In general I am no fan of compilations but this one really captures the spirit of post punk which had been paved by the dilettantism of punk. Post punk was experimental, it drew from many different styles, it had the punk attitude without being so one-dimensional, it was exciting, clever and fun at the same time. Also nice about this compilation is the juxtaposition of earlier post punk and post punk revival songs from around 2000. The new tracks have been chosen quite well. Most of them can stand up to the old ones.

The other 28 songs I really dig from this sampler (the first cd is more consistent):

• 1.1 Gang of Four - I Found That Essence Rare (1979) A perfect starter. Funky polit punk with hard guitar beats from Sheffield. Personally I prefer Damaged Goods but this is fine as well.
• 1.2 Les Georges Leningrad - Georges Five (2002) A messy piece by some Canadian post post punkers. Only for people who can support distorted vocals. At the end the woman and the man outdo each other in shrieking. The man sounds like a lion roaring in agony.
• 1.3 The Pop Group - We Are All Prostitutes (1979) Isn't this Captain Beefheart screaming there? Funk meets free jazz meets radical criticism of the consumer society. There is even an avantgarde cello in here. Totally essential.
• 1.4 LiliPUT - Die Matrosen (1980) A Swiss woman band which can even whistle! This is an unpolished ear candy from the early NDW years.
• 1.5 The Rapture - Out of the Races and onto the Tracks (2001) I prefer Luke Jenner when he has his voice almost under control like here. A fine song playing with the antagonisms adagio/dynamic and minimalistic/orchestral.
• 1.6 Delta 5 - Mind Your Own Business (1979) Huge bass line and sound. Feminist fuck-off lyrics. A noisy guitar at the end. Good stuff.
• 1.7 The Slits - Shoplifting (1979) Reggae plus punk plus many breaks plus petty delinquency lyrics plus some good screaming. I don't know The Slits too well but this song is ace. As is the album cover of course (1st row, 2nd column above).
• 1.8 The Rogers Sisters - Delayed Reaction (2002) I love girl's voices, dub and hypnotic guitars. It's all here.
• 1.9 Pigbag - Sunny Day (1981) Funky instrumental with lots of reverb and a nice percussion solo.
• 1.10 ESG - You're No Good (1981) Renee has a nice soulish voice which works quite well with the rhythmic carpet rolled out for her on this one.
• 1.11 Swell Maps - Another Song (1979) One of the most punk of all tracks on this comp. Nikki Sudden's voice is not exactly impressive but there is something to it. I almost want to take him in my arms so frail does he sound here.
• 1.12 Au Pairs - You (1979) Another great band with a female lead singer. Perfect beginning. The guitar lines are catchy as hell. Much better than anything on Marquee Moon.
• 1.13 New Age Steppers - Fade Away (1980) Adrian Sherwood produced this echo and reverb feast. The keyboards are staggering drunkenly along. Amsterdam coffee shop feeling guaranteed.
• 1.14 Public Image Limited - Careering (1979) I really can't stand Johnny Rotten's wailing goth voice but fortunately there was more to PIL than him. This isn't the strongest PIL song neither but there are all these weird unearthly noises which make this appealing. The song closest to ambient on the comp.
• 1.15 DNA - You and You (1978) This must be the band which taught Sonic Youth how to create chaotic and unsettling guitar noise. No beats at all. Additionally the inhuman shouting is extremely intimidating.
• 1.16 Life Without Buildings - The Leanover (2000) Rickie Lee Jones on speed? A song going nowhere at all but it doesn't matter. It's all about the vibe.
• 1.17 UK Decay - For My Country (1980) An anti-nationalist rock anthem. The most pompous song on the sampler but the intentions were good.
• 1.18 Scritti Politti - Skank Bloc Bologna (1978) I didn't know that S.P. had a life before white soul synth-pop which always made me run away. Here they are phantastic. Playing the scale up and down on the guitar Green Gartside sings in a touching melancholic way. Not the brightest song they have ever made but the best I have heard yet.
• 1.21 Liquid Liquid - Groupmegroup (1981) Post punk meets African world music. Almost every member of the band plays percussion on this one. Plus marimba, roto toms and congas. The singing is in a non-human language and makes the track even more shaman and captivating.
• 2.3 James White & The Blacks - Contort Yourself (1978) Normally not my cup of tea this funky no-wave song. I don't like the voice and the chorus neither. But there is a lot of free jazzy improvisation going on which saves the track for me.
• 2.5 Blurt - The Fish Needs a Bike (1981) Another fuck you all song music wise. I wouldn't listen to this as a lullaby but occasionally I need my portion of noisy mayhem.
• 2.7 Gramme - Like You (1999) A sexy funky voice and an irresistible groove. Sounds pretty undergroundish to my ears.
• 2.8 Magazine - Definitive Gaze (1978) This is the first Magazine song I have ever consciously listened to. Totally different from the rest of the comp but it's great and very addictive. The combination of low-key minimalism with Jean-Michel Jarre like ethereal electronic sounds and tinges of arena rock works. I really need to buy an album by Howard Devoto and mates. Always loved The Buzzcocks by the way.
• 2.11 23 Skidoo - Last Words (1981) Reminds me a lot of Arthur Russell. Who was first? A very relaxed flow. Warm and cosy. Should be nice to fall asleep to.
• 2.12 Chicks On Speed - Yes I Do (2000) My fave of all the new post punk songs. A powerful girls' band. Some very controlled and matter-of-fact singing. A line like "They think I'm vermin 'cause my parents look German" is instantly classic. Produced by the German band Die Goldenen Zitronen. If that isn't cool I don't know what is.
• 2.16 Young Marble Giants - Searching for Mr Right (1980) A band which was operating on an island totally isolated from the rest of the music world. Charming minimal lo-fi pop. Alison Statton has got the smooth voice which is the cream on top of Stuart Moxham's ditty.
• 2.19 Mo-Dettes - White Mice (1979) A lovely tune by another 100% female outfit. I feel that it would be very easily played to death. The clou is when they all sing in the background. A heavenly choir.
• 2.21 Essential Logic - Aerosol Burns (1978) This is Lora Logic from X-Ray Spex (my fave female punk band) screaming and playing sax plus mates. A raw diamond of a voice in the middle of structured chaos with beats and breaks.

One small criticicism I can't conceal. I may understand that there are neither The Cure nor the Wipers nor Sonic Youth on this comp though I miss them but why the hell is there no Joy Division? If there was one band in the world being the culmination of post punk it would be those four lads from around Manchester.

If you want to know what happened in the German "underground" in the early eighties you should absolutely get the phantastic 2 cd compilation Verschwende Deine Jugend. Maybe not always as radical as the Anglosaxon post punk but at least as much fun.