2 comments about Threesome No. 1.

1. In an alternative reality, groups such as Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and the Velvet Underground would have received radio airplay while the likes of Three Dog Night and the Carpenters would have remained in relative obscurity. But we live in the real world and, although I was young and alive in '67-'68 when these albums were released, Frank Zappa was a name I never heard until several years later, when I purchased their rather salacious "Live at the Fillmore East". But it was just this year, 2002, sickened by the mediocrity of the current music scene and still trying to find something new to listen to, that I experienced these classic sides. Then, all this that was old suddenly became new, because it was new to me.

   The diversity of Zappa's musical language is nothing short of astounding. Everything but the kitchen sink is in these CD's. The initial offering, "Freak Out", has a few songs on it that are almost but just not quite commercial enough for the climate of the Summer of Love. Zappa is, of course, the supreme rock satirist, but the song "Trouble Every Day" is fairly straightforward social commentary set to a garage-band vibe that wouldn't sound out of place on a "Nuggets" compilation. On the other hand, "Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" is an experimental tour-de-force that goes places rock music had not ventured prior to that time. The follow-up album, "Absolutely Free", has its moments as well, but all that is just preperatory for the ultimate Zappa masterpiece "We're Only In It for the Money." A devastating satire on hippie culture, while at the same time lampooning "straight" society, it belongs on any list of top rock albums you would care to enumerate. Listen, laugh, and marvel.




2. I recommend this 3cd set to anyone interested in hearing what Frank was like/about back in the early days. Freak Out! is my favorite of the 3, but all of them are good. A good intro to early Frank and The Mothers.

1 comments about Sound + Vision.

1. This is the Canadian Box Set that is so rare and hard to find. Containing 49 songs from 1969 to 1980, there are great cuts, rare B-sides, live recordings, unreleased singles and previously unreleased material. The box itself is a 12" X 12" standard with a 3-D see-through cover and also contains a lengthy booklet with history, notes, and rare photographs. The fourth disc is a CD-ROM with a fun interactive version of "Ashes To Ashes" with a "make your own video" program for the song, "Black Tie White Noise".

   Disc 1 contains unreleased versions of, "Space Oddity (Demo)", "London Bye Ta-Ta", rare B-sides, "Wild Eye Boy From Freecloud", "Round & Round" and cuts from "The Man Who Sold The World", "Hunky Dory", "Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust", "Aladdin Sane" and "Ziggy Stardust: The Movie".

   Disc 2 contains unreleased versions of, "1984/Dodo", "After Today", "It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City", cuts from "Pin-Ups", "Diamond Dogs", "David Live", "Young Americans" and "Station To Station".

   Disc 3 contains the German version of "Heroes" ("Helden"-worth the set alone) and cuts from "Low", "Heroes", "Live From Stage", "Lodger" and "Scary Monsters".

   The cuts are all some of Bowie's best and some never made it to single status. This is a really great find for fans and collectors.

2 comments about Race Against Time: The Clay Years.

1. Like the title says, unless you're a die hard GBH fan, this is pretty much all the GBH you need. The way I describe GBH to people is "chainsaw punk." Back in junior high I used to sit in class with my headphones and listen to GBH for 30 minutes straight. To me they sounded like chainsaws and after I'd take the headphones off, I could still hear the sawing in my head for a few minutes. Pure bliss for a 14 year old sitting in spanish class.



2. Simply an awesome collection of the raw, underproduced music that defined a slice of generation that helped guide what PUNK rock is all about. Not for Wankers!! Cheers to one of the GREAT ones!

1 comments about The Big Stiff Box Set.

1. Heart Of The City -Nick Lowe 1 of 25 1 of 4
   Between The Lines -Pink Fairies 2 of 25 1 of 4
   All Aboard -Roogalator 3 of 25 1 of 4
   Styrofoam -Tyla Gang 4 of 25 1 of 4
   Boogie On The Street -Lew Lewis & His Band 5 of 25 1 of 4
   New Rose -Damned 6 of 25 1 of 4
   Silver Shirt -Plummet Airlines 7 of 25 1 of 4
   White Line Fever -Motörhead 8 of 25 1 of 4
   Neat Neat Neat -Damned 9 of 25 1 of 4
   Less Than Zero -Elvis Costello 10 of 25 1 of 4
   (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction -Devo 11 of 25 1 of 4
   England's Glory -Max Wall 12 of 25 1 of 4
   One Chord Wonders -Adverts 13 of 25 1 of 4
   Marie Provost -Nick Lowe 14 of 25 1 of 4
   Whole Wide World -Wreckless Eric 15 of 25 1 of 4
   Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll -Ian Dury & the Blockheads 16 of 25 1 of 4
   Problem Child -Damned 17 of 25 1 of 4
   Suffice To Say -Yatch 18 of 25 1 of 4
   Police Car -Larry Wallis 19 of 25 1 of 4
   Let's Loot The Supermarket Again Like We Did Last Summer -Mick Farren & the Deviants 20 of 25 1 of 4
   Sweet Gene Vincent -Ian Dury & the Blockheads 21 of 25 1 of 4
   One Way Love -Damned 22 of 25 1 of 4
   Reconnez Cherie -Wreckless Eric 23 of 25 1 of 4
   Yankee Wheels -Jane Aire & the Belvederes 24 of 25 1 of 4
   Romeo & The Lonely Girl -Ernie Graham 25 of 25 1 of 4
   Solitary Confinement -Members 1 of 26 2 of 4
   Whoops A Daisy -Humphrey Ocean & the Hardy Annuals 2 of 26 2 of 4
   I've Got A Heart -Realists 3 of 26 2 of 4
   The Baby, She's On The Street -Jona Lewie 4 of 26 2 of 4
   I Think We're Alone Now -Lene Lovich 5 of 26 2 of 4
   Be Stiff -Devo 6 of 26 2 of 4
   Take The Cash (K.A.S.H.) -Wreckless Eric 7 of 26 2 of 4
   Old Rock 'n' Roller -Mickey Jupp 8 of 26 2 of 4
   B.A.B.Y. -Rachel Sweet 9 of 26 2 of 4
   Lucky Number -Lene Lovich 10 of 26 2 of 4
   Who Listens To The Radio? -The Sports 11 of 26 2 of 4
   Gimme Your Heart -Subs 12 of 26 2 of 4
   Frozen Years -Rumour 13 of 26 2 of 4
   I Go To Pieces -Rachel Sweet 14 of 26 2 of 4
   Say When -Lene Lovich 15 of 26 2 of 4
   One Step Beyond -Madness 16 of 26 2 of 4
   You Caught Me Out -Kirsty MacColl 17 of 26 2 of 4
   Out Of Luck -Pointed Sticks 18 of 26 2 of 4
   Lie To Me -Dirty Looks 19 of 26 2 of 4
   You'll Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties -Jona Lewie 20 of 26 2 of 4
   Yesterday's Love -Any Trouble 21 of 26 2 of 4
   Butcher Baby -Plasmatics 22 of 26 2 of 4
   We Got The Beat -Go-Gos 23 of 26 2 of 4
   Drive Friendly -Motor Boys Motor 24 of 26 2 of 4
   Please Don't Bend -Desmond Dekker 25 of 26 2 of 4
   Buena -Joe King Carrasco & the Crowns 26 of 26 2 of 4
   Girls Are Always Right -Any Trouble 1 of 23 3 of 4
   Baby Come Back -Equators 2 of 23 3 of 4
   Thunderbird -Nigel Dixon 3 of 23 3 of 4
   Stop The Cavalry -Jona Lewie 4 of 23 3 of 4
   What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted -Colin Blunstone & Dave Stewart 5 of 23 3 of 4
   Swords Of A Thousand Men -Tenpole Tudor 6 of 23 3 of 4
   Going Left Right -Department S 7 of 23 3 of 4
   Do You Believe In The Westworld -Theatre Of Hate 8 of 23 3 of 4
   Wunderbar -Tenpole Tudor 9 of 23 3 of 4
   Pretend -Alvin Stardust 10 of 23 3 of 4
   It's My Party -Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin 11 of 23 3 of 4
   Loud Music In Cars -Billy Bremner 12 of 23 3 of 4
   Lost Platoon -Dancing Did 13 of 23 3 of 4
   Language Problems -Electric Guitars 14 of 23 3 of 4
   Danube -Bridget Novik & M 15 of 23 3 of 4
   Clapping Song -Belle Stars 16 of 23 3 of 4
   Who Likes Jazz -Via Vagabond 17 of 23 3 of 4
   Sign Of The Times -Belle Stars 18 of 23 3 of 4
   Breakaway -Tracey Ullman 19 of 23 3 of 4
   I Love You -Yello 20 of 23 3 of 4
   Hayrick Song -Eddie Tenpole Tudor 21 of 23 3 of 4
   Like Dust -Passion Puppets 22 of 23 3 of 4
   They Don't Know -Tracey Ullman 23 of 23 3 of 4
   Terry -Kirsty MacColl 1 of 24 4 of 4
   Pick Me Up -Inspirational Choir Of the Pentecostal First-Born Church Of the Living God 2 of 24 4 of 4
   Move Over Darling -Tracey Ullman 3 of 24 4 of 4
   Dark Streets Of London -Pogues 4 of 24 4 of 4
   A New England -Kirsty MacColl
   Pair Of Brown Eyes -Pogues
   Free Yourself -Untouchables
   Here Is My Number -Makin' Time
   I Spy (For The FBI) -Untouchables
   Dirty Old Town -Pogues
   The Wild Colonial Boy -Ruefrex
   Religious Persuasion -Andy White
   Only Love Can Break Your Heart -Mint Juleps
   Brilliant Mind -Furniture
   Don't Wait Up -Dr. Feelgood
   Killer Joe (Right Cross) -Tommy Chase
   Whenever I'm Gone -Prisoners
   Irish Rover -Pogues & Dubliners
   Dancin' All Night -Enemy
   What Is Woman -Eskimo Disco
   Barking Up The Right Tree -Producers
   Broken Houses -Tranzmitors
   That Sound -Any Trouble
   Wit And The Wisdom Of Ronald Reagan (Extract). -Ronald Reagan

1 comments about New York in the 1960's.

1. There is little to add to an appraisal of this compendium that Brian Duguid hadn't already said, in his glowing 2001 Wire review of the original three separate CDs included in this (actual wooden) box set. But here goes...
   
   Originality, as a concept, as an example, is borne out by precious few cultural artifacts. The aggressive experimentalism demonstrated by Cale and his peers is without precedent in rock and roll. It is no exaggeration to state that Cale, in these works assimilated and digested all the disparate sources of prior inspiration and influence--European symphonic tradition, serialism, Indian classical raga, American pop and blues, as well as Cageian modernism--and formulated them into stunning new realizations of what pop music could be.
   
   No one outside of this small enclave was making sounds like this, in any genre anywhere else, and no one would until years later. Certain distant echoes surface: Alan Watts's 1962 "This Is It" from California, long called the first psychedlic record, is intriguing but not terribly similar and lacking Cale's feral drive and epic sensibility. Obviously many others were active in experimental jazz and classical forms, but shut off by choice from the world of rock and roll, and cloistered away from pop culture entirely.
   
   These private recordings reflect an inner soundworld of such depth and richness they offer a completely new framework for hearing. One's approach to music is affected irrevocably. The notion of intense listening commences here--with Cale and the contributions of MacLise, Conrad, Jennings and others. After 45 years, the tapes of "Stainless Steel Gamelan" (a four-handed hammering/arpeggio of an electric guitar) or "Hot Scoria" (an enveloping, frenzied wash of sound) invite awe. The keyboard drones of "Sun Blindness Music" and "The Second Fortress" retain a mesmerizing quality of both the ancient past and distant future. Surely among Cale's best work.

5 comments about The Complete Studio Recordings.

1. Got this for my son for Christmas, and it got here on time, he loved it !!! Thanks



2. I saw the Doors with Jim twice live. No other group gives me such a visceral reaction as this band. I have every legal recording of the Doors music in duplicate. I also went to visit Jim's grave in Paris. I love the Doors.
   In my opinion, this is the definitive set to have. The remastering is vibrant and rejuvenates the music. The packaging (cd sized original lp jackets with original inner sleeves) has allowed me to store my old lps for safe keeping. Talk about "desert island records"... get a second copy "for the road".



3. I've been an admirer of The Doors' hit songs for as long as I can remember. Most of the songs are very catchy if you're not careful, particularly "Light My Fire". The vocals of Jim Morrison will always live on in the minds of Doors fans. I've always been impressed by some of the songs Morrison sang that sounded very touching since he lived in a world of drama during his short life. The last song he recorded with the band, "Riders of the Storm" ended with his voice fading away in the storm as if he was sadly saying good-bye. As I repeatedly listened to the end of that song, I realized right there he was on his way toward the world of immortality.



4. Contains all the Doors great albums, plus a rarities disc, whatever you could want in a Doors box is here!! Get the LIVE Box aswell!!



5. What's particularly noteworthy about this remixed box set is not only the much improved audio (for the best example of this, in my opinion, check out the intro to the remixed "Riders On The Storm") but the revelation of some of Morrison's previously censored lyrics.

   For example, in "Break On Through To The Other Side," instead of Morrison singing "She gets . . . she gets . . . she gets . . ." as in the original version I've heard a million times, he now sings "She gets HIGH, she gets HIGH, she gets HIGH," and the manner in which Morrison unexpectedly _screams_ "high" creates a strange new effect, so that the song really gains something through remixing.

   Also, in the digital remix of "The End," you can now _clearly_ hear Morrison's repeated use of the "F" word during the song's climax, just as you can hear it in the "Apocalypse Now" soundtrack; it's not buried under the music like on the original album.

   There seem to be three or four Doors "best of" CDs out there, but if you have to get one repackaged collection, this should be it!

5 comments about The Stiff Records Box Set.

1. Look over the list of artists on the CD, the ones you recognize - go out and buy all their CD's. While STIFF was great in the late 1970's as the conveyor of UK/Euro indie music - most of the best artists moved on - what's left is an interesting time capsule of that the last 70's and very early 80's. There is reason Humphrey Ocean & the Hardy Annuals or Mick Farren are forgotten. At the time, they were loud and brash and a nice antidote to the soft rock era of the 1970's but from that emerged Costello, Nick Lowe, and hundreds of artists you can name & remember ... and of course, leaving most of these guys & women behind ... so if you're a completist collector, you'll want these tracks but for listening beyond the names you recognize? Not so much. They are pretty much out-dated minor league stuff and the sound quality is not that great here so for a lot of reasons, you're better buying artist specific CD's or a more accessible collection of pre-new wave tracks that contain the "one-hit" wonder tracks anyway.



2. Disc 1 & 2 are the whole reason to buy this, with a few cuts from disc 3 thrown in as a bonus. Probably more economical to have your old 45 RPM versions converted to CD (and keep those goofy quips engraved in each record's blank space next to the label).



3. Stiff is one of those wacky labels that always seemed to sneak by just under the pop radar.

   I received this set as a gift a few years ago, and couldn't be happier about it. This collection is so full of unknown bits of whimsy and little-known cuts by more popular artist that it starts to become more of a treasure chest than a "best of."

   Ian Drury of "Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll" fame appears as vocals on several other cuts including "Kitchen at Parties." This collection is full of simmilar fun little nuggets.

   So much of the "alternative" music scene that was largely contained by British borders seems to be archived here, and it's fun to tap into it. Americans (such as myself) who always thought that the band Madness was largely a one hit wonder will be surprised by the spastic "Baggy Trousers," a song I enjoyed so much I have purchased several Madness CDs since hearing it.

   While Elvis Costello originally got his start on Stiff, he has only one song here - probably a god thing, as we all have a good idea what he sounds like - leaving more room for the lesser known artists of Stiff.

   There is a charming wackiness to this collection and to the whole Stiff attitude. This is a great collection for exploring what the Brits were doing while we tollerated Dexy's Midnight Runners.

   Oh! Special bonus: There is a fabulous (FABULOUS) cut of Desmond Dekker's "Isrealites" on disc three. This along merits purchasing this set.




4. Strange...I remember trying to search for this boxed set earlier in the year and coming up with nil for my efforts. Then, after accidentally finding it in a New York record store and acquiring it right away, I find it on here. Must be my mind playing tricks on me.

   In any case, I'm not old enough to have lived through the era from which these songs sprung, but the appeal of the music easily traverses the generation gap. I haven't even yet explored all of this set and it's already been some of the most fun listening experiences I've had while listening to "older music": Elvis Costello, The Belle Stars, Nick Lowe, Kirsty MacColl...and personal favourite, spunky popster Rachel Sweet. Vivacious and highly entertaining. My only complaint is that the liner notes are somewhat flimsy. Though full of the kind of tongue-in-cheek humour that, apparently, Stiff Records was famous for, the result of the non-journalistic approach is that there's very little real information on the music, the history, the label, and the context, hidden by the cheeky writing and witticisms. I for one would've liked some more detached, professional journalism to inform me of the significance of this music such as in that Amplifier article I had read (which led me to look for this boxed set in the first place). So on the packaging front, much is left to be desired. But the music is uniquely appealing, a world of its own.




5. I was in my teens when this kind of music was played on the radio , I lived in ex Yugoslavia and I was reading a lot about the new wave and all those stuff i England. I loved those groups but I never actually had a chance to listen all those recors ( I Lived in ex Yugoslavia for Gud`s sake ) , now I lived in Sweden and have money to buy records but I am not 13 , 14 , 15 years old anymore and the music doesn`t mean EVERYTHING to me. This box remaind me what music can do with your life and how it is to be 17 again . By this one , no metter how old you are , this is history.

5 comments about Singles.

1. All great singles but the perfect box set would be including a copy of all of Nirvanas's singles as follows:
   1.Love Buzz (Bleach)
   2.Blew (Bleach)
   3.Molly's Lips
   4.Sliver
   5.Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nevermind)
   6.Come As You Are( Nevermind)
   7.Lithium (Nevermind)
   8.In Bloom (Nevermind)
   9.Oh, the Guilt
   10.Heart-Shaped Box (In Utero)
   11.All Apologies (In Utero)
   12.Pennyroyal Tea (In Utero)
   13.About A Girl (Unplugged In New York)
   
   All of the above were singles once comercially available to buy in the shops. I know it only supposed to be singles from 'Nevermind' and 'In Utero' albums but the third single from 'In Utero', 'Pennyroyal Tea' was not even included. Those which havn't been included are the ones most people want as a result you have to pay rediculous prices for them because they are no longer made and have become very rare. For example you can now expect to pay no less than £500.00 for a copy of the Pennyroyal Tea or Love Buzz singles, high demand, no supply. This could have been avoided if included on the Box.



2. First off for that money you can buy all of the major releases and pick up most of the rest of the material on a well-crafted bootleg. The only song that has been difficult to track down is the awesome demo version of "Aneurysm" on the Teen Spirit single, which they are now releasing on the new box set. The single set is almost as bad an example of branding and repackaging as Nirvana's 2002 album aptly titled...Nirvana; Kurt is spinning in his grave. Maybe if they included ALL of the singles it would be a better gem, but save your money for the new box set, kids. I've seen the track list and it shot up to number one on my Christmas list. By the way Kurt didn't kill himself, so bugger off with all the selfish talk. 'Who did?' you may ask...I don't know, but I think Courtney does. Peace.



3. Well, I know a few people do, because there were a few reviews here, but it has a mere 45,000-something sales rank. In comparison to Neverminds 500-something after 13 years then thats pretty bad. Even Incesticide and Bleach have better sales-ranks...and those didn't even go platinum, well actually Incesticide eventually did.
   Okay, more people should know about this besides Nirvana die-hards, its a very good compilation...but it ISNT great. The reason why this isn't great is, alongside the very high price of $60+ this also has only six singles. I know all the singles are awesome but in total Nirvana made approximately nine singles from Bleach, Nevermind, Incesticide, In Utero and Unplugged. Only the singles off of Nevermind and In Utero appear here. The singles that are missing are 'Love Buzz' (off Bleach, buy it at most Nirvana fansites), 'Sliver' (off Incesticide', buy it at almost all Nirvana fansites) and 'About a Girl' (off Unplugged, buy it at a store near you). These are not the most important singles but they still belong in the box set.
   Right, now with that out of the way I can focus on the qualities of the box set. Well for one all of the popular singles are here, they are 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Come as You Are', 'Lithium', 'In Bloom', 'Heart-Shaped Box' and 'Rape Me/All Apologies'. Another thing is that almost every song here is good. That includes even the b-sides, especially on the In Utero singles. If you dont have $60 you can always buy this for about $30 or even less on ebay. And another thing, you have to respect Nirvana for single-handedly destroying horrendous pop bands like Bon Jovi and Poison and bringing other great bands to the mainstream like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam (Alice in Chains too).
   Even if you hate the crap-punk and the nu-hell metal (much like I do) thats out today then remember: IT WASNT NIRVANAS FAULT! IT WAS KORN AND BLINK 182, WHO SUCK! Just keep in mind that this is for die-hards ONLY, unless you love Nirvana then you will just say to yourself "this wasn't worth $60+". But I still love this as I am a die-hard.



4. Kurt Cobain rocks he is the best rock musician in history.



5. Trust me i know what i'm talking about.
   Reasons NOT to buy this box:
   You can buy most of the singles in this box off amazon for about 7$
   This box is missing 3 singles that come to mind. Sliver, With a dive (live) b-side, (it's annoying to go get this) Pennyroyal Tea (because this is not in this box it has gone out of production so the price for this has risen dramatically, on ebay you may find it for 20 US dollars if you're lucky. This includes the I hat myself and i want to die demo)
   And the Jesus Lizard split single Oh the guilt (nirvana) and Puss (Jesus Lizard). Oh the guilt reached #9 on the UK charts, and now. you have to buy it seperatly from all the other hits.
   And that the new box With the lights out is coming out, and will have the b-sides (probably) and more stuff.
   Reasons TO buy this box:
   None come to mind besides the fact that according to me every song on here is great. The b-sides include some masterpieces of Nirvana's work. If you're not after the b-sides, go buy the greatest hits, and get the singles on one album and more.

2 comments about Goth Anthology: Underground Anthems from Rock's Dark Side.

1. A disappointing colletion of mostly b-side tunes. Pretty In Pink as a goth anthem??? This set is NOT worth buying. I strongly recommend Goth Industrial Club Anthems released by Cleopatra instead.



2. This Compilation is a very resemblence of Goth II "04". It brings out the very essence of Goth. I liked it alot. Song number 4 is really good. Overall I would give it a 4out of 6 stars.

5 comments about Product.

1. I find myself torn with this collection. It is great to have all of these albums and singles collected in one nice concise package. But why was this set not remastered along with the rest of their stuff in 2001? So if one wants the better mastering, one has to rebuy these albums individually. ADKOT goes for $50 used! EMI, please remaster this box set!



2. Even though I had all of their albums, I bought this--when it came out in 1989 in a big 12" size; now it's a CD-size--for the CD quality, and especially the added Live at the Lyceum 8 tracks and the Parts 1-3 e.p. The booklet may suffer in its reduction to CD package size, but it's well-written, and, of course, excellently illustrated with a sidebar about the integrated artwork and adverts that were conceived as part of the Buzzcocks' campaign. You'd expect no less from Shelley and pals, with him influenced by art school and tech education both. It all looks and often sounds so raw by our standards nearly thirty years on, but this appealing combination of savvy and awkwardness is the foundation of all that the band was, sonically, lyrically, financially, and visually. With the later release of an expanded bootleg Time's Up with the Spiral Scratch ep in 2000, that and this are pretty much the nearly complete works, with the exception of radio sessions and the inevitable slew of live concert tapes.
   
   While the later work did, as the notes certainly explain, pale by comparison with the earlier successes, it does not sound so bad on a fresh hearing. I actually like the "recorded underwater" sound of the late ep tracks, and their spaced-out, washed-bleached dessicated quality captures, if the sad dissolution of the band, then also their quintessential determination to soldier on amidst despair and ennui--something shared with co-founder Howard Devoto. With so many bands later influenced, if not always crediting, this pioneering group of four men from Manchester who make music, this is an essential purchase. IMHO this music outlasts the calculated if naively sincere agitprop of the Clash, the manufactured rebellion of the Pistols, the earnest anthems of the Jam, and the ramalama bang bang of the Ramones. The Buzzcocks brought sophistication, in their promotional, lyrical, musical, and even sartorial abilities, into the pop-punk scene without compromising their commitment to gender-liberating, likable, and cleverly insinuating music that captured the agression of the late 70s while taming it with its self-reflexive examination of romance. They scrutinized their times and assumptions, but also had fun.



3. This is a psctacular set containing the original buzzcocks' albums in full. Who needs anything more?



4. This is a monster 3 cd set that covers all 3 studio albums singles and a live show. This however does not have any material with Howard Devoto on vocals (stuck with Pete Shelley I'm afraid). Howard was only in the band for a while before forming another group on his own. While does not have spiral scratch its still worth looking into if you like these lads from Manchester. The first disc covers the albums Another music in a different Kitchen and Love Bites while Disc 2 covers the the album A Different kind of Tension and the Singles going steady comp. The 3rd disc features a 24 minute concert from the Lyceum but it is not the whole concert(I am still looking for it) This release was titled Many Parts (Live at the Lyceum) This also features the fantastic I look alone and also the last 3 singles as well. This is a very handy cd set to have if you like the Buzzcocks.



5. I don't think anyone who loves music and gives the Buzzcocks a serious listen with love and enjoy their music. Their name gives the impression that they were rawer and rowdier than they in fact were. They didn't produce great albums, but they did produce one absolutely great single after another. The value of this set is that is proves that the Buzzcocks didn't pen just a few good songs, but a bevy of them. One might think that SINGLES GOING STEADY contained all their great songs, but PRODUCT proves they produced many, many more. In many ways, this is a perfect set, providing proof to the public about just how superb a band these guys were. The set also comes with a great booklet.

   Two things keep the set from being just about perfect. First, its name. Has there ever been a more dreadful title than PRODUCT? Bland, uninteresting, and not keeping in the spirit of the Buzzcocks songs. Second, and this is by far the greater sin, the album neglects the four songs off their EP SPIRAL SCRATCH, which is probably the most famous EP in the history of rock. It does contain a live version of "Boredom," but the other three songs are not represented at all. These four songs are among the most crucial that the Buzzcocks recorded, and it is tragic that they couldn't secure the rights to include them on this set.

   Still, these two flaws do not keep this from being a great set, and one that ought to be in the music library of every serious fan of alternative and punk music.