V/A - Wanna Buy A Bridge? 1980

Rough Trade, a British indie label founded by Geoff Travis, was rock's first successful collective and a strong supporter of the arty, left-leaning post-punk music that emerged in the aftermath of the Sex Pistols. This U.S. only compilation introduced Americans to some of the exciting, innovative music released by Rough Trade between 1977 and 1980. The collection's opening number is the closest to Pistols-era punk rock: "Alternative Ulster," a blistering Irish anthem recorded by Stiff Little Fingers. Next in the collection is Delta 5's "Mind Your Own Business," a 1979 recording that proves that abrasive, self-consciously ironic music can also be incredibly catchy; Other highlights include "Soldier Soldier," a protest punk song; the exuberant "Ain't You" by Kleenex, an all-female Swiss band that later changed its name to Liliput; the Pop Group's "We Are All Prostitutes," a chaotic punk-funk-disco political rant with distorted guitar, drums, saxophone, and cello; "Part Time Punks," a beguilingly amateurish name-dropping classic by T.V. Personalities; the Raincoats' remake of "Man Next Door"; a reggae number by Jamaican singer John Holt (whose "The Tide Is High" became a hit for Blondie); and Robert Wyatt's surprisingly haunting rendition of Chic's "At Last I Am Free." I had the LP with the brown cover but use the blue here. I'm too lazy to scan both sides of the original. Overall this may be the best single-album collection assembled of post-punk music.

1.Alternative Ulster - STIFF LITTLE FINGERS

2.Mind Your Own Business - DELTA 5

3.Man Next Door - THE SLITS

4.Aerosol Burns - ESSENTIAL LOGIC

5.Part Time Punks - T.V. PERSONALITIES

6.Read About Seymour - SWELL MAPS

7.We Are All Prostitutes - THE POP GROUP

8.Soldier Soldier - SPIZZ ENERGI

9.Ain't You - KLEENEX

10.Nag Nag Nag - CABARET VOLTAIRE

11.In Love - THE RAINCOATS

12.Final Day - YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS

13.Skank Bloc Bologna - SCRITTI POLITTI

14.At Last I Am Free - ROBERT WYATT

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