Very symmetrical, the first side with eight A-side singles, and the second side with the corresponding B-sides. For listening, it might have made more sense to put the A and B-sides together, and go in straight chronological order. But the symmetry is nice. The inside sleeve also has the pictures of the single covers. They all came out from 1977 to 1979, the older songs all under three minutes, but then getting longer, into ’79, and less good. This album makes me think it would have been nice to buy the singles. It’s kind of a testimony of a quick downhill slide. Also, Howard Devoto co-wrote the first song, but then he was gone. I kind of feel like I missed the boat here. Still, there are some nice pop songs, for sure, if you haven’t heard them too many times. I have, and the familiarity, plus all the “jangliness” and “crunchiness” and that thing where the guy makes the guitar sound like a lorry, renders this album something I REALLY have to be in the mood for.
05
Dec
06
DJ Farraginous 
I never knew the backstory of the structure of this album. I was never a huge Buzzcocks fan, but I like some of their stuff a lot. Their first 7″ ep, Spiral Scratch, is pretty funny. And the set of 3 45s they put out as their original sort of ‘last gasp’ in the early 80s, Airwaves Dream, Why She’s A Girl From The Chain Store, Are Everything, etc, were really great. But a lot of their middle stuff was just sorta ‘eh’ I thought. Really poppy-punky in a sort of almost boring way. Pete Shelley’s solo album, Homosapien, is pretty good..
Buzzcocks are about my favorite of the era, but I still don’t know what that “crunchiness” always refers to. The lyrics are where it’s at, I still turn to them to straighten my heart out.
Speen, if you want I can put together a custom photo for your header, we have the same template, I could do it in a snap, lemme know.
Crunchy is one of three rock critic adjectives, which are: crunchy, jangly, and seminal.
Thanks for your offer! I kind of liked the swirly colors, but that’s getting old. Could I use a photo there? Like of my records, or my ONE MILLION DOLLAR stereo?!?
Why not? Send me the link to your photo, which is on your image server, if you don’t have an image server let me know and I’ll recommend a couple.
ford car