UK Import
This was an impulse buy a couple of weeks ago and I can't stop listening to it. As I told a friend, "This thing is scratchin’ me right where I itch." 98 songs across 4 CDs and I haven't even made a dent in the 68 page booklet. I won't bother going into detail about the Stiff label - if you're interested, just read their wikipedia page or their official website. Or you could check out this BBC documentary. I'm digging the whole irreverent D.I.Y. vibe here.
I've been introduced to a world of new music and artists (well, new to me, anyway). After a few listens, I've fallen in love with Rachel Sweet and Kirsty MacColl, two ladies with whom I was only marginally familiar previously. There's a wide variety of music here, from punk to ska to pop to New Wave to pub rock to reggae to novelty to mod to R&B. The variety makes for a more interesting top-to-bottom listen, for sure. Also, the Stiff roster has hosted some of the best band names, including Plummet Airlines, Roogalator, The Realists, Dirty Looks, Theatre of Hate, The Prisoners, The Enemy, The Deviants, The Tranzmitors, and my personal favorite, Eskimo Disco. A lot of these groups probably only had one good song in them, so a compilation like this is the best way to go.
Overall, a great box set. Recommended. I don't have the similar 1992 Rhino compilation, The Stiff Records Box Set, but if you've got it and want to discuss the differences, please leave a comment below. Would I have listened to most of this music in the late '70s? Probably not, but that doesn't really matter now. I'm not particularly digging all the newer 2007 stuff at the end of disc 4, but that's a small price to pay for the other 90+ retro tracks.
What I'll do for this box set is list each track (with a link if the track has previously appeared on the blog), let you know if I was previously familiar with the artist (yes, no, or kinda), and whether I like the track (✔) or not (✘). We go:
DISC ONE
25 tracks, 77 minutes 21 seconds
1976-78
25 tracks, 77 minutes 21 seconds
1976-78
| Artist | Title |
Familiar?
|
Like?
|
| Nick Lowe | Heart Of The City | Y | ✔ |
| The Pink Fairies | Between The Lines | N | ✔ |
| Roogalator | All Aboard | N | ✔ |
| Tyla Gang | Styrofoam | N | ✔ |
| Lew Lewis & His Band | Boogie On The Street | N | ✔ |
| The Damned | New Rose | K | ✘ |
| Plummet Airlines | Silver Shirt | N | ✘ |
| Motörhead | White Line Fever | Y | ✘ |
| The Damned | Neat Neat Neat | K | ✔ |
| Elvis Costello | Less Than Zero | Y | ✔ |
| Devo | (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction | Y | ✔ |
| Max Wall | England's Glory | N | ✘ |
| The Adverts | One Chord Wonders | N | ✘ |
| Nick Lowe | Marie Provost | Y | ✔ |
| Wreckless Eric | Whole Wide World | K | ✔ |
| Ian Dury | Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll | K | ✔ |
| The Damned | Problem Child | K | ✘ |
| The Yachts | Suffice To Say | N | ✔ |
| Larry Wallis | Police Car | N | ✔ |
| Mick Farren & The Deviants | Let's Loot The Supermarket Again Like We Did Last Summer | N | ✘ |
| Ian Dury & The Blockheads | Sweet Gene Vincent | K | ✘ |
| The Damned | One Way Love | K | ✔ |
| Wreckless Eric | Reconnez Cherie | K | ✘ |
| Jane Aire & The Belvederes | Yankee Wheels | N | ✔ |
| Ernie Graham | Romeo & The Lonely Girl | N | ✔ |
DISC TWO
26 tracks, 77 minutes 18 seconds
1978-80
26 tracks, 77 minutes 18 seconds
1978-80
| Artist | Title |
Familiar?
|
Like?
|
| The Members | Solitary Confinement | N | ✘ |
| Humphrey Ocean & The Hardy Animals | Whoops A Daisy | N | ✘ |
| The Realists | I've Got A Heart | N | ✔ |
| Jona Lewie | The Baby, She's On The Street | N | ✔ |
| Lene Lovich | I Think We're Alone Now | Y | ✔ |
| Devo | Be Stiff | Y | ✔ |
| Wreckless Eric | Take The Cash (K.A.S.H.) | K | ✔ |
| Mickey Jupp | Old Rock 'n' Roller | N | ✔ |
| Rachel Sweet | B.A.B.Y. | K | ✔✔ |
| Lene Lovich | Lucky Number | Y | ✔ |
| The Sports | Who Listens To The Radio? | N | ✔ |
| The Subs | Gimme Your Heart | N | ✔ |
| The Rumour | Frozen Years | N | ✔ |
| Rachel Sweet | I Go To Pieces | K | ✔ |
| Lene Lovich | Say When | Y | ✔ |
| Madness | One Step Beyond | Y | ✔ |
| Kirsty MacColl | You Caught Me Out | K | ✔ |
| Pointed Sticks | Out Of Luck | N | ✔ |
| Dirty Looks | Lie To Me | N | ✔ |
| Jona Lewie | You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties | N | ✘ |
| Any Trouble | Yesterday's Love | K | ✔ |
| The Plasmatics | Butcher Baby | Y | ✘ |
| The Go-Go's | We Got The Beat | Y | ✔ |
| Motor Boys Motor | Drive Friendly | N | ✘ |
| Desmond Dekker | Please Don't Bend | Y | ✔ |
| Joe "King" Carrasco & The Crowns | Buena | Y | ✘ |
DISC THREE
23 tracks, 75 minutes 36 seconds
1980-83
23 tracks, 75 minutes 36 seconds
1980-83
| Artist | Title |
Familiar?
|
Like?
|
| Any Trouble | Girls Are Always Right | K | ✔ |
| The Equators | Baby Come Back | N | ✔ |
| Nigel Dixon | Thunderbird | N | ✘ |
| Jona Lewie | Stop The Cavalry | N | ✔ |
| Dave Stewart & Colin Blunstone | What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted? | K | ✘ |
| Tenpole Tudor | Swords Of A Thousand Men | N | ✔ |
| Department S | Going Left Right | N | ✔ |
| Theatre of Hate | Do You Believe in The Westworld? | N | ✘ |
| Tenpole Tudor | Wunderbar | N | ✘ |
| Alvin Stardust | Pretend | N | ✔ |
| Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin | It's My Party | K | ✔ |
| Billy Bremner | Loud Music In Cars | K | ✔ |
| The Dancing Did | The Lost Platoon | N | ✘ |
| Electric Guitars | Language Problems | N | ✔ |
| Brigit Novik & M | Danube | K | ✘ |
| The Belle Stars | The Clapping Song | Y | ✘ |
| Via Vagabond | Who Likes Jazz? | N | ✘ |
| The Belle Stars | Sign Of The Times | Y | ✔ |
| Tracey Ullman | Breakaway | Y | ✔ |
| Yello | I Love You | Y | ✔ |
| Eddie 'Tenpole' Tudor | The Hayrick Song | N | ✘ |
| Passion Puppets | Like Dust | N | ✘ |
| Tracey Ullman | They Don't Know | Y | ✔ |
DISC FOUR
24 tracks, 79 minutes 30 seconds
1983-2007
24 tracks, 79 minutes 30 seconds
1983-2007
| Artist | Title |
Familiar?
|
Like?
|
| Kirsty MacColl | Terry | K | ✔ |
| The Inspirational Choir Of The Pentecostal First Born Church Of The Living God | Pick Me Up | N | ✔ |
| Tracey Ullman | Move Over Darling | Y | ✔ |
| The Pogues | Dark Streets Of London | Y | ✘ |
| Kirsty MacColl | A New England | K | ✔ |
| The Pogues | A Pair Of Brown Eyes | Y | ✘ |
| The Untouchables | Free Yourself | Y | ✔ |
| Makin' Time | Here Is My Number | N | ✔ |
| The Untouchables | I Spy (For The FBI) | Y | ✔ |
| The Pogues | Dirty Old Town | Y | ✘ |
| Ruefrex | The Wild Colonial Boy | N | ✔ |
| Andy White | Religious Persuasion | N | ✘ |
| The Mint Juleps | Only Love Can Break Your Heart | N | ✔ |
| Furniture | Brilliant Mind | N | ✔ |
| Dr. Feelgood | Don't Wait Up | N | ✘ |
| Tommy Chase | Killer Joe (Right Cross) | N | ✔ |
| The Prisoners | Whenever I'm Gone | N | ✔ |
| The Pogues feat. The Dubliners | The Irish Rover | Y | ✘ |
| The Enemy | Dancin' All Night | N | ✘ |
| Eskimo Disco | What Is Woman? | N | ✘ |
| The Producers | Barking Up The Right Tree | Y | ✔ |
| The Tranzmitors | Broken Homes | N | ✘ |
| Any Trouble | That Sound | K | ✔ |
| Ronald Reagan | The Wit & Wisdom Of Ronald Reagan (Extract) | Y | ✔ |
Blog post #950
