It is a sin against punk to rate this under 5 stars
Chris bct | San Diego, CA USA | 12/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Yes, brothers and sistas, 'I'm Not a Fool', 'Headbanger', 'Join the Rejects', 'New Song' and 'Someone Like You' just by themselves demand that you have a pure blast listening to this album. It was audatious, and I've never seen anyone ever do it before or since, to release your first 3 albums titled Greatest Hits. However, it's not a misnomer.
If you wanna have something on that's very energetic, has lots of refrains that you are forced to sing along with, loudly, even if the people driving next to you wonder what the heck is goin' on in your car and has plenty a cranky attitude expressed in a totally fun way and, through osmosis, become drenched in drunken/UK/soccer sing along/Oi ness, well, buy this album. Oh, and by the way, be certain to also buy Vol. 2. Both are equally brilliant. It'd be a total shame to buy the Very Best of and lose out on at least 10 songs from between those two albums cuz, really, each one is nearly a perfect album.
I'll tell ya what, I've had a history of buying albums, since 1972. And I bought maybe 2,000 and I bought maybe 5 of them new. Yes, I'm a used record store junkie. And I hate to waste my money, so I'm a slave to my record collecting (a bit less as the years pass actually) only searching for more and more music to satisfy what I can't find on the radio and that disappears over the years. Somehow, I still don't know how, I figured out I loved the COCKNEY REJECTS and I don't give much of a hoot about most Oi, there's just something very special about them. Guess I'd heard a track of theirs on a comp or something. Well, (yes, I have a point) I actually spent $11. on an import version of this album (course, there were only LP's then, no CD's) cuz there was no domestic version like 1981. $11! Are you kiddin'! New LP's cost about $6. maybe $7. back then. Was I nuts? It was everything I didn't believe in. But, what'd I do? I rushed out and bought Vol. 2. And wasn't disappointed, in fact, I still consider them to be 2 of the wisest investments in music I've ever made. Why? Cuz they are completely wonderful. The energy, the attitude, the tight music, the sing along songs, the intense lyrics filled with anger or humor or whatever they're yankin' on about, all I know is I'm singin' along with them on virtually every single song happy as pie and I still do.
I can't think of one band that's so sing along so boisterously except, of course, for the MISFITS, particularly Walk Among Us, maybe the best "sing with us kids" albums ever. I'm Not a Fool, the COCKNEY REJECTS told me so. And I believe 'em. Or is it they're not fools? Excuse me while I go figure that philosophical question out. Listen to the song samples on this web site. You'll know if it's right for you. Check out those five songs I listed. If you don't like 'em I don't understand you and I never have and I'll be speaking to your someone about your taste in music promptly. Now, get to it, and get happy, it's all the COCKNEY REJECTS do. (ps, do not let the fact that they did some lousy, I don't know what, metal? or some yuk! in later albums throw you off, this stuff is pure UK punk rock perfection. pss, the live Vol. 3 is not quite as brilliant as the two studio volumes 1 and 2 but is worth getting, though, if yer short on cash, do without the Vol. 3.)"
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1