Operators Manual: Best of

Buzzcocks | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 12, 1991)
• Original Release Date: November 12, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000000QGA
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,689 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Operators Manual vs. Singles Going Steady, April 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Operators Manual: Best of (Audio CD)

Basically, the real question is which of the two Buzzcocks collections you're going to buy - Operator's Manual or Singles Going Steady. It's a tough choice. Singles Going Steady is probably the best singles collection ever, next to the Who's Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy. The sequencing is flawless and there's a wonderful continuity between songs that gives it the unity of a studio album. So, at first, it would seem that Singles is the obvious choice, but there's also a convincing argument to be made for Operator's Manual. First of all, it just has more songs; second, it contains a generous sampling of album cuts, giving a more rounded idea of the Buzzcock's ouevre; third, it includes later songs such as "You Say You Don't Love Me" and "I Believe," which are missing from Singles Going Steady. On the negative side, Operator's Manual sounds a hodge-podge, there's no real flow from one song to the next. On the bright side, both collections are comprised of the same core tracks, so either way you choose, you'll still be getting most of the essentials. In the end, I suppose I would have to cast my vote for Operator's Manual, just because of all the extra material.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Punk and pop merged to perfection, December 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Operators Manual: Best of (Audio CD)

The first time I heard the Buzzcocks, I was stunned at how underrated they are compared to bands like the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and the Clash. John Maher was punk rock's best drummer (check out "I Don't Know What to Do With My Life" and "Orgasm Addict"), and Pete Shelley wrote songs that were far more emotionally complex than anything the Sex Pistols ever did. Basically, the Buzzcocks single-handedly pushed open a door that made it possible for many post-punk British bands to exist...they are simply the first English band to merge the classic 3-minute pop song with the speed and aggression of punk. Unlike the Ramones, the Buzzcocks experimented more, but they never stopped writing songs that were witty, masterful, and tuneful. Great music, and this is a great CD to start with.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A now under-appreciated band from a time full of them., July 23, 2000

By 

"fiora" (Moreno Valley, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Operators Manual: Best of (Audio CD)

The Buzzcocks are still waiting for their recognition. With their newest CD, Modern released just last year, pete shelley, and co. really want to entertain you. And this CD will do just that. If you are into bands like the Jam and the Damned, you'll appreciate this CD. Its a culmination of their works from the height of punk, with songs to grab you, and make you listen throughout. The only problem is, sometimes, its just too much of a good thing, and the songs start to sound the same. Songs like the first two tracks, which were also their first two singles, orgasm addict, and what do i get are super, and there are more songs with that intensity on the album, but with 25 tracks on the album, its almost too much of a good thing. A worthy buy if youre into late 70s punk, you should already own it if you've been a fan.