It's time for one more classic and one of my TopTen records. The debut by the Anti-Nowhere League on WXYZ Records, founded 1979 in Kent, thirty miles south-east of central London and after some line-up changes this four; Animal (vocals), Magoo (guitars), Winston (bass) & P.J. (drums) recorded this awesome platter and before I go on, I open a delicious Augustiner Bräu. Hmmmm... tastes delicious! The band name alone inspired me immediately and I love people who express their dislike and dissatisfaction, frustration and above all their emotions, in a clear direct language, and don't be afraid of any stupid critics or mobsters who only interfere and say; 'it doesn't work that way!' or 'you have to change that!' ANL went their way and caused a furore with this album, and that's what I like because, I'm as well. And after nearly forty years, the twelve goodies are still shockingly up-to-date and have retained their bite. That's what I appreciate about the four gents. They broke up in 1989 but come back three years later and they're still active! Many records and Singles were made and I hope, they will stay with us for a long time. Two more decent reviews for you that do it better than me, enjoy!
"The years pass, the wheel of time turns, and the shocking, moral-challenging ne'er-do-wells of one generation eventually seem almost sweet when compared with those of later days. Every so often, though, something will remain almost gloriously offensive and wrong no matter what the future brings; the League's filthy gob of a debut album fulfills that brief, and then some. Musically, there's nothing here to surprise or challenge anybody -- already dated three-chord thrash, smash, and bash at the time of its release, years later it just sounds like the type of stuff folks like Offspring listened to while killing time in rehearsal studios. However, for all of the band's protestations of "being shit," the roar is actually reasonably produced, with a good oomph to it instead of becoming too treble. Every so often the band tries something just a tiny bit different (the slow opening to "Woman," which is almost a late-'50s tearjerker in modern leather gear before everything revs up), but mostly they just do what they do. It's vocalist Animal, though, who transforms the League from being just another band to becoming veritable kings of trash. His rough vocals tackle everybody and everything, not least of all himself and his bandmates; suspect sex, random contempt (the brilliantly titled "[We Will Not] Remember You" and "I Hate...People"), and more just scratch the surface. The group even trashes their own medium, as "Can't Stand Rock'N'Roll" concludes "the man who made it was big and fat." The undisputed highlight, of all things, is a cover of Ralph McTell's folk anthem "Streets Of London". Transforming the sympathetic look at the city's outcasts and dregs into a celebratory anthem of defiance, the League delivers one of the best remakes ever done, almost in spite of itself." (Ned Raggett, AllMusic)
"The most viscous mean-spirited, gratuitously violent punk band to come down the pike in a long time." and stated the album was for "mature adults, this is the best hard-core punk record England has yielded since the Sex Pistols era. Every song features a slamming, inescapable beat to match the freely flung obscenities." (Ken Tucker, The Philadelphia Inquirer)
Thirty minutes of outstanding, fresh, ugly and rough punk'n'roll how it could perhaps only be played by the Sex Pistols, but continued in seamless fairways by the amazing Four! "We Are The League..The Anti-Nowhere League..YEAH!"
