Peel Sessions #1
Artist: The Damned

A very strong set, recorded live in the studio in late 1976, the Damned are at their peak, and some versions here are as good as, if not better than the originals. "Neat, Neat, Neat," "New Rose," "I Fall," and most of the other songs that make up their debut are here. The band proves its versatility, going from the raging punk of "So Messed Up,"... Read More

BBC Radio 1 Live in Concert
Artist: Ultravox
Community Score: 10.00
Fade to Grey: The Singles Collection
Artist: Visage
Community Score: 2.50

Fade to Grey includes the best of the band's Kraftwerk-inspired, post-disco synth-pop like "Fade to Grey" (of course), "Damned Don't Cry," "The Anvil" and "Night Train," as well as their cover of the Zager & Evans chestnut "In the Year 2525." There are only 12 tracks, but since it's the only collection available, it'll have to do. ~ John Bush,... Read More

Dig Archaeology 1980-1990
Artist: The Space Negros

The first in what became a three-volume series, Dig Archaeology collects hard-to-locate gems from Erik Lindgren's long and varied career, along with a handful of previously unreleased tracks. As the owner of Arf Arf records, Lindgren has a steady outlet for even his most experimental or wacky ideas (no Arf Arf compilation is complete without a... Read More

Natural History: The Very Best of Talk Talk
Artist: Talk Talk
Community Score: 10.00

During Talk Talk's hiatus following Spirit of Eden, EMI issued a hits collection compiling the singles from the first four albums as well as the non-LP "My Foolish Friend," a couple of live tracks, and an edit of "Desire." Natural History serves as a nice introduction to the band, showing it as an effective singles act despite its more recent... Read More

All the Stuff (And More), Vol. 2
Artist: The Ramones
Community Score: 7.00

The second volume of All the Stuff (And More) compiles the Ramones' third and fourth albums -- Rocket to Russia and Road to Ruin -- onto one compact disc, adding several live cuts, demos, and B-sides as bonus tracks. Like its predecessor, All the Stuff (And More), Vol. 2 suffers slightly from its length, which happens to contradict the loud-fast... Read More

I Just Can't Stop It
Artist: The English Beat
Community Score: 9.32

I Just Can't Stop It was a late arrival onto the checker- boarded scene, The Specials, Madness and The Selecter had all beat The (English) Beat to the punch, but luckily this wasn't a race. Besides, the band had already primed the pump with a trio of Top 10 singles -- the double A-sided "Tears of a Clown"/"Ranking Full Stop," "Hands Off She's... Read More