I’ve been a little sceptical when it comes to punk releases this year, what with it being the 30 year anniversary and all. Buzzcocks have also got in on the act, contributing a number of songs to punk compilations and getting in on the act with live album ’30’ – a record that’s probably aimed at reminding all those 45+ years old who remember the punk movement the first time round. Truth is, the sound has dated really, really badly and while there’s no doubt the band are one of the better acts from the period, they’ve not aged all that well.
This record does what it says on the tin – it races through 28 tracks featuring some of the band’s best known hits. ‘Ever Fallen In Love’ is the obvious highlight, but even that sounds a little bit like a dead horse being flogged. I was reading a few other reviews while listening to this record and the MEN summed it up perfectly: “In truth, this album is likely to be of interest only to those who were there (or wished they had been) at the Forum in London, when the Buzzcocks celebrated their 30th anniversary.”
And that’s about all I can say – I wasn’t even born when punk rocked in ’77 after all…