Here's another in the four-album collection celebrating the 60th
birthday of Warner Bros. Records. This double vinyl set features tracks
from the late '70's to early 2000's, key cuts from punk, new wave and
alternative groups and artists. It's especially strong on the early days
of those movements, with Ramones, Dead Boys, Flamin' Groovies, Talking
Heads, Richard Hell & the Voidoids and Johnny Thunders here. That's
because of the foresight of Sire Records boss, the recently-retired
Seymour Stein, who signed all those groups, and understood the art
behind punk.
Warner picked up the ball when the
Sire boutique label sold so much, it became a big deal. More bright
signings followed, and their major tracks are here. That includes
Blister In The Sun by Violent Femmes, The Pretenders and Talk Of The
Town, the B-52's with Roam, and The Rezillos charming Somebody's Gonna
Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight. They got to release major British
post-punk groups as well, including New Order (Love Vigilantes), The
Jesus and Mary Chain (April Skies) and Echo & the Bunnymen (The
Killing Moon).
With such strong results,
the company stayed brave, signing less-than-safe bets The Replacements,
Jane's Addiction, Ministry, and Husker Du, while deep pockets let them
grab prizes such as Elvis Costello and Wilco. It's all good, and even if
you already have some or most of these cuts, it's pretty hard to pass
up an album with a Side Two like this:
- 1. Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes
- 2. You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory - Johnny Thunders
- 3. Alex Chilton - The Replacements
- 4. Jane Says - Jane's Addiction
- 5. Jesus Built My Hot Rod - Ministry
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