Compilations have been a time-honored way to introduce new bands since
punk's beginnings, if not a useful tool for separating nearly-greats and also-rans. The hard part is figuring which ones actually count, or seem irrelevant; for better or worse, this recording is a fair snapshot of what happened at one of London's short-lived
punk landmarks. While
punks derided the importance of musical execution, that quality also weeded out bands with nothing to say, or no clue about how to say it. Thus,
Art Attacks' sensational song titles can't conceal near-comical levels of ineptitude, while
the Suspects and
Mean Street play in suitably blurry fashion, but neither have distinctive identities. As these bands show, the do-it-yourself ideal is more appealing than the reality. Listeners get better news from
the Wasps' story-so-far rave-up,
"Can't Wait 'Til 78," Neo's swipe at inner-city anonymity,
"Small Lives," Bernie Torme's
"Streetfighter," and
the Maniacs'
"You Don't Break My Heart" and
"I Ain't Gonna Be History," which radiate more melodicism than most
punk era outfits could muster. Still, there's little sense of occasion, unlike other classic documents of the era (such as
Rising Free, the live EP that bookends
Tom Robinson's classic debut,
Power in the Darkness). The better bands show promise, but there's little hint of anyone ready to storm the world on vinyl; while
the Wasps' version of
"Waiting for My Man" is brisk and energetic, it's hardly revelatory when so many other bands were playing it. Approach with caution, unless you're a rabid 1977 completist. ~ Ralph Heibutzki
