U.K.Subs — The Albums 1979- 82( CD boxset)

Here’s a CD boxset bringing together the late 70s to early 80’s albums from first-wave British punk band U.K. Subs. It charts the band's sound shifting from its rough ‘n’ ready pub rock-tinged punk beginnings to slightly more refined/ tuneful fare. The five-CD set takes in the following albums- Another Kind Of Blues (1979), Brand New Age (1980),  live album Crash Course (1980), Diminished Responsibility (1981), and Engaged Species (1982)- with each disc taking in a fair selection of bonus tracks.

The boxset appears on Captain Oi!- which is the punk/ related reissue sublabel of Cherry Red. The set becomes presented in a flip-side cardboard box- this is a glossy affair- featuring a black backdrop with grey & red texts- with the front featuring all of the album covers. Each CD/ Album gets its own colour card slip, which recreates the original vinyl artwork in miniature.  It features a glossy/ colour twenty-page inlay booklet- this brings together bullet points/ factoids for each album, as well as a good selection of album/ single artwork.

U.K Subs were formed in the year 1976 in London. The band's first lineup consisted of founder/ lead singer Charlie Harper, guitarist Nicky Garratt, bassist Paul Slack, and drummer Rory Lyons. Harper had been a singer on the UK R&B scene, as well as singing in pub rock band The Marauders.  Since starting the band has released twenty-two studio albums, seventeen live albums, and a good selection of EPs/ comps/ etc.  Harper is the only original member, and U.K. Subs has had over seventy members go through its ranks- which is up to  Fall like levels.

Starting off the set we have the 1979’s debut album Another Kind Of Blues- which was originally released by major RCA.  The seventeen-track affair certainly sees the band taking influence from rock, the blues, and pub rock-  but with the whole thing having a rough ‘n’ ready/ often fairly rapid punk flow about it.  All the songs are short/ compact lasting between one and a half and just over the two-minute mark.  We go from harmonica-edged,  guitar gunning, and cymbal smashing of “I Couldn’t Be You” which sits between blues rock work out & pogo punk. Onto the rock guitar-tinged proto-hardcore punk of “World War”-  which finishes off with the sound of nuke detonating.  The second half of the record goes from the gunning chugg/ meets sightly hard rock-tinged “Blue”, onto the cheeky/ speedy gallop of “B.1.C”. As debut albums go it’s a fittingly urgent/ no-nonsense affair, and the way the band mix in other genre elements into the punk framework feels very distinctive & organic. This first disc features nine bonus/ extra tracks- taking in single versions of tracks, and a few other/ B sides.

Next, we have the band's second album  Brand New Age which fittingly appeared in the first year of the new decade. It features fourteen tracks, and the tone here is slightly more greyer/ bitter- with a more defined Hardcore Punk feel to many of the tracks.  We go the scuzzy churning riff meets percussive crash ‘n’ bash of the title track, onto ugly chip ‘n’ chopping guitar tones &  sloppily chanting chorus of  “Organised Crime”. In the second half of the album we go from the speeded-up rock ‘n’ roll riffing meets ruckus shouty vocals of “Kicks”, onto siren underfed stomp ‘n’ gallop of  “Bomb Factory”.  This is a lot more angry/ less easy-going record- with a lot of the blues & rock elements either deeper distilled into the sound or gone, and you can certainly hear some Anarcho-punk touches too. This CD takes in ten bonus tracks- which are once again made up of singles, none album tracks, etc.

Next up is the only live album in the set Crash Course. This is a twenty-track album- it was recorded at London’s Rainbow on the 30th Of May 1980. It brings together ( largely)  material from the band's first and second albums- with a good mix of the early more pub rock-influenced punk ups, and the more speedy/ angry- all making for a rewarding mix of the fun/  more serious of the punk form. We get four bonus tracks, which come from a 12” single from September 1980 

The fourth CD in the set takes in Diminished Responsibility. This is from 1981 and was a thirteen-track affair. It saw the band bring back in the more rock elements of their sound, as well as slightly more tuneful/ produced elements- with some subtle touches of synth/ keyboards here & there. We open with the gunning rock ‘n’ influenced punk of “You Don’t Belong” with Harper sounding quite ranting Johny Rotten like in his verse vocals, with contrasting more raising/ lightly harmonic chorus. Moving on we have the urgent riffing & rapid tom-filled “Violent City” which has a bit of snarl/ danger about it. In the album's second half, we have the simplistic chanted vocal & gunning guitar of “Fight The Machine”.  With the album playing out with the more rock-strung out Strutt meets layered chanted vocals/ stretching studio effects of “Collision Cult”. It’s another solid enough album- though you do feel the band doesn’t quite know where they fit anymore, as of course the punk years had receded. This disc features ten bonus tracks

Finally, we have 1982’s Endangered Species. This is a twelve-track album, and it sees the band weaving more memorability/approachability/ fun back into their punk rock sound.  We go from the punchy horror punk of “Living Dead”,  onto speeding riff meets split harmony/ chant of “Lie Down And Die”. On the second side of the album we have the goth-rock-like tribute/ send-up of  “Sensitive Boy”.  There’s the bass-bounding, snapping beats, and twanging guitar flicks of “Ice Age”, or the stomping riff/ chanted vocals of “I Robot”. All in this is maybe the most fascinating album of the set, as it sees the band trying to push/ vairy their sound- yet at the same time writing some memorable songs too. There are just two bonus tracks on this disc.

It certainly is wonderful to see these 70’s and 80’s U.K.Sub's albums brought together into this boxset. With a good selection of bonus tracks, and a good charting of the band's subtle shifting sound.