Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: Hearing the journey of a song you really love and all the different incarnations of that song is a pleasure as opposed to solely listening to the same take that makes an album over and over again. Buzzcocks have released the demos they made in the lead up to the release of Love Bites, their second studio album and highest charting album. 'Every Fallen In Love' sounds grittier - the bass and guitars are louder than the polished album version so it makes it a bit more underground punk DIY in style. Moreover, 'Nothing Left' shifts the emphasis to make it all about the riff. There's also numbers on here that didn't make the album, such as 'Mother Of Turds', where you hear them barely able to contain their laughter. It's great to hear a band not taking every step so seriously and enjoying their route to success.

Review: Initially released in 2014, and perhaps somewhat unfairly perceived as underwhelming, 'The Way' has gone on to garner its own muted cult legacy, largely and unfortunately due to the fact that it would be the final Buzzcocks album before the passing of founding frontman, Pete Shelley.

The fact that the group remain active only in a touring sense, fronted now by other founding guitarist Steve Diggle, should speak volumes to the creative voice left behind.

With a long, near decade gap between 'The Way' and the preceding, exceptional, 'Flat Pack Philosophy', and a fan-inclusive Pledge Music campaign complete with exclusive bonus material and insights, it's hard to ignore just how willing Buzzcocks were to roll with the modern age, sharpening their marketing savvy and dropping material that refused to give an inch to would be peers or disciples half their age or tenure.

Review: The end of the initial, near decade-long Buzzcocks hiatus that occurred in the mid-nineties, has been captured and immortalised on 'French'; a live album recorded in France (shock horror) at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12, 1995. Featuring a career-spanning set, the band exude invigorated energy as they rip through the likes of 'Ever Fallen In Love...', 'What Do I Get?', and even dust off the impassioned, 'I Believe', for a thunderous rendition. Hearing the pristine line-up under the microscope of a bygone era is truly an audible feast for casual and major fans alike.

Review: With Buzzcocks reforming in 1989 after a near-decade of inactivity, they would get to work on new material with their fourteen year gap follow up to 1979's A Different Kind Of Tension with 1993's Trade Test Transmissions, while touring in abundance to make up for lost time. The peak of this resurgent reformation era is highlighted as such in their cult status live album French; captured at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995. Boasting a 20-song set made up of classic fan favourites such as 'I Don't Mind' and 'Get On Your Own', as well as latter-day bangers including 'Isolation' and 'Energy', the collection notably omits the ten tracks from the band's three subsequent encores of the night, released separately in 1999 as originally the fan club-only available Encore Du Pain. While the two have been previously paired together on the French et Encore Du Pain double live CD compilation, this single LP reissue is of the initial French setlist, while the same label has repressed Encore Du Pain in tandem for completionists to hoard the entire epic two part set on wax.

Review: Following their reformation in 1989 after a near decade-long hiatus, Buzzcocks enjoyed a welcomed resurgence throughout the 90s, never illustrated better than on the French live album captured during their performance at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995. While only the initial 20-song set would be featured, in 1999 the band would release the (at-the-time fan club only) Encore Du Pain, offering up the 10 final tracks from their three encores at the very same show, featuring fan favourites such as 'I Don't Know What to Do With My Life,' 'Orgasm Addict' and 'Ever Fallen in Love?' The pair of releases would eventually be collated into the French et Encore Du Pain double live album, but this single LP restores the Encore Du Pain tracks to their singular nightcap greatness. It also clarifies that Buzzcocks weren't the type of cheap bastards to only deliver a ten-song performance to a paying, sold out crowd.

Review: Following the Buzzcocks 1989 reformation, the band would make up for nearly a decade of inactivity with extensive touring as well as finally delivering a follow up to 1979's A Different Kind Of Tension 14 years after the fact with 1993's Trade Test Transmissions. The pinnacle of their initial resurgence era is no better illustrated than on their cult classic French live LP; recorded at Paris' L'Arapho Club on April 12, 1995, that sees the band offering up a hefty 20-track set packed to the brim with iconic fan favourites such as 'I Don't Mind' and 'Get On Your Own', whilst also making room for later bangers including 'Isolation' and 'Energy'. While the collection notably eschews the ten final songs from the evening's three subsequent encores, these would eventually be released separately as 1999's (originally fan club-only available) Encore Du Pain. Although the two have been previously combined to make up the French et Encore Du Pain double CD compilation, this singular LP is a reissue of the initial French setlist, while the beautiful people at Reissued Sounds have also repressed Encore Du Pain in tandem, making both sets available on wax for completionists.

Review: When Buzzcocks returned in 1989 following almost a decade of inactivity, they made up for lost time with new material and plenty of touring, with their performance at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995 serving as one of the prime examples of the band at their slightly seasoned peak. Captured and immortalised as the French live album, this release only featured the first 20 songs of their initial set, while the remaining ten cuts from the three encores of the night would be released in 1999 as the originally fan club-only Encore Du Pain, with this set boasting old school fan favourites including 'I Don't Know What to Do With My Life,' 'Orgasm Addict' and 'Ever Fallen in Love?' While the pair would eventually be compiled as the French et Encore Du Pain double live album, this singular LP is all about the encores and clears up any doubts pertaining to Buzzcocks being the type of lazy cashgrabbers that would only churn a 10-song set of 3-minute cuts to a paying audience.

Review: Buzzcocks are one of the most formidable punk bands of all time. Formed in Bolton in 1976 just outside of Manchester, they not only staged the famous shows where the Sex Pistols inspired Manchester to go forth and become punks, their line up - vocals and guitar from Pete Shelley, Steve Diggle on guitar and vocals, John Mayer on drums and Steve Garvey on bass - they formed the first punk indie label and created a musical template of short, sharp, perfectly formed rabble rousers like 'What Do I Get?', 'Everybody's Happy Nowadays' and 'Orgasm Addict' (all present here). This Singles Going Steady was a compilation of Buzzcocks singles compiled by the band's US label I.R.S. with the band's permission and released in September 1979. If there's one Buzzcocks album to have, then this is it.

Review: Following a near-decade of inactivity, Buzzcocks made their glorious return in 1989 majorly making up for lost time with new material and numerous tour dates, with their now iconic performance at L'Arapho Club in Paris on April 12th 1995 often regarded as a prime example of the group at their slightly seasoned peak. Immortalised on the live album known simply as French, this captured performance only featured the first 20 songs of that night's initial setlist, with the remaining ten cuts from their three encores later released in 1999 as the originally fan club-only Encore Du Pain, where old school fan favourites such as 'I Don't Know What to Do With My Life,' 'Orgasm Addict' and 'Ever Fallen in Love?' would appear. Though the pair would ultimately be compiled into the French et Encore Du Pain double live collection, this singular LP is all about the encores of that evening, clearing up any doubts about Buzzcocks delivering a lazy, cash-grabbing 10-song set of 3-minute cuts to an avid, paying fanbase. Think of this as more arriving late to a legendary set just in time to catch all of the most highly anticipated golden oldies of the night.