Album review: UK SUBS – A Punk Rock Anthology 1978-2017

Edsel [Release date 28.1.22]

The UK Subs back catalogue is the gift that keeps on giving, surely qualifying them as one of the most compiled groups of the punk/new wave era. The beauty of this 56 track 2CD set is that it spans their entire career up to 2017, with tracks licensed in from a myriad of labels.

CD1 focusses on their more commercially successful years and, crucially, contains (where applicable) the superior ‘single’ versions. Kicking things off are both sides from the independently released City Records single from 1978, ‘C.I.D.’ and ‘Live In A Car’.

The Subs had quite a run of hits in 1979/80, with all six singles for the GEM label in this period hitting the UK Top 40. All are present here – ‘Strangehold’, ‘Tomorrows Girls’, ‘Warhead’, ‘Teenage’, ‘Party In Paris’, and their cover of the Zombies’ ‘She’s Not There’. The classic ‘Keep On Running (Til You Burn)’ also deserved to be a bigger hit.

As well as several B-sides, CD1 also contains a select number of key album tracks, including two from arguably their finest LP “Endangered Species”. Originally issued in 1982 by NEMS, present here are the title track and ‘Down On The Farm’ (later covered by Guns N’ Roses). There are also two cuts from the underrated follow up “Flood Of Lies”. As a primer for their 1978-1983 output, CD1 boasts a terrific selection.

CD2 covers a lot more ground, drawing highlights from 1985 to 2017. As well as various singles, the ‘deep cut’ selections are often outstanding with the brutal ‘Rock N Roll Savage’, melodic gem ‘Drag Me Down’ (with vocals by bassist Alvin Gibbs) and storming ‘Here Comes Alex’ all standouts.

The run of impressive later period tracks continues with ‘Bitter & Twisted’ and ‘Riot’ (from 1997/98 respectively), ‘Soho’ (from 2002’s “Universal”) and the haunting ‘Sick Velveteen’ from 2015’s “Yellow Leader”. There’s also a lively take on the traditional ‘Drunken Sailor’, and the set is rounded off with 2017 single ‘The Beast’.

The CDs are housed in a smart foldout card sleeve and the packaging incorporates images of all original singles and albums. For a group whose line-up has regularly changed over the years (Charlie Harper being the only mainstay), it’s also handy to have a personnel breakdown and credits for each track. There are no sleeve notes, but as an introduction to the band this is a perfect starting point. Even for the committed fan it’s a bonus to have all of the 7” versions in one place, along with tracks from the less regularly compiled later years. Almost 2½ hours of prime UK Subs! ****

Review by Jim Henderson

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