Alongside That Summer The Sound of the Suburbs a Columbia CD release from 1997 is perhaps the best compilation of New Wave songs from the late 70s/early 80s.A great time to be young and to experience this musical revolution
A quick check reveals that all but 7 out of the 18 songs on the CD have appeared here at one time or another over the years with only two of the acts yet to grace these pages. The next two Saturdays will put pay to that.
I was completely gobsmacked to discover by Teenage Kicks by The Undertones has never featured before and that the Undertones have only appeared twice. The only excuse I can offer is that when I have featured them I've shied away from thier most popular song. But hey if it's good enough for John Peel then it should be good enought for CCM.
I suspect that the same rationale applies to 2-4-6-8 Motorway by the Tom Robinson Band it being the track which first brought them to my attention and led me to picking up the terrific Power in the Darkness album.
Blondie have appeared here on countless occasions but never with Call Me. Let's face it, they've got a huge range of great songs to chose from.
The first of the two bands making there debut in this two parter are Eddie and the Hot Rods. Maybe more of a pub rock band than a new wave act but Do Anything You Wanna Do is a terrific song and totally worthy of inclusion here.
The other three debutants next Saturday
The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
Tom Robinson Band - 2-4-6-8 Motorway
Eddie & the Hot Rods - Do Anything You Wanna Do
Great compilation. Do they still do sampler albums?
ReplyDeleteAgree with you about 'Power In the Darkness', one of the best albums of its era. Always think TRB get a bit overlooked when those talking heads documentaries reminisce about the good old days
ReplyDeleteFour for four today, CC... and two of these songs also appear on That Summer!
ReplyDeleteAh, this totally encapsulates the feel of that very special, vivid moment in time. 'Do Anything You Wanna Do' was one of the first singles I bought with my own money (after Abba, the previous year!) Remember watching them on ToTP and also TRB on the BBC's 'Sight and Sound In Concert' programme, everything seemed so groundbreaking and fresh. Happy days...of course!
ReplyDeleteA superb compilation with no flab. A mere whippersnapper so I must this era first time round, but discovered many of these bands by the time of this compilation. My mates finally understood about the music I was banging on about.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the album so often, the songs have become hard-wired - when listening to any of these songs independently, as one ends my brain expects the next one on the compilation to start.
The second compilation - Sound Of The City - is not perhaps quite as essential but worth seeking out
I have that and it may feature
DeleteLike RD, this was my gateway drug into a lot of these tracks. Bought it new and played it to death.
ReplyDelete