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- Release Date: January 01, 2002
- Type: Contains explicit content, Collection (various artists)
- Genre: Rock
Review
Starting with the proto-punk bands who came across Europe in the early '70s and ending with the last death throws of the genre's first incarnation in the early '80s, this is an excellent collection of classic punk music from a European point of view. The first disc concentrates on Europe's first exposure to the genre, beginning with the sloppy rave-ups of the New York Dolls and Iggy Pop. The disc then moves on to the genre's biggest names in mid-'70s Britain, including the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, Generation X, Sham 69, the UK Subs, and many others. These artists are some of the most important in the evolution of the genre, and the songs chosen for each band are appropriate considering how hard it must be to just pick one song from these artists. Elvis Costello and the Heartbreakers (performing the original version of the Ramones' "Chinese Rocks") are two of the American representatives on the first disc, which also reflects how many of the influential New York and Los Angeles punk bands did not make a big effect on the overseas scene. On disc two, the album looks at many different sides of the genre after the first initial wave. The various Sex Pistols aftermath bands and associates are represented, including the Rich Kids, Public Image Ltd., Siouxsie & the Banshees, and Sid Vicious himself. Blondie chimes in on behalf of the New York scene, while the Dead Kennedys represent the West Coast. Finally, the disc also includes several excellent songs from the beginning periods of XTC, Killing Joke, Wire, and the Jam. This was possibly the hottest period for European punk -- it paved the way for countless other bands and many of the artists represented remained very influential figures in the music world. By the third disc, the offshoots of punk become quite obvious. No longer concerned with keeping the sound, the genre split into a million directions. Power pop (the Only Ones), goth rock (Lords of the New Church), cheeky sleaze metal (the Runaways), proto-synth pop (Devo), political pop/rock (Nick Lowe), and many other genres came from the ideas and attitudes of the original punk scene. And it is on this disc that the Ramones finally show up, albeit on the subpar "Pet Semetary." For them to be represented by one of their least-important efforts is a definite disappointment, especially considering the incredible wealth of material that could have been chosen from their first ten years. By the fourth disc, hardcore had invaded Europe and bands like the Anti-Nowhere League, the Exploited, and Discharge were twisting it into Oi! and minimalist metal with an anger rarely expressed so honestly by bands on that side of the ocean. Also included are dub reggae punkers the Slits performing "Typical Girls," an excellent example of how the two genres once worked together. This is a fantastic album filled with some of the most important bands and songs to affect punk rock. Many of the songs are recognizable tracks from bands who may have only had one or two singles that mattered, and these songs are equally as welcome. The album's quality is very subjective; most of the songs are very important to the genre, but may sound dated or poor because of shifting tastes and an overabundance of similar material. And to leave off Television, Richard Hell, Patti Smith, the Germs, Black Flag, and many others seems like a oversight despite their lessened impact in Europe. But there is enough great stuff here to overlook the obvious flaws and omissions and just enjoy a lush history of the genre in its prime years. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music GuideTracks
CD 1
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Personality Crisis (Lyrics) | David Johansen, Johnny Thunders | New York Dolls | (3:41) |
| The Passenger | Iggy Pop, |
Iggy Pop | (4:41) |
| Medley | (3:46) | ||
| Desperate Dan | (3:39) | ||
| Orgasm Addict (Lyrics) | Howard Devoto, Pete Shelley | Buzzcocks | (2:01) |
| Love Song | Captain Sensible, |
The Damned | (2:22) |
| God Save the Queen | Steve Jones, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock, |
The Sex Pistols | (3:17) |
| Joe Strummer, Mick Jones | The Clash | (1:58) | |
| (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) | The Stranglers | (4:00) | |
| One Chord Wonders | TV Smith | The Adverts | (2:47) |
| Nasty Nasty | 999 | (2:02) | |
| Ready Steady Go | Billy Idol, Steve James | Generation X | (2:57) |
| Angels With Dirty Faces | Sham 69 | (2:30) | |
| Chinese Rocks | Richard Hell, Jerry Nolan, Dee Dee Ramone, Johnny Thunders | Johnny Thunders & the Heartbreakers | (2:53) |
| Judy Say's | The Vibrators | (2:13) | |
| Don't Take No for an Answer | Tom Robinson | (4:31) | |
| Warhead | U.K. Subs | (3:19) | |
| War Stories | (2:49) | ||
| What a Waste! | Ian Dury, Chas Jankel, |
(3:24) | |
| (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea | Elvis Costello | Elvis Costello | (3:08) |
| Lookin' After No. 1 | Bob Geldof | The Boomtown Rats | (3:09) |
| Love and a Molotov Cocktail | Flys | (2:31) | |
| Do Anything You Wanna Do | Eddie & the Hot Rods | (4:02) | |
| Vengeance | New Model Army | (4:07) | |
| Brickfield Nights | The Boys | (3:16) |
CD 2
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Rich Kids | Glen Matlock | The Rich Kids | (2:57) |
| Ant Music | Adam Ant, |
Adam & the Ants | (3:36) |
| Love in a Void | Siouxsie and the Banshees | (2:31) | |
| My Way (Lyrics) | Paul Anka, |
Sid Vicious | (4:04) |
| At the Edge (Lyrics) | Stiff Little Fingers | (2:57) | |
| Jimmy Jimmy | The Undertones | (2:40) | |
| Into the Valley (Lyrics) | Stuart Adamson, |
The Skids | (3:16) |
| Something That I Said | Ruts | (3:53) | |
| News at Ten | The Vapors | (3:04) | |
| Right to Work | (2:38) | ||
| My Mother Gave Me a Gun for Xmas | (1:52) | ||
| Statue of Liberty (Lyrics) | Andy Partridge | XTC | (2:24) |
| Wardance (Lyrics) | Killing Joke | (3:47) | |
| Don't Touch Me There | The Tubes | (3:33) | |
| 1-2-3 | Steve Jones, Paul Cook | (2:57) | |
| The Greatest Cockney Rip Off | Cockney Rejects | (1:24) | |
| Germ Free Adolescent | Poly Styrene | X-Ray Spex | (3:12) |
| Rip Her to Shreds (Lyrics) | Debbie Harry, Chris Stein | Blondie | (3:19) |
| Holiday in Cambodia (Lyrics) | Dead Kennedys | Dead Kennedys | (3:45) |
| Fan Mail | The Dickies | (3:05) | |
| Sound of the Suburbs | Members | (3:54) | |
| Strange Town (Lyrics) | Paul Weller | The Jam | (3:48) |
| I Am the Fly | Colin Newman, Graham Lewis | Wire | (3:07) |
| Public Image (Lyrics) | Keith Levene, John Lydon, Jim Walker, |
Public Image Ltd. | (2:58) |
| Valentines Day | (4:06) |
CD 3
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Belsen Was a Gas | Steve Jones, Sid Vicious, Paul Cook, |
(2:45) | |
| Jilted John | Jilted John | (2:55) | |
| Another Girl, Another Planet (Lyrics) | Peter Perrett | The Only Ones | (3:00) |
| Pet Sematary (Lyrics) | Dee Dee Ramone, |
The Ramones | (3:28) |
| Mongoloid (Lyrics) | Gerald V. Casale | Devo | (3:44) |
| This Perfect Day | Ed Kuepper, Chris Bailey | The Saints | (2:09) |
| Shot by Both Sides (Lyrics) | Howard Devoto, Pete Shelley | Magazine | (3:58) |
| Beasley Street | John Cooper-Clarke | (6:43) | |
| Where's Captain Kirk? | Spizz, |
(2:16) | |
| So It Goes | Nick Lowe | Nick Lowe | (2:29) |
| Don't Dictate (Lyrics) | Pauline Murray, |
Penetration | (2:52) |
| She's 19 | (2:46) | ||
| Whole Wide World | Wreckless Eric | Wreckless Eric | (2:51) |
| Little Girl | Don Baskin, Bob Gonzalez | (2:20) | |
| GLC | (2:23) | ||
| Chelsea 1977 | (2:35) | ||
| Airport | Motors | (4:34) | |
| Rock Wrok | John Foxx | Ultravox | (3:32) |
| Who Killed Bambi? | Tenpole Tudor | (2:51) | |
| Where Have All the Bootboys Gone? | Slaughter & the Dogs | (3:10) | |
| Two Million Voices | Angelic Upstarts | (2:23) | |
| Inside Out | (3:52) | ||
| M-Style | Brian James, |
The Lords of the New Church | (4:11) |
| Black Leather (Lyrics) | Steve Jones | The Runaways | (3:48) |
CD 4
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Dead Cities | The Exploited | (1:54) | |
| Streets of London | Ralph McTell | The Anti-Nowhere League | (3:16) |
| Puppets of War | (4:04) | ||
| Last Rockers (Lyrics) | (4:12) | ||
| Harry May | The Business | (2:13) | |
| Decontrol | Discharge | Discharge | (2:32) |
| Frederick Street | Toy Dolls | (3:50) | |
| Razors in the Night | Fisher, |
Blitz | (2:04) |
| England Belongs to Me | Cock Sparrer | (3:02) | |
| Banned From the Pub | Peter & the Test Tube Babies | (2:09) | |
| King of the Jungle | (4:02) | ||
| Yesterday's Heroes | (2:14) | ||
| No Survivors | G.B.H. | (2:33) | |
| Typical Girls (Lyrics) | The Slits | (3:54) | |
| Police Story | The Partisans | (2:08) | |
| Army Song | (1:53) | ||
| C30-C60-C90 Go | Bow Wow Wow | (2:59) | |
| Ain't Been to No Music School | (2:55) | ||
| Last Day | (1:17) | ||
| Stab the Judge | One Way System | One Way System | (1:53) |
| Fight to Win | (2:41) | ||
| In Britain | Red Alert | (2:08) | |
| Bad Boy | The Adicts | (3:26) | |
| New Barbarians | (2:51) | ||
| I Lost My Love to a UK Sub | (3:21) | ||
| [Untitled Hidden Track] | (:44) | ||
| [Untitled Hidden Track] | (1:37) |
