For those unaware, The Albums 1979-82 is a most wondrous 5CD, 111-track clam shell box-set covers the most commercially successful years of Punk legends the UK Subs.

The UK Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain’s R&B scene.

One of the first hardcore punk bands, elements of rhythm and blues music - including harmonica - also remained an occasional element of their work throughout their definitive years.

Disc 1 is debut album ‘Another Kind Of Blues’ which reached No.21 in the National Charts. Amongst the nine bonus tracks are the hit singles ‘Stranglehold’ (No.26) and ‘Tomorrows Girls’ (No.28).

CD 1: ANOTHER KIND OF BLUES
1. C.I.D.
2. I Couldn’t Be You
3. I Live In A Car
4. Tomorrows Girls
5. Killer
6. World War
7. Rockers
8. I.O.D.
9. T.V. Blues
10. Blues
11. Lady Esquire
12. All I Want To Know
13. Crash Course
14. Young Criminals
15. B.1.C.
16. Disease
17. Stranglehold
BONUS TRACKS:
18. C.I.D. (Single Version)
19. Live In A Car (Single Version)
20. B.1.C (Single Version)
21. Stranglehold (Single Version)
22. World War (Single Version)
23. Rockers (Single Version)
24. Tomorrows Girls (Single Version)
25. Scum Of The Earth
26. Telephone Numbers

As noted, this was their hard hitting debut album which hit #21 in the National Charts when first released in 1979. The nine bonus tracks include the debut C.I.D EP plus the hit singles Stranglehold (No.26) and Tomorrows Girls (No.28).

Also known as being the first release in the Subs quest to release an album for every letter of the alphabet, it is a stellar musical reminder of one of the UK’s most important punk bands from the late ’70s.

I mean, when it comes to punk, this is the stuff that is timeless and melds beautifully with other such akin bands of the time as The Damned, SLF, The Vibrators, 999, Eddie and the Hot Rods, King Kurt, and others.

And trust me when I say that the slew of bonus tracks make it incredibly worthwhile having in this box-set, let alone on its own disc and readily available to pop in the CD player at any given time!

The second disc is the No.18 charting album ‘Brand New Age’ which now comes with ten bonus tracks including the hit singles ‘She’s Not There’ (No.36), ‘Warhead’ (No.30) and ‘Teenage’ (No.32).

CD 2: BRAND NEW AGE
1. You Can’t Take It Anymore
2. Brand New Age
3. Public Servant
4. Warhead
5. Barbie’s Dead
6. Organised Crime
7. Rat Race
8. EmoMonal Blackmail
9. Kicks
10. Teenage
11. Dirty Girls
12. 500 CC
13. Bomb Factory
14. EmoMonal Blackmail II
BONUS TRACKS:
15. She’s Not There
16. Kicks (Single Version)
17. VicMm
18. The Same Thing 19. Warhead (Single Version)
20. The Harper
21. I’m WaiMng For The Man
22. Teenage (Single Version)
23. LeZ For Dead
24. New York State Police

Regardless of the fact that their best work would always be from their aforementioned debut, their sophomore recording was very much built on the frenzied, melodic assault of their debut by developing their songwriting skills.

Ergo, Brand New Age contains tracks that are perhaps more ambitious than those on the debut, yet not as filled out, but sure, with more variety and lyrical depth.

And rather than the amusing teen angst rants of the debut, this album shows the Subs embracing a more political point of view, such as on tracks like Warhead, a seething diatribe on nuclear war, delivered with the venom and ferocity such a topic deserves.

Disc 3 is the In Concert ‘Crash Course’ album which reached No. 8 in the winter of 1980.

CD 3: CRASH COURSE (LIVE)
1. C.I.D.
2. I Couldn’t Be You
3. I Live In A Car
4. Tomorrows Girls
5. Left For Dead
6. Kicks
7. Rat Race
8. New York State Police
9. Warhead
10. Public Servant
11. Telephone Numbers
12. Organised Crime
13. Rockers
14. Brand New Age
15. Dirty Girls
16. The Same Thing
17. Crash Course
18. Teenage
19. Killer
20. Emotional Blackmail
BONUS TRACKS:
21. I.O.D.
22. Lady Esquire
23. Blues
24. Young Criminals

Following the release of Brand New Age (in April of 1980), the band went out on tour in support of the album. On May 30th a concert was planned at the Electric Ballroom in London, but because of fast ticket sales the show was moved to the (larger) Rainbow Theatre.

Even knowing going in that the overall sound isn’t great, it still manages to give a more than decent representation of the band’s live achievements at the time.

The punchy songs are performed with conviction and without too much fuss, with the band playing the only way they know how to do: loud, fast, and vocally throaty throughout.

The average song length lies about the 2 minute mark - and why should it be more than that, in truth - and even though (as the story goes), singer Charlie Harper was so drunk that almost all his vocals had to be re-recorded, it is a massive live set to dutifully hear once again today within this glorious set.

The fourth disc is the No.18 charting ‘Diminished Responsibility’ album. Among its ten bonus tracks are the hit singles ‘Party In Paris’ (No. 32) and ‘Keep On Running (Till You Burn)’ (No.41) plus the first two solo 45’s by vocalist Charlie Harper.

CD 4: DIMINISHED RESPONSIBILITY
1. You Don’t Belong
2. So What
3. Confrontation
4. Fatal
5. Time And Matter
6. Violent City
7. Too Tired
8. Party In Paris
9. Gangster
10. Face The Machine
11. New Order
12. Just Another Jungle
13. Collision Cult
BONUS TRACKS:
14. Party In Paris (Single Version)
15. Fall Of The Empire
16. Keep On Running (Til You Burn)
17. Perfect Girl
18. Ice Age (Single Version)
19. Party In Paris (French Version)
BONUS CHARLIE HARPER TRACKS:
20. Barmy London Army
21. Talk Is Cheap
22. Freaked
23. Jo

To my mind, this third studio album from veteran punk belter Charlie Harper’s barmy London army was something of a watershed recording for the UK Subs.

Diminished Responsibility marked the arrival of both bassist Alvin Gibbs and drummer Steve Roberts, who brought a certain degree of metal swagger to the Subs’ chaotic and perpetually overstated punk rock party.

Produced (somewhat bizarrely) by Gary Glitter svengali Mike Leander, Diminished Responsibility marked the beginning of the band’s commercial decline, yet Gangster recalls their priceless three-chord genesis, while Fatal finds them throttling back and looking for a brand new kind of kick.

Disc 5 is 1982s ‘Endangered Species’ album which reached No. 11 in the Independent Chart and featured the song ‘Down On The Farm’ which was later covered by Guns n’ Roses on their million selling ‘Spaghetti Incident’ album.

CD 5: ENDANGERED SPECIES
1. Endangered Species
2. Living Dead
3. Countdown
4. Ambition
5. Lie Down And Die
6. Fear Of Girls
7. Down On The Farm
8. Sensitive Boys
9. ÷ 8 x 5
10. Ice Age
11. I Robot
12. Flesh Wound
BONUS TRACKS:
13. Plan Of Action
14. I Don’t Need Your Love (Charlie vocal)

This was their fourth studio album, and the commercial success road once walked, and which got hit on their last album, was most definitely now coming to an end.

Mostly due to the underlying fact that the first big phase of punk rock had been and gone, that said, and in my humble opinion, this album is an absolutely brilliant, production heavy one nonetheless.

The sound is solid, rich and as full bloodied as any heavy rock album I have ever heard! More importantly, we get here some brilliant classic heavy rock music in the form of tracks like the titular Endangered Species, Living Dead and Down On The Farm.

It also features the UK Subs in surprisingly creative mood on tracks such as Flesh Wound and Ice Age, and also do yourself a favor by checking out some brilliant harmonica work on Ambition.

The booklet contains detailed notes on the whole era plus pictures of all relevant releases.

Though ‘retired’ from full scale touring the band are still very much active on the live circuit and have British shows lined up at:

March 24 Coventry, HMV Empire
March 31 Scarborough, Punk Festival
April 26 Manchester, Academy
April 27 Glasgow, Academy – Scotland Calling Festival
May 24 Bristol, The Fleece
May 25 London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
– Charlie Harper’s 80th Birthday Bash!

Official Purchase Link

www.uksubstimeandmatter.net