Customer Reviews

Singles Going Steady

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Buzzcocks were quite possibly the most melodic of the first-wave punk bands, with a pronounced talent for witty lyrics and well-constructed, hook-laden songs. In fact, with their indelible melodies, sturdy song structures, and obsessive concern with matters of the heart, they almost make one speculate that if Buddy Holly had been born 20 years later, and gotten into the punk scene, he might have sounded something like this (minus the British accent of course). These guys rock their [butts] off on almost every track here, but the smart arrangements lend a welcome sense of dynamics (the end of "Autonomy" or the beginning of "Love You More" among many examples). Standouts for me are the jetstream catchiness of "Everybody's Happy Nowadays," the anthemic "I Don't Mind" and "Ever Fallen In Love?" and of course the deathless "Orgasm Addict"---but truthfully, only two songs are below average: "Harmony In My Head," sung by Diggle rather than Shelley, and the overlong "Why Can't I Touch It?" but even they start to grow on you. The other 14 hit you between the eyes on first listening.

It was particularly fun getting this compilation back in the days of vinyl, because the eight singles here were programmed in chronological order, but with all the A-sides on side one, and the B-sides on side two. There's a conceptual neatness to that, and the real fan could then make a tape with the songs in proper A,B,A,B...order. Nowadays I suppose you can program your CD player to do that, but it seems like a pain. Finally, the double entendre of the title is entirely indicative of the lyrical witticisms herein. Punkier-than-thou sorts who don't think punk should incorporate attractive melodies and harmonies will probably disapprove of this music, but the rest of us can wallow happily in it.

The Buzzcocks are fortunately well served at the moment by anthologies. There are no less than three excellent collections of their songs, and one wouldn't go wrong with any of the three. SINGLES GOING STEADY was the first released, and the shortest. It collects the best of the best, and is probably the most certain to please the casual fan from beginning to end. OPERATORS MANUAL is more wide-ranging, and contains nine more songs. The best of that album are, however, contained on SINGLES GOING STEADY. For the true fan, the essential album is PRODUCT, currently available in import only, but which contains all the studio recordings the Buzzcocks ever produced. The one qualifier to all these albums is that one of the most important, if not most important, albums the Buzzcocks released was the great EP SPIRAL SCRATCH, which is not included on any of these albums because of rights issues. It is in print, however, and any Buzzcocks fan should make sure they get it.

The Buzzcocks, like a lot of the best punk bands, embraced a number of contradictions. On one level, they rejected beauty and aesthetic excellence, with Pete Shelley for a period of time buying the cheapest guitar in the history of rock (I forget the details, but if I remember correctly he bought it for a few pounds from Woolworth's), and rejected the musical mainstream. On another level, however, they crafted a number of exquisite singles with enormously catchy hooks and pop sensibility. And while many other punk bands adopted an in-your-face outrageousness, the Buzzcocks usually only managed to produce songs expressing teen angst and frustration in love. They were by no means the greatest of the punk bands, but they are probably the most accessible.

None of this is seen any better than in their greatest song, "Ever Fallen in Love." This was later rerecorded by the Fine Young Cannibals. The problem with this version, however, is that Roland Gift ends up sounding more like the person you shouldn't have fallen in love with than the one who does the falling in love with. He almost swaggers through the song, and the song comes across as hollow and false. With Pete Shelley singing the same lyrics, however, the listener is convinced that he has spent his young life in one ill advised relationship after another, falling in love with emotionally sadistic women, or women who do not requite his love at all. Peter Shelly sounds like a tortured soul; Roland Gift sounds like the torturer.

A great band and great songs. My advice to one new to the Buzzcocks would be to pick up SINGLES GOING STEADY or OPERATOR'S MANUAL first, and then, if they like what they hear, going on to pick up PRODUCT.

Singles Going Steady is a great compilation. It has all the essential songs that the band recorded up to that point. Songs like What Do I Get?, Ever Fallen In Love, and Noise Annoys are classics. Why Can't I Touch It is my favorite song on the album. The Buzzcocks are a punk group that will appeal to any fan of rock music. That is what makes them a great punk band. If you listen to bands like the Clash, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols, try Singles Going Steady. I guarantee you'll like it.

This CD captures the Buzzcocks' single releases complete with their flip sides at their very best! I remember loving this band whilst at college and tracks like PROMISES and EVER FALLEN IN LOVE capture the adrenaline rush on teen love problems(yes we've all had them!) better than sad-faced grunge bands of recent times! The Buzzcocks do it with panache, raw energy and great radio-friendly but with an edge poppy punk tunes which will always sound full to the hilt with raw power. ORGASM ADDICT is an amusing rant about . . . just listen to it, OK? HARMONY IN MY HEAD and its b-side SOMETHING'S GONE WRONG AGAIN just blast along with a sense of 'we don't need disco pop! LIPSTICK takes its main guitar riff from MAgazine's SHOT BY BOTH SIDES, and WHAT DO I GET is an adrenaline-fuelled teen punk anthem! Excellent stuff. Essential for older people like me who remember this from the time it came out and for younger listeners who are now growing out of their Slipknot(ugh!) phase.

The Buzzcocks were great at that time.

Has their music aged gracefully? That is the question. I can still appreciate most of these songs.Particularly "Lipstick" a whining, wistful nostalgic song lamenting "In your dreams does your lover have my face?"
"And the mourning it is dawning on me too, I had no warning.
Just a condolence card to tell me that we're through"

Harmony is sung by a heavier voiced member of the group which contrasts the light, springy voice of their other songs.

It is energetic overall and still can get me up for a dance.

Giving the listener not just a feeling of nostalgia, but also an invitation on the dance floor.

This is a splendid collection of songs, simply one of the greatest punk rock albums ever made. BUT...as previously noted here, the mastering on this CD is pathetically tinny, as bad as I have ever heard a CD sound, and will sound like dreck on anything but the most pathetic boom box. I found it unlistenable, but fortunately the CD has been reissued in Britain with good booming sound. That import is available on Amazon, and should be purchased instead, so you can here these gems in their full five-star glory.

This is a spectacular 16-song compilation of the "A" and "B"-sides of the Buzzcocks' first 8 singles. Even though the 1991 "Operators Manual" anthology has more songs, "Singles Going Steady" is superior because there is not a weak song in the bunch. From the first cut, "Orgasm Addict", to the last, "Something's Gone Wrong Again", even a casual punk fan will enjoy this disc. Also includes their best known song "Ever Fallen' In Love", which the Fine Young Cannibals had a hit with in 1987.

Review no. 64. Hard to believe but every song on this sixteen track collection are Buzzcocks singles put out between 1977-79. Never realized they even ever had out THAT many in their entire career. The '70's punk outfit still exists to this very day - with two original members, guitarist / vocalist Pete Shelley and guitarist / second lead vocalist Steve Diggle. Some of the tunes here I seem to remember the most are "Orgasm Addict", "Love You More" the Steve Diggle-penned "Harmony In My Head" and "Noise Annoys". A should-have.

I cannot even tell you how many times I have listened to this album. It is a personal favorite of mine. Do not listen to the people who gave this album 3 stars or less. They probably are upset that Singles Going Steady doesn't sound like New Found Glory or Sum 41 or whatever fake punk bands they listen to. That's because it is a trillion times better than those above mentioned corporate bands who have no right to call themselves punk. If you consider yourself a punk fan, this is a must have! Pop Punk would not have existed if it hadn't been for The Buzzcocks. They were there at the beginning in 1976, and they are still going steady after all these years. They just released a new album a few months ago, and are now touring the U.S. I would recommend that if you are new to The Buzzcocks, you should buy Singles Going Steady before you buy their latest album. The new album is pretty good, but nowhere near as phenomenal as their songs from the '70s. I am very surprised by the fact that the new album currently has a higher rating than Singles Going Steady. It would be nearly impossible for their new songs to be anywhere near as infectious and catchy as: What Do I Get?, I Don't Mind, Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have), Everybody's Happy Nowadays, Lipstick, Promises, Why Can't I Touch It? etc. That is because you cannot get any more infectious or catchy than those songs. Do yourself a favor, and buy this album, you won't regret it!

If you want to know how truly varied punk is, listen to this album, followed by Black Flag's Damaged, bearing in mind that both albums are part of the same genre. The effect is something that no ammount of halucinogenic drugs can reproduce.
But nevermind all that. Singles Going Steady truly is a rare album, a collection of melodic, radio-friendly pop tunes that can still be considered punk classics, and rightfully so. The sixteen songs all have intense appeal, in a sort of singing-along, get-stuck-in-your-head-all-day kind of way (One of my worst work experiences was when I went into the office with "Orgasm Addict" lodged in the ol' cranium.) The tracks can all be considered rock standards, with rapid-fire guitar chords and a powerhouse drum beat, all of which sweeps you up into a flurry and brings a smile to your face. The songs are all delivered with a punky sort of tounge-in-cheeck humor, mixed with ironic cynisism ("Everybody's happy nowadays."). The energy of "Ever Fallen In Love" is irrisistable (though I can't imagine why anyone would want to resist it), and I challange you to listin to the chanting, anthemic chorus of "I Don't Mind" and not jump to your feet and start singing along. Well... maybe that's just me.
"Orgasm Addict" is a real pleasure (sorry), a rapid-fire two-minute lightning bolt of a rocker, backed by high speed guitars and a rockin' bass line, not to mention some of the all around greatest song lyrics ever, especially when you consider that it was realesed in 1979 ("You get in a heat/ You get in a sulk/ But you still keep on beating your meet to pulp/ Yeah you're an OR-GASM addict!")

Which brings me to my next point (how convenient). Pete Shelly sure knows how to write. Sophomoric lyrics of the afformentioned song aside, Shelly's words are powerful, introspective, and love-lorn ("Ever falln in love with somebody you shouldn't have fallen in love with?"). They perfectly capture the feelings of teenage angst without being whiny. This makes the songs surprisingly honest, and allows listiners to identify with the permenently blue lead singer. I guess this means that the Buzzcocks sacrifice a ton of punk credentials for that, but does it really matter? If the music is enjoyable, then what's the harm in a bit of genre-bending?

Hard-core punkers dismiss the Buzzcocks as being insufficiently punk, comparing them to the shi*ty "pop-punk" bands of today. What they fail to realize is that Shelly and Co can write good, entertaining songs, while Good (bad) Charolette and Simple Plan cannot (The 90's pop-punk scene has got to be one of the bigest musical disasters since Bette Midler. If I hear another whiny pre-pubescent "punker" whine about some girl just because Blink one-eighty-what-the-hell-ever did it, I'm gonna explode. But I digress). In fact, if you really want, you don't have to call the Buzzcocks punk. Call them rock, call them pop, call them whatever the hell you want, just ENJOY the MUSIC.