Buzzcocks Albums (13)
'Secret Public's Best in Good Food'
Release Date 10/13/2008
Tracks 21
Label Damaged Goods
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What The Critics Say
Given that the Buzzcocks, the esteemed inventors of chainsaw pop, already have ten live albums on the market at this writing, the arrival of 30, titled to commemorate the three decades since their debut album, seems like something less than an event. Which is not to say the album isn't good -- Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle have admirably maintained the Buzzcocks' standing as one of the best and most consistently entertaining live acts in British rock, and this recording of a show in London (no date given) sounds passionate and energetic, with just enough of a ragged edge to keep things exciting but without sounding as if they've abandoned their professional status. Just as importantly, Shelley and Diggle are both ace songwriters, and 30's set list ticks off one great tune after another, from "You Tear Me Up" to "Orgasm Addict," and while the focus is mostly on the "hits," the newer tunes that make the cut sound just fine in this context. The recording is good, if not remarkable, and no one would have any reason to doubt that the folks who saw this show had a great time. But the same problem that's dogged the last few Buzzcocks live discs follows this one as well -- this group's status as a great live act has been documented well enough that unless you're an utter obsessive, there isn't any compelling reason to pick up 30 if you've already got a decent live recording of the Buzzcocks in action. If you don't, 30 is fine stuff and ripping fun, but it doesn't tell you anything about the Buzzcocks that fans don't already know. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Flat-Pack Philosophy'
Release Date 3/6/2006
Tracks 14
Label Cooking Vinyl
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What The Critics Say
The Buzzcocks have had difficulty living up to the formidable legacy of their past on the studio material they've released since reuniting in 1989, but in the early years of the 21st century they've finally learned to make new records that don't need to stand in the shadows of Singles Going Steady. The darker undertow of 2003's Buzzcocks set it apart from their previous albums, and though 2006's Flat-Pack Philosophy isn't haunted by the same degree of angst as that album, it reflects the same degree of increased maturity that informed Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle's material on that collection. While the Buzzcocks are still trying to figure out the nuts and bolts of love, "Reconciliation," "God, What Have I Done," and "I've Had Enough" speak of the stakes and responsibilities of grown-up relationships rather than the teenage frustration of their salad days, and the larger world has also become a subject of keener interest to them on numbers like "Sell You Everything" and "Credit." Fast and loud is still the Buzzcocks' preferred mode of attack, but though there are hooks galore to be found on Flat-Pack Philosophy, the tempos have eased up a bit so that Diggle's and Shelley's guitar parts have more room to interact with one another, and bassist Tony Barber's production is clean and roomy while giving the melodies plenty of opportunity to show off their muscle. Very few bands made better use of their teenage mood swings than the Buzzcocks, but Flat-Pack Philosophy shows that they have plenty of compelling things to say about their adult lives, too, which is a good thing for a band whose career now spans four decades. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
So just how many live Buzzcocks albums does the world need? Of the first wave of British punk bands, the Buzzcocks are one of the few who can still step onto a stage and perform with something resembling their original power and enthusiasm, and Driving You Insane proves how true this happens to be. Recorded at a London show in early 2003 (the band dedicates "Autonomy" to the decently departed Joe Strummer), this double-disc set captures the band tearing through a 32-song set with sweat, fire, and passion, playing their hits, a few lesser-known tunes, and some cuts from their self-titled 2003 album as if they were all written yesterday and the band is still determined to prove themselves anew to their audience. In short, the Buzzcocks sound great on Driving You Insane. But how much better or worse do they sound here than on the other eight Buzzcocks live albums already out there? Better than some, to be sure, but is this set so dramatic an improvement over 1996's French et Encore du Pain that it was truly necessary? That's probably a question for greater minds to contemplate, but as a practical matter, anyone who still digs the Buzzcocks and is looking for a good live recording of them in action will be happy with this set. Folks who already own one or more decent live albums from Manchester's Finest probably won't feel the need to upgrade. One bonus on this set -- videos from the same show of six songs (accessible on your personal computer) that prove the band works just as hard as they sound like they do. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'The French et Encore du Pain: The Complete 1995 Paris Live'
Release Date 11/16/2004
Tracks 30
Label Recall
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What The Critics Say
Since the Buzzcocks returned to active duty in 1989, no small number of fans and loyalists have grumbled a bit about the quality of the studio work from the latter-day version of the punk-pop pioneers, but one seldom hears anyone speaking ill of their live shows, and this release will show you why. Originally released in 1996, French was recorded during a Buzzcocks gig in Paris in the spring of 1995, and it captured the band in typically superb form, roaring through a 20-song set of new tunes and old favorites with equal measures of skill and passion; the sweaty fire of the show certainly communicated on tape, and it was a tremendous testament of the band's continued strengths. However, as is so often the case with live albums, there was more where that came from, and the 1999 release Paris: Encore du Pain featured ten more songs from the same concert (including several audience favorites such as "I Don't Know What to Do With My Life," "Orgasm Addict" and "Ever Fallen in Love?"). French et Encore du Pain: The Complete 1995 Paris Live is a double-disc set that finally, logically, makes the two releases available in one package, with French containing the show's main set and the second CD featuring the ten tunes from their three encores, and the band sounds just as fired up on the final cut, "Fast Cars," as they do on the show opener "I Don't Mind." Nearly three decades on, the Buzzcocks continue as a band for two reasons -- they obviously love to play, and they happen to be very good at it, and French et Encore du Pain: The Complete 1995 Paris Live is a treat for fans that should also surprise those wondering if these long-in-the-tooth punks still have anything to offer. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On-stage, the reunited Buzzcocks have been a consistently superb live act since Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle began making the rounds again in 1989, but the second edition of the band hasn't had quite the same degree of success in the studio. While Trade Test Transmission and All Set certainly had their moments, neither was up the standards of the group's 1977-1980 glory days, and 1999's Modern was by any standards a severe disappointment. So it's encouraging to report that Buzzcocks, the band's fourth studio set since their reunion, is the strongest album this band has created since returning to active duty. If Shelley and Diggle have moved past teenage angst into the divisive confusion and frequent bitterness of adult life in their lyrics (as well they should have), their songwriting has also developed a hard-edged clarity and flinty intelligence that suits they new material well; and longtime fans will doubtless prefer the two Pete Shelley/Howard DeVoto collaborations here over the brave but muddled electronic experiments of their Buzzkunst album. Musically, this is tough, propulsive music which rocks with a direct and spirited pulse that lacks a dash of the jangle of their pioneering pop-punk singles but boasts a muscular gravity which suits the songs very well indeed. And the production by bassist Tony Barber serves the material well, giving the band a sleek but thick sound which suits both the hooky melodies and the chunky roar of the guitars. If Buzzcocks doesn't reinvent this band, it does give their approach a bit of an overhaul, and the results make for an album which holds onto their strengths while lending a more mature perspective to their work; hard to imagine Green Day or Rancid having anything this interesting up their sleeve 27 years down the line from their first recording. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Buzzcocks Mach 2 (Pete Shelley, Steve Diggle, Steve Garvey, and John Maher -- the classic lineup that formed after the departure of co-founder Howard Devoto) were near the end of their trail as a live band when this live set was recorded during a gig at London's Rainbow Theatre in the fall of 1979, and while the Buzzcocks still sound like a powerful live act on the evidence of Live Tension, one also senses that a bit of fatigue had begun to set in. The performances are sharp, but the between-song patter suggests a certain weariness with the material, and while the best moments are still punk-pop bliss, much of the time one hears a band of professionals who sound fine but are just going through the motions, particularly on earlier songs such as "Moving Away From the Pulsebeat" and "16." The recording is clear and loud but a tiny bit hollow, and the source tape reveals some momentary speed problems, none of which last for long but are quite disorienting in context. Loyal Buzzcocks fans will enjoy Live Tension, but novices are less likely to be impressed, and this is hardly the definitive live document that this great band truly deserves. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Despite the punk revival of the '90s, the Buzzcocks operated somewhat under the radar. They were an undeniable influence on many bands, including the chart-topping crossovers Green Day, but they were rarely cited as such, and even though a reunited incarnation of the group was surprisingly strong, their albums and concerts largely went unnoticed. Such was the case for their 1999 album for Go Kart, Modern. The title isn't entirely in jest -- the group tests out some electronics and drum machines, particularly on Steve Diggle's material. These experiments aren't entirely successful, sounding a little forced. Consequently, Diggle's songs sound a little weaker than Pete Shelley's, but when he concentrates on straight-ahead pop-punk -- as he does on "Turn of the Screw" -- the results are quite good. Shelley pretty much follows the straight and narrow throughout Modern, turning in catchy, tightly written punk and pop songs. There are no surprises among his songs, but they're strong and reliable -- good tunes performed with energy by the band. Admittedly, this a minor triumph and nobody will confuse Modern with Singles Going Steady, but the Buzzcocks not only sound better than any of their punk peers on Modern, they sound better than most of the young punk revivalists. And at the very least, that's somewhat noteworthy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Paris: Encore du Pain'
Release Date 5/25/1999
Tracks 10
Label Almafame
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What The Critics Say
Hooking up with Neill King as producer for All Set was an amusing turn on the part of the Buzzcocks, given that King had engineered Dookie, the breakthrough album from open Buzzcocks worshippers Green Day. Apparently the group felt a little acknowledgement back was in order, even going so far as to record the album in that trio's stomping ground, Berkeley, CA. Far from trying to capture the MTV audience with a variation on "Basket Case," though, the quartet here sounds like -- the Buzzcocks, if again essentially the pop-friendlier side of the band. Opening song "Totally From the Heart" is actually one of the strongest numbers yet from the newer version of the band, with a great chorus and all-around soaring crunch. King definitely earns his pay with his producing and engineering work; things haven't sounded this crisp and clear for the band even since the late '70s. The Barber/Barker rhythm section has by now well settled in, with Barker in particular showing more individual flashes and flair than before. Shelley and Diggle throw in a couple of almost mainstream guitar solos along the way, but otherwise are as dedicated as always to the virtues of high-volume, brisk poppiness. Happily, hints of trying to breathe once again beyond the basic formula do crop up here and there. Hammond organ adds a nice extra touch here and there, as on the lower-key groove of "Hold Me Close," one of Shelley's tenderer love songs, while Diggle pulls off a rock-of-the-gods epic start for "Playing for Time." The concluding two numbers both have something to them in particular -- "Pariah" has a quirky rhythm crunch to it à la "Sixteen," while Diggle's "Back With You" starts off with an acoustic guitar and turns into a string-synth-swept declaration of love. Otherwise, it's generally effective business as usual. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide
