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Action Time Vision: A Story of Independent U.K. Punk 1976-1979 is an exhaustive and wildly entertaining four-volume box set that examines both the indie label scene in the United Kingdom as well as the bands that emerged on homegrown labels. The set opens, fittingly enough, with “New Rose” by the Damned, widely acknowledged as the first British punk single and the release that turned Stiff Records into a going concern. Just as that record still sounds fresh and explosive four decades later, nearly all of the 111 songs on Action Time Vision are filled with energy, passion, and a sense of discovery, as the musicians strive to find their place in a new musical landscape and have fun doing it. This set is also a potent reminder that early punk was never as monochromatic as many liked to believe (or as samey as U.K. punk would become in the ’80s).
Along with the foursquare punk attack of the Lurkers, the Cortinas, Sham 69, and many others, there’s the speeded-up pub rock of Fruit Eating Bears, the joyous power pop of the Stoat, the prog-inspired twists and turns of Psykik Voltz, the arty minimalism of English Subtitles, the psych-inspired surrealism of Victim, the edgy cool of the Flys, and the acoustic guitar in a bedsit parody/tribute of Patrik Fitzgerald. And while the set includes lots of familiar names, the compilers have included plenty of obscurities that often prove to be as satisfying as the best-known tracks, another reminder of how fertile this era truly was. (There are also a number of tracks from artists who would go on to greater fame in the future, such as Billy Bragg in Riff Raff, Kevin Rowland in the Killjoys, and Shane MacGowan in the Nipple Erectors.) The liner notes from Andy Davis are a great read, and an impressive history of the many bands and labels featured here. This is hardly the first or best study of the U.K. punk scene of the ’70s, but Action Time Vision is an impressive tribute to the early stirrings of indie culture in England, and it’s great listening throughout.
CD1:
1. THE DAMNED – New Rose [02:44]
2. EATER – Outside View [02:04]
3. THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE – Television Screen [01:52]
4. THE CORTINAS – Fascist Dictator [02:37]
5. THE DRONES – Lookalikes [02:36]
6. THE LURKERS – Shadow [02:29]
7. THE REZILLOS – I Can’t Stand My Baby [02:38]
8. 999 – I’m Alive [02:33]
9. JOHNNY MOPED – No One [02:47]
10. SHAM 69 – I Don’t Wanna [01:42]
11. PUNCTURE – Mucky Pup [02:05]
12. THE SNIVELLING SHITS – Terminal Stupid [02:56]
13. THE VACANTS – Worthless Trash [02:21]
14. THE ZEROS – Hungry [02:18]
15. MANIACS – Chelsea 77 [02:36]
16. THE OUTSIDERS – One To Infinity [02:05]
17. THE KILLJOYS – Johnny Won’t Get To Heaven [02:41]
18. JOHNNY AND THE SELF ABUSERS – Saints And Sinners [01:51]
19. THE UNWANTED – Withdrawal [01:59]
20. THE WASPS – Teenage Treats [03:05]
21. THE PIGS – Youthanasia [02:47]
22. LOCKJAW – Radio Call Sign [01:35]
23. NEON HEARTS – Venus Eccentric [02:40]
24. JERKS – Get Your Woofing Dog Off Me [01:51]
25. THE PANIK – Modern Politics [02:58]
26. SOME CHICKEN – New Religion [02:16]
27. THE CARPETTES – Radio Wunderbar [02:54]
28. THE FLYS – Love And A Molotov Cocktail [02:33]
29. ALBERTO Y LOST TRIOS PARANOIAS – Gobbing On Life [03:58]
30. THE ONLY ONES – Lovers Of Today [03:10]
31. SUSPECTS – Nothing To Declare (Live at The Vortex) [02:19]
CD2:
1. SWELL MAPS – Read About Seymour [01:29]
2. PATRIK FITZGERALD – Safety-Pin Stuck In My Heart [02:41]
3. THE BOYS – No Leaders (Demo) [02:32]
4. THE STOAT – Office Girl [03:11]
5. ACME SEWAGE CO – I Don’t Need You [03:18]
6. V2 – Speed Freak [02:00]
7. BAZOOMIS – Give It All To Me [03:56]
8. RAPED – Moving Target [03:49]
9. BIG G – I Hate The Whole Human Race [03:13]
10. SUBS – Gimme Your Heart [03:02]
11. TUBEWAY ARMY – That’s Too Bad [03:20]
12. THE XTRAVERTS – Blank Generation [03:07]
13. FRUIT EATING BEARS – Door In My Face [02:54]
14. FRONT – System [03:29]
15. SATAN’S RATS – You Make Me Sick [02:10]
16. STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – Suspect Device [02:35]
17. MENACE – G.L.C. [02:25]
18. THE DYAKS – Gutter Kids [03:14]
19. SKIDS – Reasons [02:08]
20. RUDI – Big Time [02:43]
21. THE ART ATTACKS – I Am A Dalek [02:49]
22. BEARS – On Me [03:13]
23. ‘O’ LEVEL – Pseudo Punk [01:47]
24. THE MEMBERS – Solitary Confinement [03:55]
25. NIPPLE ERECTORS – King Of The Bop [02:03]
26. ANGELIC UPSTARTS – The Murder Of Liddle Towers [04:38]
27. MEAN STREET – Bunch Of Stiffs (Live at The Vortex) [02:54]
CD3:
1. ALTERNATIVE TV – Action Time Vision [02:30]
2. SOCIAL SECURITY – I Don’t Want My Heart To Rule My Head [03:01]
3. THE TIGHTS – Bad Hearts [03:35]
4. RIFF RAFF – Cosmonaut [01:28]
5. THE DOLE – New Wave Love [03:15]
6. JOY DIVISION – Failures [03:45]
7. LEYTON BUZZARDS – 19 And Mad [02:54]
8. DEMON PREACHER – Little Miss Perfect [03:28]
9. THE OUTCASTS – Just Another Teenage Rebel [03:15]
10. THE FALL – Psycho Mafia [02:13]
11. CHELSEA – Urban Kids [02:54]
12. PROTEX – Don’t Ring Me Up [02:38]
13. THE CRAVATS – Gordon [04:02]
14. HORRORCOMIC – England 77 [02:31]
15. U.K. SUBS – C.I.D. [01:55]
16. SPIZZOIL – 6,000 Crazy [02:14]
17. THE DODGEMS – I Don’t Care (Full Version) [04:52]
18. THE USERS – Kicks In Style [02:01]
19. PETER AND TEST TUBE BABIES – Elvis Is Dead [02:11]
20. THE RUTS – In A Rut [03:41]
21. DISCO ZOMBIES – Drums Over London [04:10]
22. NICKY & THE DOTS – Never Been So Stuck [02:31]
23. THE SHAPES – Wot’s For Lunch Mum (Not Bs Again!) [01:32]
24. NO WAY – Breaking Point [03:09]
25. THE WALL – New Way [03:56]
26. THE HOLLYWOOD BRATS – Sick On Yo [05:10]
CD4:
1. ADAM AND THE ANTS – Zerox [03:49]
2. NOTSENSIBLES – Death To Disco [03:18]
3. THE VICE CREEMS – Danger Love [03:07]
4. MURDER THE DISTURBED – D.N.A. [03:29]
5. COCKNEY REJECTS – Flares ‘n’ Slippers [01:37]
6. PSYKIK VOLTS – Totally Useless [04:37]
7. THE MOLESTERS – The End Of Civilisation [03:19]
8. THE NEWTOWN NEUROTICS – Hypocrite [03:16]
9. PURE HELL – These Boots Are Made For Walking [02:47]
10. FIRE EXIT – Timewall [02:16]
11. THE PACK – King Of Kings [03:14]
12. STEROID KIDDIES – Dumb Dumb [02:18]
13. ENGLISH SUBTITLES – Time Tunnel [02:40]
14. THE PROLES – Soft Ground [02:14]
15. THE ADICTS – Easy Way Out [03:08]
16. THE DARK – My Friends [02:33]
17. WOODY & THE SPLINTERS – I Must Be Mad [01:57]
18. VICTIM – Why Are Fire Engines Red [02:46]
19. THE X-CERTS – Anthem [02:37]
20. F-X – Slag [03:03]
21. THE RIVALS – Future Rights [02:54]
22. SILENT NOISE – I’ve Been Hurt (So Many Times Before) [02:51]
23. VICE SQUAD – Nothing [01:57]
24. THE PREFECTS – Things In General [03:10]
25. THE LICKS – 1970’s Have Been Made In Hong Kong [03:17]
26. FATAL MICROBES – Violence Grows [03:13]
27. POISON GIRLS – Under The Doctor [02:50]
