How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Good
Value for Money
Good
Advantages:
61 Tracks covering a wide genre of music spanning 4 decades
Disadvantages:
Takes a while to get going
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I was sitting at home a few weeks ago minding my own business when this album was advertised on the television. On hearing a selection of the tracks I decided there and then that I needed to add this to my collection. Now clearly this advertisement didn't play exerts of each track and consequently there was still a little bit of mystery attached for when I went to track it down. However, before I had chance to scour my local record store, my wife had so kindly bought it for me as a surprise gift. So did it hit the mark, and could I identify the NME link with the tracks on the album. Read on and find out.
Who are NME
NME is an acronym for New Musical Express, which as its name suggests is a newspaper / magazine which is solely music based. The magazine was first published as long ago as 1952, and is produced on a weekly basis. Current circulation figures are in the region of 70,000 copies per week.
Ten Things You Never Knew about NME
1. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart which appeared in the 14th November 1952 edition. For a bonus point can you tell me what was number one in this inaugural chart. The answer is provided at the end of the review so if you can't wait scroll down now. Were you right? 2. Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders fame used to work for NME but left to become a full time rocker. 3. NME was the first musical paper to issue free music cassettes to its readers in 1981. A second tape followed in 1986. 4. The then Labour leader Neil Kinnock appeared on the cover of the magazine on two separate occasions. 5. The Madchester Acid House scene is widely attributed as saving the paper from closure. 6. NME were embroiled in a war of words with the then new band Manic Street Preachers who had the audacity to accuse NME of favouring certain bands. 7. NME had a major fall out with Morrissey concerning allegations of using racist lyrics. Subsequent articles in the magazine soured their relationship and Morrissey refused to speak with the paper for another 10 years. (The articles can be found at http:/motorcycleaupairboy.com/interviews/1992/Caucasian.htm) 8. NME sponsored the Second Stage at Glastonbury from 1993 - 1995 when Blur and Oasis were at their peak. 9. NME sponsors a tour of the UK by up and coming bands every year just before the NME awards. 10. NME TV aired for the first time at 6.00am on November 22 2007. The first record played was Up The Bracket by The Libertines. NME also have their own web site.
As you will see from the above, NME has been in operation for in excess of fifty years, and during this period they have championed all sorts of different music genres including psychedelia, prog, rock, punk, hip hop, Acid House, Grunge, and Britpop. This wide variety of musical genres is reflected on this 3CD collection, and all in all they do a decent job. However, I don't know if it's my age, or whether I wasn't into the punk era as much as others, but the first disc is a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong there are some great tracks on there such as Sheena is a Punk Rocker and Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) but there are too many obscure tracks. Now I know this is an NME classics album, and I know that part of their appeal was their championing of unfashionable bands, but for me a lot of these aren't what I would call classics.
That though is my only gripe, and to have made this the final disc would have lost focus because I feel you need to listen to these in chronological order to get a proper feel as to how musical influences changed so much between the late 1970s and late 1990s. The second and third discs are both masterpieces in their own rights and the poor quality of the first disc does not detract from the overall quality of the album.
=== Track Listing ===
CD1
The first CD as I say contains a number of obscure tracks but concentrates on the punk era of the late 1970's.
1. Kick Out The Jams - MC5 2. I'm Waiting For The Man - Velvet Underground 3. No Fun - Stooges 4. LA Woman - Doors 5. Jet Boy - New York Dolls 6. Gloria - Patti Smith 7. Neat Neat Neat - Damned 8. Oh Bondage Up Yours - X-Ray Spex 9. I Belong To The Blank Generation - Richard Hell & The Voidoids 10. Sonic Reducer - Dead Boys 11. Lust For Life - Iggy Pop 12. This Perfect Day - Saints 13. Sheena Is A Punk Rocker - Ramones 14. Another Girl Another Planet - Only Ones 15. Hong Kong Garden - Siouxsie & The Banshees 16. One Way Or Another - Blondie 17. Shot By Both Sides - Magazine 18. Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) - Buzzcocks 19. This Is Pop - XTC 20. Marquee Moon - Television 21. Heroes - David Bowie
CD2
The CD covers the climax of the punk movement and concentrates primarily on the Mod and Ska scene of the 1980s and for me is my favourite of the three discs. The inclusion of Prince's Sign 'O' The Times is a strange one not really in keeping with the rest of the disc, but tracks by The Jam, New Order, Selecter, The Beat and The Specials more than make up for this.
1. I Fought The Law - Clash 2. Suspect Device - Stiff Little Fingers 3. Going Underground - Jam 4. Turning Japanese - Vapors 5. Kiss Me Deadly - Generation X 6. Brass In Pocket - Pretenders 7. On My Radio - Selecter 8. Mirror In The Bathroom - Beat 9. One Step Beyond - Madness 10. Special Brew - Bad Manners 11. Ghost Town - Specials 12. Lovecats - Cure 13. Psycho Killer (live) - Talking Heads 14. Tour De France (radio version) - Kraftwerk 15. Buffalo Gals - Malcolm McLaren 16. Blue Monday (original 12" version) - New Order 17. Back Of Love - Echo & The Bunnymen 18. Walk Out To Winter - Aztec Camera 19. Just Like Honey - Jesus & Mary Chain 20. Sign 'O' The Times - Prince 21. Atmosphere - Joy Division
CD3
This disc covers a wide range of genres including the Madchester era and Britpop. All in all there is some pretty decent stuff on this disc including some brilliant anthems from The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, REM and The Verve.
1. Suedehead - Morrissey 2. She Bangs The Drums - Stone Roses 3. Step On - Happy Mondays 4. This Is How It Feels - Inspiral Carpets 5. Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode 6. Chime - Orbital 7. Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack 8. Movin' On Up - Primal Scream 9. Animal Nitrate - Suede 10. Live Forever - Oasis 11. What's The Frequency Kenneth - REM 12. Girl From Mars - Ash 13. Caught By The Fuzz - Supergrass 14. Just - Radiohead 15. Common People - Pulp 16. Setting Sun - Chemical Brothers & Noel Gallagher 17. Song 2 - Blur 18. Design For Life - Manic Street Preachers 19. Bitter Sweet Symphony - Verve
Overall Conclusion
All in all a decent offering covering a wide range of musical genres spanning the best part of twenty plus years. Whilst there are some what I would call ify tracks on the first CD, the quality of the two remaining discs more than makes up for this. Definitely one I would recommend although I don't think I would pay the £15 which it is currently on sale for in Zavvi (Virgin that was). It is currently available from Amazon for £10.98 which is definitely worth spending.
Incidentally Number 1 on 14th November 1952 was "Here In My Heart" by Al Martino.
