URBAN ASPIRINES: Wasted Youth: Wild And Wandering 1981

Wasted Youth were a dark-wave/post-punk band from London, England, active between 1979 and 1982, which blended early Goth and post-punk with dark acoustic strains of the sort associated with Nick Drake and Syd Barrett. The line-up of the band was Ken Scott (vocals and guitar), Rocco Barker (guitar), Nick Nicole (synth), Darren Murphy (bass) and Andy Scott (drums). Their records were released through Bridgehouse Records, a label set up by the bass player's father, former boxer Terry Murphy.

Wasted Youth emerged from the Plaistow power pop trio The Tickets who were fronted by Ken Scott with brother Andy on Drums and John McGeady on bass.

Rocco Barker went on to form the band Flesh for Lulu and was in the Channel 4 show, A Place in Spain: Costa Chaos.
The band's bassist, Darren Murphy, died of cancer on 15 February 2012.

Wasted Youth were arguably the greatest ”Ëœlost’ London band of the post-punk years. Rarely mentioned, if at all, in the era’s music history books, they were heavily influenced by the dark narcotic glamour of the Velvets, the Doors and Transformer-era Lou Reed. The Only Ones Peter Perrett produced them, as did Martin Hannett.

They were hugely popular as the Eighties dawned with punks looking for something more sexy and sophisticated and looked set to become much more than the cult band they became. They pre-dated Positive Punk and Goth and are still remembered as quietly-influential and a superb live band by fans.

The stunning debut album by one of the most underrated U.K. bands of their age, ‘Wild and Wandering’ was released in the wake of three singles, each of which threatened to lift the band to new heights but all of which, ultimately, served as nothing more than a dress rehearsal for guitarist Rocco’s next band Flesh for Lulu.

Darkly atmospheric, but lavished with pop hooks and imagery, its nine songs are a haunted, haunting melange of urban savagery and decadent decay, the passion of the Velvet Underground shot through the energies of punk in a way that more po-faced wanderers down that same path (Echo & the Bunnymen, Joy Division) could never have imagined.

Hindsight may pinpoint the likes of the Cure and Bauhaus within its textures, but that is forgetting that Wasted Youth were feared contemporaries of both, so who really lifted that drum pattern…that vocal inflexion…that guitar riff…from whom?

TRACKS

01. Maybe We´ll Die 7:25

02. Housewife 2:55

03. Games 3:42

04. Pinned And Grinning 3:22

05. Wasted 4:39

06. I Wish I Was A Girl 5:43

07. If Tomorrow 5:44

08. Survivors - Pt. 1 2:08

09. Survivors - Pt. 2 8:08

10. ... 0:10