Punk Singles 1981-1984, The - G.B.H.

Advantages: Plenty of hits with well written lyrics
Disadvantages: None

...No, this isn't an album of John Terry and Petr Cech singing, it's a bit of a punk classic. A compilation album covering punk band Chelsea's work from 1978 to 1982. Originally set up by Gene October and containing a band full of talent, initially including Billy Idol , Tony James and John Towe who quickly left with no hard feelings to Generation X while Gene October went through numerous line-up changes and focussed on the more political side of punk. Struggling for decent promotion, the band failed to release much in the way of albums but this album proves they definitely had some top hits. Gene October's vocals are quite unique, neither raw and raucuous or prim and poppy, they have a stylish 60s sound added to a bloke in the pub belting out a punk anthem. The lyrics tend to be political but are not completelly in your face... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: perfect little gem of a film
Disadvantages: none

...?I?d try to comprehend you but I got a dyslexic heart?? Singles, Cameron Crowe?s 1992 tale of the twentysomething search for love in Seattle, is one of my all-time favourite films. This sweet, episodic mix of neatly interlinking storylines is very human, very funny and has probably the best soundtrack of any film in that decade (yes, that includes Pulp Fiction). ?How did this stuff get so complicated? I don?t know.? The storyline strands are relatively few, and this is why the film continues to be coherent and believable. Poor Linda has been dumped on more times than she cares to remember, so is in no mood to meet Steve, who might just be the love of her life. Steve?s ex Janet is, meanwhile, in love with her neighbour in the block of ?singles? in which they live, but Cliff is just too wrapped up in his music to give a damn... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Some brilliance
Disadvantages: Loses something near the end

...Bad Religion have been around for a long long time now. So far, they've churned out 14 full length albums (including 1 live one), a couple of EP's (from 1981 and 84), and have appeared on nearly 50 compilations since 1980. This, I think is the best of them by a long way. The first half of the album is particularly special. Songs such as 'A Walk' and 'The Streets Of America', are 2 of my favourite songs EVER!! They are a good example of what this band do, and they seem to find it easy doing it over and over again. Greg Graffin has surely got the coolest voice in the world. To anybody who likes punk, you must have this album (although I did have difficulty in finding it). Other songs worth hearing are 'Punk Rock Song' and 'The Gray Race' (all 3 of these songs were also released as singles in the same year that the album was... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful