Customer Reviews

Singles Going Steady

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It would be hard to give "Singles Going Steady" anything less than 5 stars, ever. In any context.

This remaster is, in most cases, excellent. The sound quality is generally better -- but I kept my old, unremastered copy too, if that tells you anything. The new mix is thicker, but I like the rawness of the original mix just as well for high-volume listening.

A few of the bonus tracks sap the energy from the original release. But a few of the bonus tracks nest like litter-mates with this already awesome collection of non-album singles.

Get this album one way or another -- whether this souped-up version or the older, clankier (but just as pleasing) version.

And the "Spiral Scratch" EP too.

The Buzzcocks' Singles Going Steady not only boasts superior sound, but now includes two singles from 1979's "A Different Kind of Tension" ("You Say You Don't Love Me" and "Raison D'Etre"), and 1980's "Parts 1,2,3" EP. Superior melodic pop - some of Shelley's and Diggle's finest work. Essential to any undertanding of UK punk and pop music of the late 70's early 80's.

Singles Going Steady is a great compilation of songs that span the most important years of this band's career. There are a ton of solid songs on this CD (24), which, when bought used, makes it a steal. This is a major staple worth jamming into your music library. It's also a great introduction to Buzzcocks music if you've never heard much of their stuff before. You can really hear the influence these guys have had on younger bands that try to copy the punk/post-punk sound. But of course, Buzzcocks do it better every time.

The original melodic punk band and the best. This is the ideal introduction to their music, featuring most of their best-loved tunes. There's not a dud on this album.

For the live Buzzcocks experience, be sure to also check out French Et Encore Du Pain: Complete 1995 Paris Live, which features a lot of these same tunes, but kicked up a notch.

Now I can quibble with the song order but given you get 8 more songs on this version than the original album back in 1979, I'm not complaining.

Basically, "Singles Going Steady" was all the A sides on Side A and the B sides on Side B on the vinyl. There's barely a duff track really and I'd argue none at all although "Why Can't I Touch This?" and "Something's Gone Wrong Again" go on and on too long. Even so for modern day punks these would be maybe some punk bands best tracks. The Buzzcocks are so consistently good both on the A and B sides of singles, it's weird that back in their day they sold squat even in the UK. Sure they were famous in the punk scene but their themes (love) wrapped in superfast punk music sadly did not make them uber rich and famous (seriously, they were better than, say, Generation X at the time).

Anyway, besides the original first 8 singles (A an B sides) you get "you Say You Don't Love Me b/w Raison D'Etre" plus the Parts 1-3 singles (A and B sides). They should have thrown on "I Look Alone" as the cherry on the Buzzcock pie, but no biggie.

this was one of the first albums i ever got and i still play it regularly over 25 years later. this version has their later singles added to it (original was only 16 tracks) but is still top to bottom excellent. "Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have)" is one of the greatest songs ever written. Other greats are "Orgasm Addict", "What Do I Get", "Love You More", "I Don't Mind", "Just Lust" and "Harmony In My Head". An absolute must from the 3rd most important English punk band (after the Sex Pistols and The Clash).

You need no other Buzzcocks' lp than this. The other proper lps are very good, mind you, but the group had a special magic about its singles. The only records that can match it are Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Once Upon a Time" and "Twice Upon a Time". We could only wish this lp contained their first recordings-- the ep Spiral Scratch with Howard Devoto, and that they had made more singles. So many 80s lps sound dated now, but not this one.

Appreciated by many but known by few. The Buzzcocks always seem to fly under the radar when it comes to great bands. Great songs by great musicians. There's not a bad track on this disc.