LIFE ON EARTH

This compilation from Suspect Device is as close to a straightforward punk rock post as you might ever see on The Escape. Life On Earth delivers 60 glorious minutes of pogo worthy catchy late 1980s UK punk from: THE SECT (great vocal melodies and classic three chord presentation); FIVE STAR ROCK AND ROLL PATROL (who sound like a second tier SLAUGHTER); REFUGEES (Chiswick Records styled classic punk, the singer sounds like JONA LEWIE, which is a great thing); ROUT INC (the raunchiest tunes on the tape, akin to that dreaded mid '80s era when the great punk bands started going cock rock...they were still good but you could tell they were about to stink); GUITAR GANGSTERS (to the person in this band who decided to sound like RAMONES mixed with COCKSPARRER: you were a genius); CULTURE SHOCK (the punk/dub/ska band sticks out here, two tracks from their available releases); THE ABS (in modern times this might be commercial punk rock, but in this context it's just insanely catchy); FOREIGN LEGION (gothy guitars, a reverb heavy mix and an off kilter recording makes this band the winner on the tape, though I doubt that this is the Welsh FOREIGN LEGION posted here last year); IDENTITY (leather and studs, meat and potatoes UK punk); THE PARK (cheap mid tempo UK punk, their lone song is kinda mediocre); RED LONDON (generous helpings of BIG STAR and CHEAP TRICK make this politically charged track a total winner); GUITAR GANGSTERS (how can you go wrong with a song called "Everybody Wants To Be My Friend"?); THE MAGNIFICENT (it's like STIFF LITTLE FINGERS-lite, and it's pretty sweet); and things wrap up with THE FOUR GUNS (the singer reminds me of FRIJID PINK, and the guitar solos sound like THE BLOOD...that combination works frighteningly well). Not one single song here will change your life, but virtually all of them are winners, and I can't think of a better way to spend an overcast Friday morning that cranking some catchy UK punk as I start my day...I suggest you do the same.

LIFE ON EARTH