Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Various Artists - Action Time Vision A Story of UK Independent Punk 1976 - 1979 (2016)


Action Time Vision is a new various artists four-CD deluxe set from Cherry Red that documents the independent punk scene in the UK, forty years on.
This 111-track collection features many key names of punk alongside much more obscure selections

and a sprinkling of post-punk acts (Joy Division, Tubeway Army and Adam & the Ants). It’s packaged similarly to previous Cherry Red sets, such as the indie-pop celebration that was Scared To Get Happy, and it comes with a 64-page booklet with band biogs and a foreword by Kris Needs (editor of Zigzag magazine from ’77 to ’81)
This set takes its name from Alternative TV’s 1978 single and is released on 9 December 2016.

                                                                                                                                                                
 

[ AllMusic Review by Mark Deming 
https://louderthanwar.com/action-time-vision-story-independent-uk-punk-1976-1979-various-artists-4-cd-boxed-set-reviewed/
In the early years of the punk rock explosion of the '70s, the record industry didn't know what to make of the aggressive new sound. Punk certainly seemed like the coming thing, but no one seemed sure of how to sell music that was built around open disrespect for authority figures -- which in the eyes of the punks included the music industry.


Thankfully, punk was born with a passionate desire to document itself, and if the major labels weren't going to put punk rock on records, the punks would do it themselves. No previous rock movement was more closely associated with independent labels and the D.I.Y. philosophy than punk, and countless indie labels were launched to commit fresh talent to vinyl.

Action Time Vision: A Story of Independent U.K. Punk 1976-1979 is an exhaustive and wildly entertaining four-volume box set that examines both the indie label scene in the United Kingdom as

well as the bands that emerged on homegrown labels. The set opens, fittingly enough, with "New Rose" by the Damned, widely acknowledged as the first British punk single and the release that turned Stiff Records into a going concern.
Just as that record still sounds fresh and explosive four decades later, nearly all of the 111 songs on Action Time Vision are filled with energy, passion, and a sense of discovery, as the musicians strive to find their place in a new musical landscape and have fun doing it.

This set is also a potent reminder that early punk was never as monochromatic as many liked to believe (or as samey as U.K. punk would become in the '80s). Along with the foursquare punk attack of the Lurkers, the Cortinas, Sham 69, and many others, there's the speeded-up pub rock of Fruit Eating Bears, the joyous power pop of the Stoat, the prog-inspired twists and turns of Psykik Voltz, the arty minimalism of English Subtitles, the psych-inspired surrealism of Victim, the edgy cool of the Flys, and the acoustic guitar in a bedsit parody/tribute of Patrik Fitzgerald.
                                                           

And while the set includes lots of familiar names, the compilers have included plenty of obscurities that often prove to be as satisfying as the best-known tracks, another reminder of how fertile this era truly was. (There are also a number of tracks from artists who would go on to greater fame in the future, such

as Billy Bragg in Riff Raff, Kevin Rowland in the Killjoys, and Shane MacGowan in the Nipple Erectors.)
The liner notes from Andy Davis are a great read, and an impressive history of the many bands and labels featured here. This is hardly the first or best study of the U.K. punk scene of the '70s, but Action Time Vision is an impressive tribute to the early stirrings of indie culture in England, and it's great listening throughout.]
                                                                                 

READ HERE:
The very best (and a few of the very worst) Independent UK Punk singles & tracks beautifully compiled. 111 tracks from future heroes and absolute zeroes, but still, arguably the ‘best punk comp ever’. Dissected by Ged Babey
                                                                  

[ This four CD box set is pretty overbearing if you're only a passive punk fan, plus the punk ideology of only needing to learn three chords to play means that it's pretty one dimensional music. However, Cherry Red have the art of compilations down to a tee. Following on from the excellent expansion of C86, the shoegaze compilation Still In A Dream or their investigation into pre 1984 electronica, Close To The Noise Floor, this collection is equally as essential, even if you can only listen to a little at a time.
                                                                          

With most tracks barely scraping the two minute mark, there's an overwhelming amount of hidden
nuggets here. Yes, it starts with the very first UK punk single, "New Rose" by The Damned (how could you not!) and checks in all of the main punk acts (Sham 69, Stiff Little Fingers, The Ruts, The Only Ones, 999, Skids, Sham 69, UK Subs, Cockney Rejects, Alternative TV and Chelsea are all present), but the collection veers away from obvious choices, even finding space for Joy Division's "Failures" from their Ideal For Living EP.
                                                    

More interesting however, are some of the lesser known acts; the speed freak rock of "Fascist Dictator" by The Cortinas and the blistering bile of Johnny Moped's "No One" both sizzle with incandescent rage, while the acoustic punk poetry of Patrik Fitzgerald with "Safety Pin Stuck in My Heart" comes across as a Southern cousin of John Cooper Clarke. The sophisti-punk of”Teenage Treats" by The Wasps takes its cue from the art rock leanings of Television, while Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias subscribe to the, 'everything's' crap and I hate my mum’ attitude on "Gobbing On Life", yelling how "Living like a moron is such a pissing drag / I'm sick of all the crap that I get from that old bag".
                                                                         

This kind of punk fuck you was probably life affirming at the time, but with age it comes across as

quaintly childish, while "Lookalikes" by The Drones also falls into punk lyrical cliché. A line like "You lookalikes - leave me alone / I don't wanna dress like you - I don't wanna be you and you don't wanna be me - and we don't wanna conform with you" was probably incredibly galvanising back in the late 70s, but now comes across a little too sixth form angst despite sounding like a gritty little thrill.

Like the other aforementioned boxsets from Cherry Red, they eschew the ‘hits’ to get down to the obnoxious and primal heart of the genre, this is geeky crate digging in CD form, designed to entertain and educate.]



Various ‎– Action Time Vision (A Story Of Independent UK Punk 1976-1979)
Label: Cherry Red ‎– CRCDBOX27
Format: 4 × CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 2016
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk

DISC ONE:

01. THE DAMNED – New Rose
02. EATER – Outside View
03. THE RADIATORS FROM SPACE – Television Screen
04. THE CORTINAS – Fascist Dictator
05. THE DRONES – Lookalikes
06. THE LURKERS – Shadow
07. THE REZILLOS – I Can’t Stand My Baby
08. 999 – I’m Alive
09. JOHNNY MOPED – No One
10. SHAM 69 – I Don’t Wanna
11. PUNCTURE – Mucky Pup
12. THE SNIVELLING SHITS – Terminal Stupid
13. THE VACANTS – Worthless Trash
14. THE ZEROS – Hungry
15. MANIACS – Chelsea 77
16. THE OUTSIDERS – One To Infinity
17. THE KILLJOYS – Johnny Won’t Get To Heaven
18. JOHNNY AND THE SELF ABUSERS – Saints And Sinners
19. THE UNWANTED – Withdrawal
20. THE WASPS – Teenage Treats
21. THE PIGS – Youthanasia
22. LOCKJAW – Radio Call Sign
23. NEON HEARTS – Venus Eccentric
24. JERKS – Get Your Woofing Dog Off Me
25. THE PANIK – Modern Politics
26. SOME CHICKEN – New Religion
27. THE CARPETTES – Radio Wunderbar
28. THE FLYS – Love And A Molotov Cocktail
29. ALBERTO Y LOST TRIOS PARANOIAS – Gobbing On Life
30. THE ONLY ONES – Lovers Of Today
31. SUSPECTS – Nothing To Declare (Live at The Vortex)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 196 MB
Flac  Size: 555 MB

DISC TWO:

01. SWELL MAPS – Read About Seymour
02. PATRIK FITZGERALD – Safety-Pin Stuck In My Heart
03. THE BOYS – No Leaders (Demo)
04. THE STOAT – Office Girl
05. ACME SEWAGE CO. – I Don’t Need You
06. V2 – Speed Freak
07. BAZOOMIS – Give It All To Me
08. RAPED – Moving Target
09. BIG G – I Hate The Whole Human Race
10. SUBS – Gimme Your Heart
11. TUBEWAY ARMY – That’s Too Bad
12. THE XTRAVERTS – Blank Generation
13. FRUIT EATING BEARS – Door In My Face
14. FRONT – System
15. SATAN’S RATS – You Make Me Sick
16. STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – Suspect Device
17. MENACE – G.L.C.
18. THE DYAKS – Gutter Kids
19. SKIDS – Reasons
20. RUDI – Big Time
21. THE ART ATTACKS – I Am A Dalek
22. BEARS – On Me
23. ‘O’ LEVEL – Pseudo Punk
24. THE MEMBERS – Solitary Confinement
25. NIPPLE ERECTORS – King Of The Bop
26. ANGELIC UPSTARTS – The Murder Of Liddle Towers
27. MEAN STREET – Bunch Of Stiffs (Live at The Vortex)

MP3 @ 320 Size: 200 MB
Flac  Size: 547 MB

DISC THREE:

01. ALTERNATIVE TV – Action Time Vision
02. SOCIAL SECURITY – I Don’t Want My Heart To Rule My Head
03. THE TIGHTS – Bad Hearts
04. RIFF RAFF – Cosmonaut
05. THE DOLE – New Wave Love
06. JOY DIVISION – Failures
07. LEYTON BUZZARDS – 19 And Mad
08. DEMON PREACHER – Little Miss Perfect
09. THE OUTCASTS – Just Another Teenage Rebel
10. THE FALL – Psycho Mafia
11. CHELSEA – Urban Kids
12. PROTEX – Don’t Ring Me Up
13. THE CRAVATS – Gordon
14. HORRORCOMIC – England ’77
15. U.K. SUBS – C.I.D.
16. SPIZZOIL -6,000 – Crazy
17. THE DODGEMS – I Don’t Care (Full Version)
18. THE USERS – Kicks In Style
19. PETER AND TEST TUBE BABIES – Elvis Is Dead
20. THE RUTS – In A Rut
21. DISCO ZOMBIES – Drums Over London
22. NICKY & THE DOTS – Never Been So Stuck
23. THE SHAPES – Wot’s For Lunch Mum ? (Not B****s Again!)
24. NO WAY – Breaking Point
25. THE WALL – New Way
26. THE HOLLYWOOD BRATS – Sick On You

MP3 @ 320 Size: 201 MB
Flac  Size: 543 MB

DISC FOUR:

01. ADAM AND THE ANTS – Zerox Machine
02. NOTSENSIBLES – Death To Disco
03. THE VICE CREEMS – Danger Love
04. MURDER THE DISTURBED – D.N.A.
05. COCKNEY REJECTS – Flares ‘N’ Slippers
06. PSYKIK VOLTS – Totally Useless
07. THE MOLESTERS – The End Of Civilisation
08. THE NEWTOWN NEUROTICS -Hypocrite
09. PURE HELL – These Boots Are Made For Walking
10. FIRE EXIT – Timewall
11. THE PACK – King Of Kings
12. STEROID KIDDIES – Dumb Dumb
13. ENGLISH SUBTITLES – Time Tunnel
14. THE PROLES – Soft Ground
15. THE ADICTS – Easy Way Out
16. THE DARK – My Friends
17. WOODY & THE SPLINTERS – I Must Be Mad
18. VICTIM – Why Are Fire Engines Red
19. THE X-CERTS – Anthem
20. F-X – Slag
21. THE RIVALS – Future Rights
22. SILENT NOISE – I’ve Been Hurt (So Many Times Before)
23. VICE SQUAD – Nothing
24. THE PREFECTS – Things In General
25. THE LICKS – 1970's Have Been Made In Hong Kong
26. FATAL MICROBES – Violence Grows
27. POISON GIRLS – Under The Doctor

MP3 @ 320 Size: 199 MB
Flac  Size: 540 MB


9 comments:

  1. Walla Walla WombatsJanuary 6, 2021 at 4:59 PM

    Cherry Red has some good Dead Kennedys singles and the classic Fresh Fruit debut album.
    A lot of these bands are on the 77 set.
    I like the mid to late 80s Damned that some call goth such as Anything and Phantasmagoria.
    America had Ramones, Television, Wendy O and the Plasmatics, Devo, although some of those would be considered New Wave.
    What a golden time of music to be thankful for.

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  2. Hello, thanks for all the great work you do, much appreciated. Just discovered that the Mp3 link for CD4 of Action Time Vision is a flac link. If possible could you supply Mp3 link. Thanks very much.

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    Replies
    1. CD4. MP3 Link is OK now. Thanx for your comment.

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  3. Thanks for another brilliant post!!!
    Cheers

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  4. Onion Head -
    Well Thank ya, thank ya Kostas, this looks just fine

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  5. Thank you for your swift reply and link fix. Much appreciated. Stay safe.

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  6. Thanx! Better than the modern dross in the charts!

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  7. Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias were a parody band. Their Snuff Rock EP was a wonderful skewering of punk. Even as a punk at the time, I found it hysterical. Still do.

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  8. Thanks a lot for posting this great compilation. It takes me right back to my misspent youth in 1970s England...

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