Buzzcocks "Spiral Scratch" Mute Corporation 9122-2 2000 (10:11)
Breakdown
(1:58)
Time's
Up (3:07)
Boredom (2:51)
Friends of Mine (2:15)
Buzzcocks "Time's Up" Mute Corporation 9121-2 2000 (28:05)
You Tear Me Up (2:40)
Breakdown (2:09)
Friends of Mine (2:23)
Orgasm Addict (2:14)
Boredom (3:06)
Time's Up (3:18)
Lester Sands (Drop in the Ocean) (2:34)
Love Battery (2:25)
I
Can't Control Myself (3:12)
I Love You, You Big Dummy (1:24)
Don't Mess Me 'Round (2:40)
Howard Devoto - vocals, Pete Shelley - starway guitar, Steve Diggle - bass, John Maher - drums
The Buzzcocks formed in the summer of 1976 ... the big bang of UK punk. In October they spent less than a hundred pounds for half an hour of studio time to record the "Spiral Scratch" EP, the first independent, do-it-yourself, self released UK punk record. The 4 songs that make up the EP ("Breakdown", "Time's Up", "Boredom" and "Friends of Mine") were done live in the studio, most in 1 take, each with a single guitar overdub. They're exactly what you'd expect from the early days of punk ... simple, cynical, sarcastic, catchy, brief and explosive. Howard Devoto's lyrics are more personal than political, delivered in a nasally whine over the tight and talented (in punk terms) rhythm section of Pete Shelley, Steve Diggle and John Maher. The Devoto fronted Buzzcocks is the definitive line-up as far as I'm concerned. The album that followed, "Time's Up", has slower, less abrasive versions of the 4 EP songs plus 7 more songs including the classics "Orgasm Addict" and "I Love You, You Big Dummy". If you're a fan of any early UK punk (such as the Sex Pistols, The Damned, The Clash, etc) these two discs are just as essential as "Never Mind..", "Damned, Damned, Damned" and "The Clash". Kudos to Mute for giving a shit about the past and re-issuing them ... this is really important stuff for historically minded musical aficionados such as myself and gives others a chance to discover this amazing, vital music. The "Time's Up" disc also includes the "Breakdown" video with footage from the first gig and both discs have really nice inserts chock full of pictures (most from Devoto's personal collection and previously unseen), liner notes, interviews and lyrics. My only complaint: why 2 discs? The EP is a whopping 10 minutes and the album less than 30, so why didn't they just put it all on 1? Oh well, both were reasonably priced. Thanks again Mute ...
Where did I get this cd? - mail order via CD World.