V/A Groucho Marxist Record Co:Operative LP
Once again, Sealed Records has achieved a brilliant feat of punk archaeology by documenting the small but lively Paisley punk scene (that’s in the Glasgow area) from the late ’70s and early ’80s through the prism of Groucho Marxist Records, a small DIY label responsible for four releases that have all been included on this LP. The project here is admirable, not necessarily because all the songs on the record are amazing, but because of the genuine passion and dedication that pervades the enterprise. You do need a lot of those qualities in order to document so thoroughly the work of an obscure, tiny Scottish label that was around for about two years and was responsible for releasing records from a band called XS DISCHARGE (how could they have known that one of their contemporaries with almost the same name would arguably become the most influential punk band ever?). The quality of the recordings does vary a bit throughout the compilation and, not being the most devout fan of ’70s British punk, some songs are a little lost on me. But there are some genuine gems here, like the one-hit wonder URBAN ENEMIES and the aforementioned XS DISCHARGE (especially “Confessions” with its CRISIS-on-glue vibe, and “Across the Border”), but the real winners are by DEFIANT POSE (yes, like the CORTINAS song), a band that clearly had it all and wrote three catchy, anthemic early UK punk songs bringing to mind the infectious energy and tunefulness of Ulster punk rock and the CLASH. I rarely listen to ’77 punk rock, but such a record reminds me of how brilliant it can be and how young it makes one feel. Now Sealed Records really has to reissue London’s CHAOS UK.