"Jon Savage's 1977-1979: Symbols Clashing Everywhere" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Primarily 45-Single Sides and Occasional Album-Tracks by The Damned, The Adverts, Prince Far I, Pere Ubu, Brian Eno, 999, The Undertones, John Cooper Clarke, The Cramps, Devo, Telex, Tubeway Army, Scritti Politti, Talking Heads, Human League, Joe Gibbs, Siouxsie & The Banshees, A Certain Ratio, The Monochrome Set, Cabaret Voltaire and many more (January 2022 UK Ace Records 2CD Theme Compilation – Nick Robbins Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Prophesy Reveal..."

 

Almost as much as the 60ts, the Punk and New-Wave heyday of 1976 to 1979 (especially UK-based releases) has been done to death compilation-wise over the last three decades of CD reissue. And fans will be wary of yet another splurge, no matter how tastily presented it may be.

 

But compiler and Uber enthusiast Jon Savage is smart enough to know this, and so has spread the purview of his latest twofer of 46-cuts out to all manner of unlikely but relevant corners of the genre spectrum (all but one are 45-single versions). Electronica sits alongside Euro Disco and US Funk while Jamaican Reggae and Dub follows Northern English Industrial and Siouxsie Sue Psych B-sides. American Garage and Rockabilly are bedfellows with Mancunian Synth siblings nibbling at the warm leatherette of Canadian Garage Dropouts. Whilst Brian Eno soundscapes and homemade Punkettes heading towards Woolworths on the London Underground with a safety pin on their knee and a heart full of hope. Sheila B. Devotion and The Undertones on the same playlist – yum baby yum.

 

"Jon Savage's 1977-1979: Symbols Clashing Everywhere" is rather expensive for sure (upwards of £18 in places), but after living with it a tad, I'm thinking precisely because of the aforementioned cleverly-thought-out genre-spread, "Symbols..." is actually a brill compilation in a marketplace crowded with too many of these sets - most sporting obvious choices. And that's all right mama (as the boy once said). Much to discuss and lots to pogo to my peeps; so here are the wide-eyed and legless details...

 

UK released, 28 January 2022 - "Jon Savage's 1977-1979: Symbols Clashing Everywhere" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Ace Records CDTOP2 1610 (Barcode 029667104623) is a 46-Track 2CD Compilation in a Year-by-Year Series (see full list below). It plays out as follows:

 

CD1 (78:18 minutes):

1. Prophesy Reveal - BO JANGLES [DJ Marvin Pitterson, Joe Gibbs Song & Production] (1977 Jamaican 45-single on Errol T Records, A-side)

2. Neat Neat Neat - THE DAMNED (February 1977 UK 45-single on Stiff BUY 10, A-side)

3. Heavy Manners - PRINCE FAR I (February 1977 UK 45-single on Lightning TRO 9000, A-side)

4. Soda Pressing - THE BOYS (April 1977 UK 45-single on NEMS Records NES 102, B-side of "I Don't Care")

5. Quick Step - THE ADVERTS (April 1977 UK 45-single on Stiff BUY 13, B-side of "One Chord Wonders")

6. Young Savage - ULTRAVOX! (May 1977 UK 45-single on Island WIP 6392, A-side)

7. Magic Fly - SPACE (June 1977 France on Vogue-45 V 140196, July 1977 UK 45-single on Pyne International 7N 25746, A-side)

8. The Modern Dance - PERE UBU (August 1977 US 45-single on Hearthan HR 104, A-side)

9. Day By Day - GENERATION X (September 1977 UK 45-single on Chrysalis CHS 2165, B-side of "Your Generation")

10. Utopia - Me Giorgio - GIORGIO (September 1977 German 45-single on Moroder/Oasis 11 538 AT, A-side)

11. The Passenger - IGGY POP (September 1977 UK 45-single on RCA Victor PB 9160, A-side)

12. Suspended Sentence - JOHN COOPER CLARKE (November 1977 UK 45-single 3-Track "Innocents" EP on Rabid TOSH 103, Track 1, A-side)

13. Bamba In Dub - REVOLUTIONARIES (1977 UK 45-single on Sky Note SKY 1002, B-side of "El Bamba")

14. No Bones For The Dogs - JOE GIBBS & THE PROFESSIONALS (1977 Jamaican 45-single on Errol T. Town & Country Records, A-side)

15. Emergency - 999 (January 1978 UK 45-single on United Artists UP 36399, A-side)

16. King's Lead Hat - BRIAN ENO (January 1978 UK 45-single on Polydor 2001 762, A-side)

17. Dontsplitit - SUBWAY SECT (March 1978 UK 45-single on Braik BRS 01, A-side)

18. 52 Girls - THE B-52's (July 1979 UK 45-singkle on Island PSR 438, B-side of "Rock Lobster")

19. Moving Away From The Pulsebeat - BUZZCOCKS (April 1978 UK Album Track on their debut LP "Another Music In A Different Kitchen" on United Artists UALP 15)

20. Neverr - PENETRATION (May 1978 UK 45-single on Virgin VS 213, B-side of "Firing Squad")

21. Warm Leatherette - GRACE JONES (May 1978 UK 45-single on Mute 001, A-side)

22. I Remember - SUICIDE (May 1978 UK 45-single on Red Star/Bronze BRO 57, B-side of "Cheree")

23. True Confessions - THE UNDERTONES (September 1978 UK "Teenage Kicks" EP on Good Vibrations GOT 4, original version)

 

CD2 (79:03 minutes):

1. Being Boiled - THE HUMAN LEAGUE (June 1978 UK 45-single Fast Product FAST 4, A-side)

2. White Night - THE LINES (June 1978 UK 45-single on Linear SJP 782, A-side)

3. Come Back Jonee - DEVO (August 1978 UK 45-single on Virgin VS 223, A-side)

4. Tired Of Waking Up Tired - THE DIODES (August 1978 UK 45-single on Epic 6531, A-side)

5. Voices - SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES (August 1978 UK 45-single on Polydor 2059 052, B-side of "Hong Kong Garden")

6. 28/8/78 - SCRITTI POLITTI (October 1978 UK 45-single EP on St. Pancras Records SCRIT 1, Instrumental Last Track on Side B of a 3-Track EP)

7. The Set Up - CABARET VOLTAIRE (October 1978 UK 45-single "Extended Play" on Rough Trade RT 003, Last Track on Side 2 of a 4-Track EP)

8. Human Fly - THE CRAMPS (November 1978 US 45-single on Vengeance 668, A-side)

9. Found A Job - TALKING HEADS (October 1978 UK 45-single on Sire SIR 4004, B-side of "Take Me To The River")

10. Situations - THE MIDDLE CLASS (Autumn 1978 US "Out Of Vogue" EP on Joke 09831 - December 1978 UK on "Earcom 3" EP on Fast Product FAST 9c)

11. Times Encounter - NIGEL SIMPKINS (November 1978 UK "X. Enc." EP on Waldo's Swing Series 002)

12. Handling The Big Jets - THE MEMBERS (January 1979 UK 45-single on Virgin VS 242, Instrumental B-side to "The Sound Of The Suburbs")

13. Hippie - SUZANNES (March 1979 Dutch "New Disease Sells 2000 Copies In Europe!" EP on De 1000 Idioten IDI 333)

14. 3.38 - THE POP GROUP (March 1979 UK 45-single on Radar ADA 29, B-side of "She Is Beyond Good And Evil")

15. Warrior In Woolworths - X-RAY SPEX (April 1979 UK 45-single on EMI International INT 583, B-side of "Highly Inflammable")

16. Are 'Friends' Electric? - TUBEWAY ARMY (May 1979 UK 45-single on Beggars Banquet BEG 18, A-side)

17. All Night Party - A CERTAIN RATIO (May 1979 UK 45-single Factory FAC 5, A-side)

18. Pakmoväst - TELEX (July 1979 French Vogue 45 X 1172, B-side of "Moscow Diskow")

19. Eine Symphonie Des Grauens - THE MONOCHROME SET (June 1979 UK 45-single on Rough Trade RT 019, A-side)

20. A Question Of Degree - WIRE (June 1979 UK 45-single on Harvest HAR 5187, A-side)

21. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - THE SLITS (September 1979 UK 45-single on Island WIP 6505, B-side of "Typical Girls")

22. Hindu Gods (Of Love) - LIPSTICK KILLERS (Autumn 1979 Australian 45-single on Lost In Space PRS-2661, A-side)

23. Spacer - SHEILA & B. DEVOTION (November 1979 UK 45-single on Carrere CAR 128, A-side - written and produced by Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers of Chic)

 

The 28-page booklet is a beast allowing to Savage to pour out facts and highly personal opinions on every entry - many of which you will notice are the lesser-tread B-sides of big hitters. He also explains his leaning away from 'one chord wonders' into deeper stuff, and all of it sided with posters, trade adverts, and period 45 picture-sleeves collectors worship daily on. Can't say I've ever seen The Middle Class' American Joker Records original P/S for their "Out Of Vogue" Extended Play or the "New Disease..." EP by the obscure band Suzannes from the Netherlands either - very cool. Long-standing Audio Engineer to Ace Records NICK ROBBINS has handled the Mastering and done his usual daring-do with the tapes - great punch and that feeling you're boogieing through a digital jukebox with audio muscle. To the contents...

 

It opens with the echoed preaching of DJ Marvin Pitterson telling us about Marcus Garvey's prophesies for 1977 - pretty good sound for a Babylon-The-Wicked warning. Things go stellar though with the fantastic "Neat Neat Neat" by The Damned, a warp speed opener for Punk that sends me doolally still. Back to Dub Rhythms with Natty Dread worrin' 'bout War in the East and War in the West - tremendous stuff from Prince Far I commenting on Prime Minister Michael Manley's declared 'State Of Emergency' for Jamaica (you can so hear why The Clash took on these ideas and rhythms in their hybrids). Time to Rock 'n' Roll New York Dolls stylee with "Soda Pressing" by The Boys, a fab 'come on baby give me a smile' rocker that would have Joe Strummer sit up and wink. Amateur yet so full of vinegar, "Quick Step" ploughs the same grungy furrow that The Damned did in February 1977. I'd genuinely forgotten how great the rocking version of Ultravox! is - "Young Savage" benefiting from Steve Lilywhite's in-yer-face Production.

 

In come the Synths and Euro Electronic Disco beats with the shockingly hip "Space" by Magic Fly, a Star Wars vs. The Dancefloor seven-inch single we were regularly asked for when I worked in Reckless Records in Berwick Street. Smartly following that is the warbling-vocal jerky-neck beat of Pere Ubu; their "Modern Dance" sounding like the lovechild of Talking Heads and Devo. Back to full-speed-ahead British Punk with Billy Idol in suitable sneering mode for "Day By Day" – Generation X produced by the man who twiddled knobs for glam queens The Sweet.

 

Italian Disco icon Giorgio Moroder gives it some pulsing trouser-trust with his so-camp "Utopia: Me Giorgio" perfectly followed by another stunning show off in top (no top) form – Iggy Pop riding "The Passenger" – arguably one of the great unsung hero 45s of the year. Page 3 Big Bum lyrics liven up the anarchic "Suspended Sentence" where John Cooper Clarke writes to the Sun to argue the return of hanging (for everyone) – what a nice chap! Genius follow-on comes in the shape of a Jackie Mittoo cover done in a bass-kicking Dub style by The Revolutionaries – and again I get the feeling that The Clash are listening and Sandinista appreciating. Joe Gibbs gives it some flute-and—reggae-rhythm echo for his sought-after barky-starky "No Bones For The Dog".

 

Savage starts 1978 with the strident "Emergency" – Nick Cash of 999 snarling out those make-em-pay lyrics with genuine Punk attitude. So very "Low" period Bowie gone Punk – Brian Eno gets metallic sounding with his frantic "King’s Lead Hat" – a tune and vocal that could easily have been on the Talking Heads: 77 debut album. Other goodies on CD1 include The Normal's decidedly -in-the-now smarts displayed in "Warm Leatherette" and the mighty Undertones "Teenage Kicks" EP on Terry Hooley's Belfast-based Good Vibrations - their cut of "True Confessions" differing on that homemade EP than the re-cut LP version that came later.

 

CD2 opens in June 1978 with the 'ok, ready, let's do it' of The Human League sounding so DIY Electro-Pop on "Being Boiled" - it hurts. The flashing-lights of suburbia obsess The Lines and their excellent New-Wave guitar throwback "White Night" - a brilliant inclusion. Smart choices also goes to restlessness of "Tired Of Waking Up Tired" by Canada's The Diodes suffering from too much time to kill and I gotta say, I felt like a full-on pogo to the fabulous Siouxsie B-side "Voices" - a very cool piece of treated guitar warbling menacing its weird way across your speakers.

 

The shadow of Talking Heads and their edgy US Funky New Wave sound starts to dominate much of the scene and I loved that. Feels like 1976 for the very Ramones "Hippie" from Euro-types Suzannes and there isn't surely anyone who dug the period that wouldn't smile at X-Ray Specs giving us their rebel on the underground making his way into a "Warrior In Woolworths" (great choice). And on it goes the Lipstick Killers grungy kick-ass "Hindu Gods (Of Love)" sounding fantastic only to be followed by something that shouldn't work - a Chic-sounding "Spacer" - indicating the more Pop-Soul future to come.

 

I'm not sure that everything on this latest Jon Savage 2CD tome will hit the mark with everyone everywhere, but I love a good comp me and this is one compiled from roads less traveled that deserve a second--go-round. Nice one broheem...

 

  Titles in Jon Savage's Year Series are (2CDs, 48-Track Compilations)

 

1. Jon Savage's 1965: The Year The Sixties Ignited (January 2018 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1513 (Barcode 029667086028)

 

2. Jon Savage's 1966: The Year The Decade Exploded (October 2015 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1452 (Barcode 029667074223)

 

3. Jon Savage's 1967: The Year Pop Divided (March 2017 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1495 (Barcode 029667079525)

 

4. Jon Savage's 1968: The Year The World Burned (November 2018 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1536 (Barcode 029667092821)

 

5. Jon Savage's 1969-1971: Rock Dreams on 45 (25 October 2019 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1559 (Barcode 029667096621)

 

6. Jon Savage's 1972-1976: All Our Times Have Come (26 March 2021 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1594 (Barcode 029667101523)

 

7. Jon Savage's 1977-1979: Symbols Clashing Everywhere (28 January 2022 UK 2CD set on Ace CDTOP2 1610 (Barcode 029667104623) – 46 Tracks