Title - Cockney Rejects: Greatest Hits Vol.1 + Vol.2
Artist - Cockney Rejects
For those unaware, rarely in the long history of British rock’n’roll has there been a story of such depth, magnitude and sheer turbulence as that of the Cockney Rejects.
The band were formed in the late Seventies in East London as an answer to the art school punk that had dominated the scene up until then.
Fiercely working class in stance and attitude, the band eschewed the political ramblings of punk’s first wave and sang about the circumstances that surrounded them and millions of street kids in Britain’s inner cities- Police harassment, street battles and football to name three.
Signed by EMI after playing four local gigs (less than the pistols!) they found themselves playing sell out tours the length and breadth of the UK and seeing their debut album storm the charts.
Top of the pops appearances followed, which became the stuff of legend as the band generally ran amok in the hallowed White city studios, finally getting banned from the show for their boisterous behavior.
In 1980 the band recorded a riotous version of ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’ to celebrate the fact that their beloved West Ham United had reached the FA cup final that year, but their devotion to all things claret and blue proved to be their downfall as the gigs became battlegrounds between the band and rival supporters, culminating in the vicious ‘Battle of Birmingham’ that led to serious criminal charges that in turn led to the band being finished as a touring unit.
With the band’s first phase being over, in the interim they were discovered by a brand new fanbase such as US bands Rancid and Green Day, who cherished the Rejects and their terrace punk singalong anthems which, in turn, inspired a new generation of kids to check them out.
Due to overwhelming demand, the band returned to the live circuit in 2000, and have since gone from strength to strength, playing to hundreds of thousands of people across the globe with a live set that is so energetic that it has to be seen to be believed.
With the fractionalization of the late ‘70’s and early ‘80’s now gone for good, with every gig becoming a party for fans and band alike, the Cockney Rejects go from strength to strength.
There has never been a better time to check out the band that inspired a generation with their timeless brand of terrace sing along classics and white hot live set.
Especially now that Cherry Red Records (UK) have just released Cockney Rejects: Greatest Hits Vol.1 + Vol.2, a 38 track 2CD digipack featuring the most commercially successful releases by famed London Street Punk Oi! band, the Cockney Rejects.
Disc One
1. I’m Not A Fool
2. Headbanger
3. Bad Man
4. Fighting In The Street
5. Shitter
6. Here They Come Again
7. Join The Rejects
8. East End
9. The New Song
10. Police Car
11. Someone Like You
12. (They’re Gonna) Put Me Away
13. Are You Ready To Ruck
14. Where The Hell Is Babylon?
15. Flares `N’ Slippers [Bonus Tracks]
16. Police Car (Single Version) [Bonus Tracks]
17. I Wanna Be A Star [Bonus Tracks]
The first disc is the ‘Greatest Hits Vol.1’ debut LP which hit No. 22 in the National Charts and includes the No.65 charting singles ‘I’m Not A Fool’ and ‘Bad Man’ plus the No.21 smash ‘The Greatest Cockney Rip Off’.
This disc opens on the great riff and superb guitar sound that drives I’m Not A Fool and the bass and drum-led Headbanger and then the propellant, top notch punk continues onward on tracks such as Bad Man, Shitter, the anthemic Join The Rejects, the angry Police Car (Freedom? Ain’t no F**KING freedom!), the first CD now coming complete with a trio of bonus tracks, the stand out for me being the rambunctiously melodic chanter Flares `N’ Slippers.
Disc Two:
1. War On The Terraces (For The Firm)
2. In The Underworld
3. Oi Oi Oi
4. Hate Of The City
5. With The Boys (On Tour)
6. Urban Guerilla
7. The Rocker
8. The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off
9. Sitting In A Cell (With You)
10. On The Waterfront
11. We Can Do Anything
12. It’s Alright
13. Subculture
14. Blockbuster
15. Hate Of The City (Single Version) [Bonus Tracks]
16. I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles [Bonus Tracks]
17. West Side Boys [Bonus Tracks]
18. 15 Nights [Bonus Tracks]
19. We Are The Firm [Bonus Tracks]
20. Here We Go Again [Bonus Tracks]
21. Generation Of Scars (as Terrible Twins) [Bonus Tracks]
The second disc is follow up album naturally called ‘Greatest Hits Vol.2’ which reached NO.23 in the UK charts and features hits like ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ (No.35), ‘We Can Do Anything’ (No.65) and ‘We Are The Firm’ (No. 54).
This disc opens on the barn storming trio of the AFC East Stand N5 fire storm of War On The Terraces (For The Firm), the perfect punker In The Underworld and the banging tune Oi Oi Oi, and then continues onward with tracks such as the melodic punk rock of The Rocker, the working class punk that drives the brilliant The Greatest Cockney Rip-Off (check out their performance of this on TOTP via YouTube), a totally buzzing cover of the Sweet classic Blockbuster, and amongst the bonus tracks we find the anthemic West Ham United chant I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles and the these-colors-never-run cut We Are The Firm.
Lyrics to all the songs plus liner notes and repros of all relevant picture sleeves are featured in the packed CD booklet.
Cockney Rejects - Greatest Hits Vol One/Vol Two 2CD [Official Trailer]
Official Purchase Link
www.cockneyrejects.com
www.cherryred.co.uk