The Wasps Punkryonics: Singles & Rare Tracks 1977–1979 LP
The WASPS were an East London act who got together in 1976. They played a mix of ’77 punk, histrionic glam, and new age power pop (imagine a fairly organic mashup of EATER, the QUICK, and the POINTED STICKS). They put out one pretty great single (“Teenage Treats” / “She Made Magic”) on an independent label in 1977 that garnered modest acclaim. Then they spent the next couple of years tweaking their lineup and sound trying to court a major label, which they managed when they put out their less-great single “Rubber Cars” on RCA in 1979. It wasn’t particularly well received, despite the band claiming it was RCA’s fastest selling single the week that it was released (…OK) and was destined to be a number one hit had the label backed it (impossible to prove, but seems doubtful). In any case, the band imploded shortly after the record came out. This release is a vinyl reissue of an odd-and-sods collection that came out on CD back in 2003, now expanded with a couple of bonus live tracks. It features all of their studio recordings, some live tracks, and maybe some rough demos—seventeen songs in total. The studio cuts are pretty fantastic and are definitely worth your time if you’ve never heard the band. The rest is probably nice if you’re a fan of the act, but won’t be much of a selling point to anyone else.