Give 'Em The Boot IV, Various Artists
Once again it’s compilation time. You know the score by now – well-known label releases cheap price sampler featuring a host of their artists. On this occasion it is Hellcat Records with their highly recognisable ‘Give ‘Em The Boot’ series. This is the fourth in this series of compilations and features a staggering twenty-six tracks.
The ‘Give ‘Em The Boot’ series has always showcased the more old-school approach to what is now called punk rock. As such the twenty-six songs on this compilation range from street punk to ska and from reggae to rockabilly. The usual Hellcat suspects are all present and correct and it is most of the bigger names that contribute the unreleased songs – always a compilations chief selling point. There are previously unreleased efforts from Rancid, The Slackers, F-Minus, Nekromantix, Transplants and the Dropkick Murphys – all of which are solid efforts.
With any compilation you are almost always going to find tracks you enjoy and tracks you skip every play – such is the nature of a collection of loosely related songs. Tracks like ‘Kiss Kiss Kill Kill’ by Roger Miret And the Disasters and ‘Where They Wander’ by the Horrorpops will be lapped up by most people with taste. Credit must also go the likes of Die Hunn and Brain Failure. On the other hand the efforts by the U.S. Roughnecks and Ducky Boys are examples of why you don’t play a compilation all the way through on every occasion.
‘Give ‘Em The Boot IV’ proves to be another decent compilation from Hellcat Records. Most of the tracks prove to be enjoyable in some shape and form and some of the bands will be new to listeners. You will know from your own taste whether you will want to buy this, but the cheap price means its worth a stab for anybody looking for some old style punk rock.
Mark
