti-Pasti” 1983. Rondelet Records. A compilation album of early 80’s UK punks Anti-Pasti’s EPs and singles, from ’80-’82. The sound is pretty bare-bones punk with a style that blends Clash beats and working class oi sensibility (though Anti-Pasti themselves were “anti-oi” and recorded their hit “Six Guns,” which went to #1 on the UK indie charts in ’81, as a response to the growing oi movement according to Allmusic). The single “Six Guns” along with its b-sides “Now’s the Time” and “Call the Army (I’m Alive)” appear on this comp and those are a couple of my favorite tracks…or more accurately I find those songs OK but not earth shattering. Also included on Anti-Pasti are two tracks from their debut EP Four Sore Points…(1980): “No Government” and “1980” as well as the singles “Let Them Free” (and its b-sides “Another Dead Soldier” and “Hell” from 1981) and “East to the West“/”Burn in Your Own Flames” (1982). One of my favorite tracks is the super-tight “The Last Call,” the title track from Anti-Pasti’s 1981 album The Last Call. This comp is in our “should it stay or should it go” pile. I do like a couple of the songs but I have no emotional connection to Anti-Pasti the way I do to some of their contemporaries (they toured with The Exploited in the UK and with Flipper, Naked Raygun and Dead Kennedys in the US) so I think this one has got to go.

Buy a Record

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The Ruts “The Crack”

sfilzen — Sun, 11 Apr 2021 20:44:49 +0000

The Ruts “The Crack” 1979. Today, April 11th, would have been The Ruts’ singer/guitarist Paul Fox’s 70th birthday (b. 1951, d. 2007). The Crack was the UK punk band’s debut album and hit #16 on the UK charts. Its most well-known song is the opening track “Babylon’s Burning” which went to #7 in the UK. “Something That I Said” is another popular punk single; it reached #29. The Ruts also released the anti-police brutality reggae-infused “Jah War” but it failed to chart. I also really like “You’re Just A” which has a blast of speed-metal and “Savage Circle” which is a punky funky ass-shaker. The Crack is really polished for a UK punk debut, and that’s not a criticism. The band clearly could play their instruments and enlisted outside musicians for the recording including sax, trumpet and synths (that would be on “It Was Cold” which does have a really dark new wave/post-punk vibe going on). The cover art of The Crack depicts the band members, plus other punks like Rat Scabies (The Damned), actors (Dudley Moore of all people) plus Jimi Hendrix because why not? I guess Henry Rollins owns the original painting (Rollins guest-performed with The Ruts just before Fox’s death in 2007).

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Sex Pistols “Live Worldwide”

sfilzen — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 16:33:20 +0000

Sex Pistols “Live Worldwide” 1985. A “semi-official” (which means also semi-bootleg) LP on Konexion Records. It’s not listed or clear when or where most of the tracks were recorded, though one source has the truly awful rendition of “Anarchy in the UK” from a John Lydon/PiL performance on Channel 4, “The Tube” on October 28th, 1983 (the backing music includes a saloon-style piano; the YouTube link descriptor calls it “Plinkerty Ponk Piano”). In fact, none of these songs were actually recorded by the Sex Pistols but rather by Lydon and his PiL backing band which at that moment included Arthur Stead on keyboards (I’m guessing he’s the one guilty of the saloon piano), Joseph Guida on guitar, Louis Bernardi on bass and Martin Atkins on drums. Atkins, on the same site that I found the recording information on, states about the band and these performances: “”I called them the ‘Holiday Inn band’, because it was like a Holiday Inn band! We were just supposed to do Japan, then it spiraled out of control a bit, and the next thing you know we’re on ‘The Tube’ on Channel 4 doing a version of ‘Anarchy in the UK’ on the piano like Chas and Dave! It was terrible.“ Besides “Anarchy,” Lydon and the band runs through “Pretty Vacant,” a tolerable version of “Submission,” “Problems,” and “God Save the Queen” among other classic Pistols songs. Semi-official/semi-bootleg or not, yet another piece of evidence in the “swindle.” God Save the Sex Pistols!

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