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Wednesday 22 June 2011

Buzzcocks - A different compilation

What do you do when a band that you have been a firm fan of for more years than you care to admit throw themselves forward to be considered as recipients for the most pointless release of the year award?
The first option is to just to pretend that you haven't picked up on them releasing anything.
It's called the 'Cut the Crap' option.
Ask Clash fans about it and they will tell you they don't know what you're talking about, but there will be an evasive look in their eye that will tell you a story.
The second option is to quickly mumble an excuse along the lines of you know that it's not really worth picking up, but it's probably just been released to fulfil some contractual obligation.
That's called the 'Metal Machine Music' option.
The third option is just to be brutally honest.
So here I am in a quandary.
Is it really worth making any excuses for this?
Should I make an attempt to justify this compilation being released?
Does the fact that the songs are new recordings make it any more worthwhile a release than just a straight compilation from their back catalogue?
The bottom line is that I don't hate it, but I'm struggling to wrap my head around why it even exists.
I have everything on it.
Most, if not all, Buzzcocks fans will have everything on it.
The most positive I can be about it is to say that they've captured the energy of the band.
At times it sounds like a live recording, but if I want to hear Shelley, Diggle and co live then I'll buy a ticket and bop about down the front with the best of them.
Would it be too harsh to say that this is the sort of album that forty something men will buy from Tescos or Asda to keep in the car with the strict rule that it will only ever get an airing when their wife isn't occupying the passenger seat?
Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh. It's a good mix of the best of the band and the songs are played well, but.......there will always be a but hanging over it.

5 comments:

  1. i am lucky my mrs loves punk so i get to play all the time :)

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  2. It is actually the perfect album for the car. Clarkson would probably fuckin' love it.

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  3. good luck to 'em- hope they make some money off of it - maybe they were being screwed by their original labels and this was the only way to make some cash? but... I'll pass... my many other releases, re-releases, live albums etc will not be improved by the addition of one more.

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  4. They could be doing it to give the current bassist and drummer a wedge.
    When it comes to the financial side of it I don't begrudge the band a penny, but I would much rather splash the cash on a full album of original material.

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