When I look back on that initial Punk Rock rush that hit me and my mates in 1977 there are only a few bands I think of as being the first wave of Punk. The Damned, Sex Pistols and The Clash obviously. I include The Jam as although they moved on pretty quickly they were definitely part of it in ’77. Then Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Adverts, X-Ray Spex, Generation X and of course the Buzzcocks are the ones that immediately come to mind when thinking about those incredible times.

We all know about the Buzzcocks, purveyors of perfectly crafted pop-punk love songs, right ? Well no, or not on “Another Music In A Different Kitchen” anyway. But this album has the ghost of another member drifting around it. It hadn’t been so long since main songwriter and singer Howard Devoto had left the band to start a new venture, Magazine. This album is top and tailed with the riff from “Boredom”, a song from Buzzcocks debut EP written and sung by Devoto.

This whole album is faster, louder and less lovelorn than the Buzzcocks were to become. The guitars scream and crackle, the drums boom and thunder and Pete Shelley hasn’t quite found that inner femininity that he later bestowed on the tough Punk boys. His lyrics here are concerned with dangerous fast cars, anti corporate campaigners, a big no to cheap thrills, demanding to be in control of yourself. Yes he’s finding his way to writing songs about the pathetic clown who keeps hanging around (“I Don’t Mind”) but this is a much more Punk than pop record.

Shelley’s lyrical and songwriting genius would develop very quickly from here (not only is "Ever Fallen In Love With Someone (You Shouldn't've Fallen In Love With)?" one of the greatest songs ever written, we found out years later it had the most incredible lyrical twist) but this album is proper 1st wave Punk Rock.

Fast Cars - https://youtu.be/cpareF9xy-U