Album Review: Various Artists – 1977 The year that punk broke


New 3 CD Punk Box Set from Cherry Red the perfect introduction if you ever needed one.

There has been some very good Punk box sets in recent years, and although Cherry Red have produced a few of them, this one far exceed the others in terms of quality and quantity of the better releases of 1977. This album is a really fun listen and although it has a few obvious moments it`s never dull from the moment you kick into the first CD.

I mean it starts with The Buzzcocks, and rightly so Boredom from the Spiral scratch EP may have not been the first UK punk release but It launched the way for DIY punk and its labels of which there are many contained within this set.

The Stranglers, The Damned, The Jam, all emerge on CD 1, but tracks from bands like The Rings, The Models, The Killjoys and even Motorhead by Motorhead show the diversity of what was branded punk back then.

And there`s the bands that had some chart success; Wreckless Eric, Boomtown Rats ,Generation X, TRB and 999 all getting a look in on disc 2 along with The Drones and Slaughter and The Dogs among the not so obvious.

Things don’t really let up for CD 3 this is where many of these sets fall down with filler, but here we have ATV, John Coper Clarke, Eddie and The Hot Rods, Chelsea, Swell Maps and many more.

Of course there are a few more obscure gems in here but ive not had so much fun listening to a box set for ages, and with it you get a 15000 word booklet with notes and band biographies by David Wells.

It really is a treat and at £17.99 you cant go wrong.

Track Listing

DISC ONE
1. BOREDOM – Buzzcocks
2. LONDON LADY – The Stranglers
3. GATECRASHER – The Gorillas
4. NEAT NEAT NEAT – The Damned
5. CAPALDI’S CAFÉ – Deaf School
6. BAD TIME – The Vibrators
7. I DON’T CARE – The Boys
8. AWAY FROM THE NUMBERS – The Jam
9. BORN TO LOSE – The Heartbreakers
10. THINKIN’ OF THE U.S.A. – Eater
11. ON THE EDGE – The Outsiders
12. SICK OF YOU – The Users
13. YOU REALLY GOT ME – Chartreuse
14. I WANNA BE FREE – The Rings
15. MAN OF THE YEAR – Models
16. PETER AND THE PETS – The Only Ones
17. MOTORHEAD – Motorhead
18. MONY MONY – Celia And The Mutations
19. RUNNIN’ RIOT – Cock Sparrer
20. I NEED YOU – The Count Bishops
21. LET’S GO – Blitzkrieg Bop
22. NAIVE – The Killjoys
23. INCENDIARY DEVICE – Johnny Moped
24. I WANNA BE YOUR MAN – The Rezillos
25. NO RUSSIANS IN RUSSIA – Radio Stars
26. FASCIST PIGS – The Nosebleeds
27. JUBILEE ’77 – The Exile

DISC TWO
1. LOOKIN’ AFTER NO. 1- The Boomtown Rats
2. WHOLE WIDE WORLD – Wreckless Eric
3. I CAN’T COME – The Snivelling Shits
4. WHERE HAVE ALL THE BOOT BOYS GONE – Slaughter & The Dogs
5. FOR ADOLFS ONLY – The Valves
6. BULLETIN – Doctors Of Madness
7. DAY BY DAY – Generation X
8. TELEVISION VIEWER – The Vacants
9. KILL – Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias
10. YOU CAN’T ROCK AND ROLL (IN A COUNCIL FLAT) – Puncture
11. ENEMIES – Radiators From Space
12. JUST WANT TO BE MYSELF (7” Version) – The Drones
13. RED LONDON – Sham 69
14. DERANGED DEMENTED AND FREE – P.V.C.2
15. OH BONDAGE UP YOURS! – X-Ray Spex
16. 2-4-6-8 MOTORWAY – Tom Robinson Band
17. NASTY, NASTY – 999
18. ROCKWROK – Ultravox!
19. FAMILY PLANNING – The Depressions
20. RADIO FUN – Zeros
21. POOL HALL PUNKS – Tyla Gang
22. KLEAN LIVING KIDS – The Stukas
23. FREAK SHOW – The Lurkers
24. HOLD MY HAND – Jerks
25. BLEAK OUTLOOK – The Unwanted
26. BLOOD ON THE WALL – Some Chicken
27. INSANE SOCIETY – Menace
28. DRAB CITY – The Features
29. BACK TO THE WALL – Spider
30. JUST ANOTHER TEENAGE ANTHEM – New Hearts
31. (YOU KEEP ON TELLIN’ ME) LIES – The PleasersDISC THREE
1. INNOCENTS – John Cooper Clarke
2. HOW MUCH LONGER – Alternative TV
3. SHE MADE MAGIC – The Wasps
4. REGULATIONS – Neon Hearts
5. NEW YORK SHUFFLE – Graham Parker & The Rumour
6. TRASH – The Doll
7. AIN’T NO LEGEND – Maniacs
8. IN MY LOVE FOR YOU – Satan’s Rats
9. POLICE CAR – Larry Wallis
10. QUIT THIS TOWN – Eddie & The Hot Rods
11. DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS – The Now
12. HIGH RISE LIVING – Chelsea
13. ARABS IN ‘ARRODS – Art Attacks
14. PRIORITIES – Trash
15. DYNAMO – The Method
16. NAIVE – Public Zone
17. JAILBAIT – Left Hand Drive
18. RIPPED AND TORN – Swell Maps
19. I CAN SEE YOU – Acme Sewage Co.
20. FIRST MISTAKE – The Rats
21. NATTY PUNKO – Brainiac Five
22. DEFIANT POSE – The Cortinas
23. HELP I’M TRAPPED – The Carpettes
24. TELL ME THE TRUTH (Live At The Vortex) – NEO
25. RAPED – Raped
26. FLIES – Fruit Eating Bears
27. RU12 – Hobbies Of Today
28. LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE – Drug Squad
29. I’M A PUNK – Norman And The Hooligans

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