Optimism/Reject: Punk and Post Punk Meets D-I-Y Aesthetic

Overview

The punk explosion of 1977 in the U.K. resulted in boatloads of bands playing hard-and-fast music with spiky attitudes and anthemic choruses. While to many people it felt like a blast of freedom, it soon became a kind of stylistic straitjacket with bands being slagged for not being punk enough. As this familiar plot played out, there were many bands who took the D.I.Y. approach of punk and applied it more liberally to their sound, look, and attitude. They used the freedom that came with punk to explore different sonic landscapes, make weird noises, and generally do whatever they liked without any fear. Cherry Red's thrilling box set Optimism/Reject: Punk and Post Punk Meets D-I-Y Aesthetic rounds up 105 songs by bands untethered to the norms of both mainstream rock and punk. That's not to say there aren't bands that sound very punk, complete with snotty singers, slashing guitars, and jumped-up tempos. The punks here are more rickety and lo-fi than the Clash, though, and less metal than the Pistols, too. Groups like Subway Sect or the Tights weren't going to scare the charts either. Most of the set details the different paths bands took after punk's initial landing. From the poetry of John Cooper Clarke to the doomy goth of Sisters of Mercy, the horn-y blast of the Higsons to the poppy bounce of the Chefs, or the abrasive howl of the Membranes to the whispered beauty of Marine Girls, the set covers a lot of territory in fascinating fashion. There are only a few bands recognizable to anyone without a PhD in post-punk. None of the big bands like the Fall or Josef K are represented by their best-known songs, and the groups like Thompson Twins or Scritti Politti, who actually became hitmakers, are represented by songs that sound nothing like their hits. Like most compilations, there are a few duds to skip over, but the ratio of hits to misses here is exceedingly high, and like the best compilations it inspires further investigation. Practically every other track compels the listener to check if the band has more music to track down. Whether it's the skronky noise of Essential Logic, the goofy charm of the Shapes' "(I Saw) Batman (In the Launderette)," the angular pseudo-glam of Weird Strings' "Oscar Automobile," or the Laughing Apple's clanging "Chips for Tea," there are numerous obscure and wonderful treasures to be found within these four discs. It's an invigorating history lesson that shows that you don't have to be a punk to be punk, and that the underground was alive and well. Not only that, but unlike punk, women were far more involved and the music was completely unpredictable and weird. Listen from start to finish or drop in as you like, Optimism/Reject is a vital document of an era that hasn't been captured as fully and impressively as this before. ~ Tim Sendra

Product Details

Release Date:	08/02/2019
Label:	Cherry Red
UPC:	5013929107403
Rank:	120449

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Monetary System  - Andy Blade  -  Eater  - Ian Woodcock
2. You'll Lose  - Gus Callender  - Steve "Whisper" Cundall  -  Drones  -  Drones  - Mike Howells
3. Love Lies Limp  -  Alternative TV  - Alex Fergusson  - Mark Perry
4. Freeway  - Adrian Borland  -  Outsiders  -  Outsiders
5. Suspended Sentence  - John Cooper Clarke
6. O Levels  - Edward Ball  -  O Level
7. Black Velvet  - Nikki Sudden  -  Swell Maps
8. Optimism/Reject  - Patrik Fitzgerald
9. Hard Times  -  Attrix  - Rick Blair
10. Nobody's Scared  - Vic Godard  -  Subway Sect
11. Washed Up  -  Freshies  - Chris Sievey
12. Charles  - Stuart Adamson  -  Skids
13. Police Oppression  -  Angelic Upstarts  - Ray Cowie  - Thomas Mensforth
14. Neutron Bomb  -  Art Attacks  - Edwin Pouncey  - Steve Spear
15. Mixed Up World  - Elayne Graham  - Joe Moody  -  Victim
16. Aerosol Burns  -  Essential Logic  - Lora Logic
17. It  - John Jacobs  - Pat Marsden  - Malcolm Orgee  -  Tights
18. The Demon  - Neville Atkinson  - James Davis  -  Punishment of Luxury  - Brian Rapkin
19. Master  - Una Baines  -  Fall  - Mark E. Smith
20. Situations Vacant  - Dave Bennett  -  Cravats  - Rob Dallaway  - Chris Harz
21. Is and Ought the Western World  - Green Gartside  - Niall Jinks  - Tom Morley  -  Scritti Politti
22. Wolf  - Susan Gogan  -  Prag Vec  -  Pragvec  - John Studholme
23. Cool  - Paul Gilbert  -  Jerks  -  Jerks  - Simon Snakke
24. He's Frank  - Tom Hardy  -  Monochrome Set  - Ganesh Seshadri
25. International  - Thomas Leer  - Robert Rental
26. Fruitless  -  Devil's Dykes  - Heather de Lyon
27. 01-01-212  -  Vice Creems
28. Times Encounter  - Martin Callomon  - Nigel Simpkins

Disc 2

29. H-Eyes  - Jane Fox  - John Jennings  - Malcolm Owen  - Dave Ruffy  -  Ruts
30. Lord Lucan Is Missing  -  Dodgems  - Doug Potter
31. The Competition  - Tony Friel  -  Passage  -  Passage
32. Girl Gets Nervous  - Nick Dwyer  -  Nicky & The Dots
33. I Don't Want to Work for British Airways  - Mike Alway  - Simon Ives  -  Scissor Fits
34. Cold City  - Pete Petrol  -  Spizz  -  Spizz Oil
35. (I Saw) Batman (In the Launderette)  - Ben Browton  - Dave Gee  - Gareth Holder  - Tim Jee  -  Shapes
36. Stereo Love  - John Black  -  Proles
37. Commuter Man  - John Ellis  - Paul Hayward  -  Molesters
38. Heathen  - Kirk Brandon  -  Pack  -  Pack  - Jim Walker  - Jonathan Werner
39. In Love  - Vicki Aspinall  - Gina Birch  - Paloma Blanco  - Ana Da Silva  -  Raincoats
40. Sing Song  - Martin Callomon  - Nick Egan  -  Tea Set  - Ron West  - Mark Wilkins
41. Mother Moon  -  Artery  - Michael Fidler  - Mark Gouldthorpe  - Neil McKenzie  - Garry Wilson
42. The Ultimate System  -  Murder The Disturbed  - Steve Zodiac
43. Playing Golf (With My Flesh Crawling)  -  Family Fodder  - John Pearce
44. Every Day I Die  -  Frantic Elevators  - Mick Hucknall  - Neil Moss
45. Nagasaki's Children  - Martin Russian  - Russ Russian  -  They Must Be Russians  - Tony Vella
46. Metal Sheet  - Tom Bailey  - Adrian Borland  -  Second Layer
47. Cold Rebellion  - Steev Burgess  -  Metrophase
48. I Don't Believe  -  Disturbed  -  Disturbed  - Ian Willcock
49. Subculture Fashion Slaves  - Bendle Calder  -  Door & the Window  - Swae Lee
50. God's Got Religion  - Malcolm Ross  -  Steppes
51. Christine Keeler  - Rob Chapman  -  Gl xo Babies
52. Boys Keep Swinging  -  Associates  - David Bowie  - Brian Eno
53. Beautiful Pictures  - Donna Tracy Boylan  -  Fatal Microbes
54. Top of the Pops  -  Disco Zombies  - Davy Henderson  - Malcolm Ross
55. Exhibition  -  Pneumania

Disc 3

56. Domestic Departure  -  Au Pairs  - Paul Foad  - Peter Hammond  - Jane Munro  - Lesley Woods
57. Reconstruction  - Lou Librium  -  Subtitles
58. Them or Me  - Neil Campsie  - Rees Lewis  -  Medium Medium
59. Choreography  - Ged Allen  - Danny Hampson  -  Modern Eon  - Alix Plain
60. Chance Meeting [Absolute Version]  - Paul Haig  -  Josef K  - Malcolm Ross
61. On the Air  - Rico Conning  -  Lines  - Hywel Phillips
62. Masochistic Opposite  - Ramona Carlier  - Kate Corris  - Jane Crockford  - June Miles Kingston  -  Mo-Dettes
63. Minstrel Radio Yoghurt  -  Deep Freeze Mice  - Alan Jenkins  - Sherree Lawrence  - Graham Summers
64. You Get Everywhere  -  Chefs  - Carl Evans
65. Bloody  - Will Gibbs  -  Golinski Brothers  - Dave Harries
66. Hey Operator  - Phil Byford  -  Lillettes  - Mick Perrin  - Dave Robson
67. Art Nouveau  - Mark Adams  -  Bodies  - Leon Thompson
68. Shangri-La  - Dennis Burns  - Martin Healy  -  Nightmares In Wax
69. Oscar Automobile  - Paul Roland  -  Weird Strings
70. Self Employed  -  Again Again  - Ashley Hutchings
71. Fahsionable Junkies  - Andrew Coulthart  -  Membranes  - John Robb  - Mark Tilton
72. Authophagous  -  Manic Jabs
73. Modichy in Aneration  - Neil Arthur  -  Blancmange  - Stephen Luscombe
74. No Message  - Frenchy Gloder  - John Johnson  -  Mystere V’s  -  No Message  - Henry Padovani  - Chris Reeves
75. The Feeling's Mutual  - Martyn Bates  - Peter Becker  -  Eyeless in Gaza
76. Lean on Me  -  Distributors  - David Holmes  - Keith James  - Enzo Raphael  - Mick Switzerland
77. Chimneys  - Edwin Pouncey  - Steve Spear  -  Tagmemics
78. Short Time  - Gary Chaplin  - Elayne Graham  - Andrew Proudfoot  -  Rhythm Clicks  - Andy Stone
79. Get  -  Blurt  - Pete Creese  - Jake Milton

Disc 4

80. Final Day  - Stuart Moxham  -  Young Marble Giants
81. You Get What You Deserve (A Love Song)  -  Charge  -  Charge
82. The Damage Done  - Andrew Eldritch  -  Sisters of Mercy
83. Politics!  - Joanna Gaffney  -  Girls at Our Best!  - Jez Pritchatt
84. Justice Not Vengeance  - Andrew Jarman  -  Popular History of Signs  - Peter Scammell
85. Could Be Her, Could Be You  - Tom Bailey  - Chris Bell  - Peter Dodd  - John Roog  -  Thompson Twins
86. Everything's Roses  - Russell Burn  -  Fire Engines  - Davy Henderson  - Graham Main  - Murray Slade
87. Motorway  - Alan Hall  - Emma Sharpe
88. The Russians Are Coming  -  Red Squares
89. Motion  - Dave Jackson  - Robyn Odlum  -  Room  - Clive Thomas
90. Should Be More Ideal  - Andrew Brenner  -  Forty Nine Americans
91. I Remember  -  Cult Figures  - Jonathan Hodgson  - Gary Jones
92. Insect Love  - Simon Charterton  - Terry Edwards  - Charlie "Switch" Higson  -  Higsons  - Stuart McGeachin  - Colin Williams
93. Chips for Tea  - Andrew Innes  -  Laughing Apple  - Alan McGee
94. Defeated  - Rik Chevrolet  - Phill Harmonix  - Edward Ka-Spel  -  Legendary Pink Dots
95. Holiday Song  - Jane Fox  -  Marine Girls  - Tracey Thorn
96. The Return  -  Normil Hawaiians  - Mark E. Smith
97. Zigzagging  - Dennis Burns  - Swae Lee  - Mark Perry  -  Reflections  -  Reflections
98. When I See You  - Garce Allard  - Nigel Pollard  -  Sad Lovers & Giants  - Cliff Silver  - David Wood
99. Domino Theory  - Julian McQueen  -  To the Finland Station
100. Launderette  - Vivien Goldman
101. Ethics  -  23 Skidoo  - Fritz Catlin  - Sam Mills  - Johnny Turnbull
102. Shades of Black  - Neil Dyer  -  Screen 3
103. Plan 9 From Outer Space  - David Cuff  -  Happy Few  - Dominic Riley
104. Break the Ice at Parties  - Neal Brown  -  Tesco Bombers
105. I Wanna Be Around [Paul]  -  ...And the Native Hipsters  - Robert Cubitt  - Tom Fawcett  - William Wilding

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Disco Zombies   Primary Artist
Disturbed   Primary Artist
Essential Logic   Primary Artist
Victim   Primary Artist
John Cooper Clarke   Primary Artist
Sad Lovers & Giants   Primary Artist
Josef K   Primary Artist
Nightmares in Wax   Primary Artist
Fire Engines   Primary Artist
Punishment of Luxury   Primary Artist
Murder The Disturbed   Primary Artist
The Fatal Microbes   Primary Artist
The Molesters   Primary Artist
Nicky & The Dots   Primary Artist
Alternative TV   Primary Artist
Passage   Primary Artist
Family Fodder   Primary Artist
English Subtitles   Primary Artist
The Associates   Primary Artist
Mo-Dettes   Primary Artist
Thomas Leer   Primary Artist
The Raincoats   Primary Artist
Ruts   Primary Artist
The Room   Primary Artist
The Shapes   Primary Artist
The Sisters of Mercy   Primary Artist
Patrik Fitzgerald   Primary Artist
...And the Native Hipsters   Primary Artist
Skids   Primary Artist
Young Marble Giants   Primary Artist
Artery   Primary Artist
The Art Attacks   Primary Artist
The Au Pairs   Primary Artist
Blurt   Primary Artist
Marine Girls   Primary Artist
Blancmange   Primary Artist
The Fall   Primary Artist
The Chefs   Primary Artist
Freshies   Primary Artist
The Bodies   Primary Artist
Higsons   Primary Artist
Weird Strings   Primary Artist
The Happy Few   Primary Artist
Manic Jabs   Primary Artist
Rhythm Clicks   Primary Artist
Metrophase   Primary Artist
Mystere V’s   Primary Artist
The Jerks   Primary Artist
Nigel Simpkins   Primary Artist
They Must Be Russians   Primary Artist
The 49 Americans   Primary Artist
The Vice Creems   Primary Artist
The Tesco Bombers   Primary Artist
Attrix   Primary Artist
Emma Sharpe   Primary Artist
Again Again   Primary Artist
Tagmemics   Primary Artist
Screen 3   Primary Artist
Frantic Elevators   Primary Artist
Distributors   Primary Artist
The Reflections   Primary Artist
Spizz Oil   Primary Artist
Pneumania   Primary Artist
Cult Figures   Primary Artist
Gl*xo Babies   Primary Artist
Angelic Upstarts   Primary Artist
Door & the Window   Primary Artist
Vivien Goldman   Primary Artist
Scritti Politti   Primary Artist
Devil's Dykes   Primary Artist
Second Layer   Primary Artist
Normil Hawaiians   Primary Artist
To the Finland Station   Primary Artist
The Steppes   Primary Artist
Modern Eon   Primary Artist
Laughing Apple   Primary Artist
Medium Medium   Primary Artist
The Outsiders   Primary Artist
Proles   Primary Artist
The Red Squares   Primary Artist
The Membranes   Primary Artist
The Monochrome Set   Primary Artist
pragVEC   Primary Artist
Charge   Primary Artist
The Tea Set   Primary Artist
Scissor Fits   Primary Artist
O Level   Primary Artist
The Lillettes   Primary Artist
The Golinski Brothers   Primary Artist
A Popular History of Signs   Primary Artist
The Dodgems   Primary Artist
Thompson Twins   Primary Artist
23 Skidoo   Primary Artist
Subway Sect   Primary Artist
Tights   Primary Artist
The Deep Freeze Mice   Primary Artist
Swell Maps   Primary Artist
The Legendary Pink Dots   Primary Artist
The Drones   Primary Artist
Eyeless in Gaza   Primary Artist
The Cravats   Primary Artist
Eater   Primary Artist
The Pack   Primary Artist
Girls at Our Best!   Primary Artist
The Lines   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Alan Hall   Composer
Paul Hayward   Composer
James Davis   Composer
Enzo Raphael   Composer
Mick Switzerland   Composer
Weird Strings   Composer
Tony Vella   Composer
Leon Thompson   Composer
The Happy Few   Composer
Lou Librium   Composer
Manic Jabs   Composer
Rhythm Clicks   Composer
Julian McQueen   Composer
Metrophase   Composer
Pneumania   Composer
Mark Adams   Composer
Dave Jackson   Composer
Andy Stone   Composer
Alan McGee   Composer
Rick Blair   Composer
Robert Cubitt   Composer
Nigel Simpkins   Composer
They Must Be Russians   Composer
Tom Fawcett   Composer
William Wilding   Composer
The 49 Americans   Composer
Rees Lewis   Composer
Devil's Dykes   Composer
Dave Bennett   Composer
Tom Hardy   Composer
Keith James   Composer
The Vice Creems   Composer
Mike Howells   Composer
Andrew Proudfoot   Composer
David Wood   Composer
Ray Cowie   Composer
Carl Evans   Composer
The Jerks   Composer
The Reflections   Composer
Nick Dwyer   Composer
Russell Burn   Composer
Robyn Odlum   Composer
Hywel Phillips   Composer
Tim Jee   Composer
John Pearce   Composer
Frenchy Gloder   Composer
Disturbed   Composer
Ian Willcock   Composer
David Holmes   Composer
To the Finland Station   Composer
The Tesco Bombers   Composer
Thomas Mensforth   Composer
Sherree Lawrence   Composer
Phil Byford   Composer
Neal Brown   Composer
Donna Tracy Boylan   Composer
John Black   Composer
Chris Harz   Composer
Martin Callomon   Composer
Simon Snakke   Composer
John Johnson   Composer
Steev Burgess   Composer
Andrew Coulthart   Composer
Phill Harmonix   Composer
Joanna Gaffney   Composer
Malcolm Orgee   Composer
Jez Pritchatt   Composer
Pete Petrol   Composer
Neville Atkinson   Composer
Simon Ives   Composer
Andy Peart   Sleeve Notes
Brian Rapkin   Composer
Attrix   Composer
Mick Perrin   Composer
Emma Sharpe   Composer
Jane Crockford   Composer
Russ Russian   Composer
Ged Allen   Composer
Tom Morley   Composer
Again Again   Composer
Tagmemics   Composer
Alan Jenkins   Composer
John Reed   Producer
The Pack   Composer
Rob Dallaway   Composer
Simon Murphy   CD Preparation
Ben Browton   Composer
Gareth Holder   Composer
Gus Callender   Composer
Rik Chevrolet   Composer
Screen 3   Composer
Neil Dyer   Composer
Elayne Graham   Composer
David Cuff   Composer
Dominic Riley   Composer
Heather de Lyon   Composer
Stephen Luscombe   Composer
Colin Williams   Composer
Danny Hampson   Composer
Clive Thomas   Composer
Frantic Elevators   Composer
Edwin Pouncey   Composer
Tony Friel   Composer
Distributors   Composer
Dave Robson   Composer
Steve Zodiac   Composer
John Studholme   Composer
Dave Ruffy   Composer
Spizz Oil   Composer
Mark Paytress   Liner Notes,Sleeve Notes
Andrew Brenner   Composer
Nigel Pollard   Composer
Fritz Catlin   Composer
Dave Gee   Composer
Bendle Calder   Composer
Martin Russian   Composer
No Message   Composer
Neil Campsie   Composer
Garry Wilson   Composer
Johnny Turnbull   Composer
Cult Figures   Composer
Una Baines   Composer
Mark Tilton   Composer
Graham Main   Composer
Charlie "Switch" Higson   Composer
Gary Chaplin   Composer
Chris Sievey   Composer
Gl*xo Babies   Composer
Angelic Upstarts   Composer
Chris Reeves   Composer
Door & the Window   Composer
Davy Henderson   Composer
Vivien Goldman   Composer
Lora Logic   Composer
Robert Rental   Composer
Scritti Politti   Composer
Mick Hucknall   Composer
Spizz   Composer
Prag Vec   Composer
Dave Harries   Composer
Keith Davey   Design
Vicki Aspinall   Composer
Neil McKenzie   Composer
John Jacobs   Composer
Garce Allard   Composer
Jane Fox   Composer
Chris Bell   Composer
Edward Ball   Composer
Peter Hammond   Composer
Jonathan Hodgson   Composer
Ganesh Seshadri   Composer
Second Layer   Composer
The Drones   Composer
Paul Foad   Composer
Michael Fidler   Composer
Alix Plain   Composer
Dennis Burns   Composer
Ron West   Composer
Nick Egan   Composer
Niall Jinks   Composer
Lesley Woods   Composer
Graham Summers   Composer
Ian Woodcock   Composer
Neil Arthur   Composer
Mark Wilkins   Composer
Paloma Blanco   Composer
Doug Potter   Composer
Normil Hawaiians   Composer
Will Gibbs   Composer
Swae Lee   Composer
John Robb   Composer
The Steppes   Composer
Kate Corris   Composer
Jim Walker   Composer
Mike Alway   Composer
Murray Slade   Composer
Modern Eon   Composer
Simon Charterton   Composer
Laughing Apple   Composer
Pat Marsden   Composer
The Outsiders   Composer
Medium Medium   Composer
Nikki Sudden   Composer
Proles   Composer
The Red Squares   Composer
Stuart Moxham   Composer
The Membranes   Composer
The Monochrome Set   Composer
Martin Healy   Composer
pragVEC   Composer
Susan Gogan   Composer
The Tea Set   Composer
Scissor Fits   Composer
Malcolm Owen   Composer
June Miles-Kingston   Composer
Stuart Adamson   Composer
Tom Bailey   Composer
The Lillettes   Composer
The Golinski Brothers   Composer
David Bowie   Composer
A Popular History of Signs   Composer
The Dodgems   Composer
Andrew Jarman   Composer
Peter Scammell   Composer
Edward Ka-Spel   Composer
Thompson Twins   Composer
Pete Creese   Composer
23 Skidoo   Composer
Subway Sect   Composer
Young Marble Giants   Composer
Ramona Carlier   Composer
Steve "Whisper" Cundall   Composer
Stuart McGeachin   Composer
Steve Spear   Composer
Brian Eno   Composer
Tights   Composer
Peter Becker   Composer
Henry Padovani   Composer
Gina Birch   Composer
Malcolm Ross   Composer
The Deep Freeze Mice   Composer
Jane Munro   Composer
Paul Gilbert   Composer
Swell Maps   Composer
The Legendary Pink Dots   Composer
Kirk Brandon   Composer
Eyeless in Gaza   Composer
The Passage   Composer
Charge   Composer
The Cravats   Composer
Eater   Composer
Alternative TV   Composer
Adrian Borland   Composer
Ashley Hutchings   Composer
Girls at Our Best!   Composer
Jake Milton   Composer
Gary Jones   Composer
The Lines   Composer
Disco Zombies   Composer
John Ellis   Composer
Green Gartside   Composer
John Roog   Composer
Essential Logic   Composer
Victim   Composer
Joe Moody   Composer
Rico Conning   Composer
John Cooper Clarke   Composer
Rob Chapman   Composer
Sad Lovers & Giants   Composer
John Jennings   Composer
Mark E. Smith   Composer
Sam Mills   Composer
Jonathan Werner   Composer
Josef K   Composer
Mark Perry   Composer
Richard Anderson   Producer
Cliff Silver   Composer
Nightmares in Wax   Composer
Mark Gouldthorpe   Composer
Fire Engines   Composer
Punishment of Luxury   Composer
Murder The Disturbed   Composer
The Fatal Microbes   Composer
The Molesters   Composer
Nicky & The Dots   Composer
Neil Moss   Composer
Vic Godard   Composer
Family Fodder   Composer
Martyn Bates   Composer
Peter Dodd   Composer
English Subtitles   Composer
Andy Blade   Composer
The Associates   Composer
The Art Attacks   Composer
Mo-Dettes   Composer
Thomas Leer   Composer
The Raincoats   Composer
Ruts   Composer
The Room   Composer
O Level   Composer
The Shapes   Composer
Tracey Thorn   Composer
The Sisters of Mercy   Composer
Patrik Fitzgerald   Composer
Paul Haig   Composer
...And the Native Hipsters   Composer
Paul Roland   Composer
Ana Da Silva   Composer
Skids   Composer
Terry Edwards   Composer
Andrew Innes   Composer
Andrew Eldritch   Composer
Artery   Composer
Alex Fergusson   Composer
The Au Pairs   Composer
Blurt   Composer
Marine Girls   Composer
Blancmange   Composer
The Fall   Composer
The Chefs   Composer
Freshies   Composer
The Bodies   Composer
Higsons   Composer