A recent acquisition and purely because it’s something my Dad used to play when I was a kid and it stuck. Sunday morning, with a good cup of coffee in hand, this is an absolute joy, you should try it.

The musicians on this record are all legendary, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Jimmy Cobb, giants in the world of Jazz. This is here because it brings back memories that I like…do I need any other reason ?

So What - https://youtu.be/ylXk1LBvIqU

The first of the Punk bands to release a single (“New Rose”) and also the first to release an album. Now, no matter what I say here, I do love this record, but…

I was 14 when this was released, I didn’t hear it until after I’d already gorged on the debuts by the Pistols, The Jam and The Clash. I knew that they made the first Punk single and there was also “Neat, Neat, Neat” that I’d heard (gawd love ya John Peel) so I was always gonna like this album. We read things back then about influences on Punk and we knew ABOUT the Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls and Iggy & The Stooges but we’d never really heard them so we didn’t know. So come on, let’s call this for what it is, as much as I like this record it is basically a rewrite of the first two Stooges albums !

And that’s OK. I guess if you were one of those people in 1976 who was lucky sussed enough to be intimately aware of Lou, Iggy and the Dolls you laughed at this pastiche. But this was everything we wanted it to be at the time, loud, fast and musically anarchic (I’ll leave the politics of anarchy to others).

Produced by Nick Lowe the album is thrashy, confused, funny and messy. Both the singles are here kicking off either side. 12 tracks all done and dusted in around 30 minutes. With absolutely no shame at all The Damned close things out with a cover of the Stooges “1970” they just retitled it “I Feel Alright”!

At the time of release it was claimed that a printing cock-up caused a few sleeves to be printed with a picture of Eddie & The Hot Rods on the back instead of the Damned. These have become very sought after and collectible. I only discovered in recent years that it wasn’t a printing cock-up but a Stiff Records publicity stunt, how very Stiff.

I Feel Alright - https://youtu.be/Hg_ASTGuR-4

“Marcus Garvey prophesied…” a lyric to be heard in more than one Roots Reggae lyric (including in a roundabout way on this record) but Marcus Garvey did prophesy that on the date July 7th 1977 (7-7-77), or when the two sevens clash, something apocalyptic would happen. It was a warning given great credence by the followers of Rastafari. Kingston in Jamaica pretty much closed down on that day, just in case. As we now know nothing apocalyptic occurred. But during the previous year Culture recorded this album, one of the most groundbreaking and important Roots records, based on the prophesy, so every cloud huh ?

Culture were a vocal harmony trio of Joseph Hill, Albert "Ralph" Walker and Roy "Kenneth" Dayes. The album was produced and arranged by Joe Gibbs at his famed studio on Retirement Crescent in Kingston with a band that included Reggae heavyweights Sly and Robbie on bass and drums, “Bubbler” Wall on keyboards and Tommy McCook on sax. It is every little bit as wonderful as those ingredients suggest it should be.

Singer Joseph Hill had a vision

"One day Joseph Hill had a vision, while riding a bus, of 1977 as a year of judgment - when two sevens clash - when past injustices would be avenged. Lyrics and melodies came into his head as he rode and thus was born the song "Two Sevens Clash"…”

That title songs is one of the high points of 70’s Reggae “Wat a liiv an bambaie, When the two sevens clash” or more literally, "What is left for by and by", "What will be left" when the two sevens clash, all set to the most uplifting synth line and wah-wah guitars, it’s pop genius, no wonder it was so massive in Jamaica.

The album on release caught the ear of the Jamaican public. Its mixture of Roots groove, modern synth driven melody and religious fervour helped amplify Garvey’s message. It made its way to England where it was picked up on by the likes of Joe Strummer, Johnny Rotten and Don Letts who passed it’s message to the Punks, rebel music you could dance to.

A re-issue in 1988 somehow flipped the sides of the original Jamaican release so instead of the title song being in the middle of Side 1 it becomes the penultimate song on Side 2. It was reissued on 7/7/07 (see what they tried to do there) with yet another track order. Whichever version you end up with, it’s a wonderful, wonderful record.

Two Sevens Clash - https://youtu.be/B_As8klSABs