For those unaware, The Good, The Bad & The 4 Skins [Expanded Edition] is a re-issue of the debut album by leading Oi! band The 4 Skins which spent a month in the UK National Charts on its release in March 1982 as well as topping the Independent Chart.

The release features all of the recordings made by the Panther / Jon Jacobs / Hoxton Tom / Pete Abbot incarnation of the band and includes the Indie No.7 charting single ‘Yesterdays Heroes’ plus the ‘Low Life’ 45.

The booklet also features lyrics to all the songs plus many rare previously unpublished pictures from the original album photo session.

OK, taking it from the top, hailing from London’s East End, The 4 Skins were there at the very start of the Oi! movement, making their debut on the seminal Oi! The Album. They also appeared on the follow-up Strength Thru Oi! and Carry On Oi! compilations, as well as issuing the ferocious debut One Law For Them 45, all whilst fronted by the legend that is Gary Hodges.

When he departed at the tail end of ’81 the bands roadie, Panther, took over and did a fine job on the Yesterdays Heroes and Lowlife singles as well as the essential long player The Good The Bad The 4 Skins. Panther then too decided to move on and into the breach stepped one Roi Pearce, ex of the Last Resort, who took charge of the band on the A Fistful Of 4 Skins and From Chaos To 1984 albums.

Luckily, and as fans can attest to, the line-up changes never diminished the great songs no matter who sang them ACAB, Sorry, 1984 Evil, Chaos, Wonderful World, etc. So all hail the glorious Oi! anthems from a group regularly viewed as the ultimate Oi! band.

As for this album, well, there’s little to complain about here, especially on this brilliantly expanded single-disc edition, as nearly every song brings forth incendiary tracks that hold their age perfectly, and blaze out in all their primal glory, one after another.

Key cuts abound, but the seven live tracks that closed the debut album, and here lurk in the middle of the disc, are your entry into one of the most exciting gigs you’ll ever hear!

Studio:
1. Plastic Gangsters
2. Jealousy
3. Yesterday’s Heroes
4. Justice
5. Jack The Lad
6. Remembrance Day
7. Manifesto

Live:
8. Wonderful World
9. 1984
10. Sorry
11. Evil
12. I Don’t Wanna Die
13. A.C.A.B.
14. Chaos - Studio
15. One Law For Them

Bonus Tracks:
16. Dambusters (as JJ Allstars)
17. Yesterdays Heroes (Single Version)
18. Justice (Single Version)
19. Get Out Of My Life
20. Low Life
21. Bread Or Blood
22. Norman
23. Seems To Me
24. Merry Xmas Everybody

Official Purchase Link