Punk for the sensitive type
ifutureman | NJ | 02/17/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Sex Pistols may have started the punk rock revolution (at least in the UK) but for this humble reviewer's money, they didn't hold a candle to Manchester's own Buzzcocks. Rather than stick to one-dimensional nihilism espoused by the Pistols and most other bands of the era, or the almost exclusively political angle taken by the Clash, the Buzzcocks did what no other band seemed able to do: merge the fury and adrenaline surge of punk rock with raw emotion and pop sensibility.
Forget about lofty (and quite often pitifully naive) proclamations about the state of the world; what Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle wrote about were very personal issues; i.e. why doesn't that girl (or guy; the "you" Shelley often sings to is rarely gender specific) like me? Why can't I have what everyone else seems to get? Why are my hormones ruling my life? Lines like "I don't know if I'm an actor or ham, a shaman or sham" make clear that the Buzzcocks were not interested in wrestling with issues beyond those that every human being faces deep inside. And that's why this music is timeless. The identity/sex drive/relationship issues that dominate their work are relevant today and always will be.
But none of this would really matter if the music was not so incredibly catchy. The Buzzcocks were blessed with pop smarts and they knew their way around a hook, a bridge, a verse and a chorus better than any punk band, then or since. (I often wish that Green Day fans would listen to the Buzzcocks and hear the band that did it all much, much better a long time ago.) Heartache and loneliness were never more perfectly set to music than in songs like "Fiction Romance", "What Do I Get?" or "I Don't Mind".
The 2010 reissue takes a five star album and supplements it with contemporaneous singles (some of their best songs were not on their full-length albums) and a very special treat: the entire set from their gig at the closing of the Electric Circus, a Manchester venue that was critical in the development of the punk music scene in the U.K. midlands. The recording has been something of a Holy Grail for fans, only one song ("Time's Up") ever having been released. Topping off this magnificent package are a few Peel Sessions and 14 demo recordings (of pretty decent sound quality).
All in all, this is a perfect reissue of a perfect album. "Another Music In A Different Kitchen", alongside "Love Bites" and "A Different Kind Of Tension" constitute the greatest trio of power-pop albums ever recorded."
Great reissue. great.
Stargrazer | deep in the heart of Michigan | 02/13/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"At last, this deluxe 2-disc re-issue lands stateside. Always a fantastic album composed of nearly singles-quality songs (and in fact, overshadowed only by "Singles Going Steady" in their catalog), "Another Music In A Different Kitchen" is a superb studio-capture of one of punk's first wave greats. The Buzzcocks weren't standard-bearers for nihilism, they didn't cop a political stance, and they didn't spur a fashion revolution. They just wrote songs. Great songs. Caught raw and obviously in well-rehearsed and earnestly committed form on this debut, The Buzzcocks birthed a classic of concise songwriting and aggressive playing.
The extras are well-received. In many ways, the reissues of their first three albums render "Singles Going Steady" nearly obsolete. Were it not for the sheer historic narrative arc of that collection, just having the tracks appended onto "Another Music...," "Love Bites," and "A Different Kind Of Tension" would be enough. But really, the Peel sessions, demos, singles, and live shows included are just frosting, great (and even revelatory) as they might be. The album itself is the reason to buy this affordable, nicely packaged and very well mastered limited edition reissue. I'd still strongly recommend getting "Singles Going Steady" as well as the 3 reissues, though in this day and age of 99-cent mp3s it might be hard to convince you that you really haven't heard the songs unless you've heard them all in one glorious slab."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1