The Vibrators
Greatest Punk Hits
O-Rama Records
Street: 08.06
The Vibrators = The Undertones + Stiff Little Fingers / X
It’s a shame that The Vibrators are not too popular in the US. Countless punk bands have covered these songs, some of which I didn’t even know where originally Vibrator tunes. I suggest you listen to this album first, then listen to some songs by The Clash, then some songs by The Undertones, and from there, you’ll get a nice overview of what punk was like in the mid-70s. Not everything has to snarl, not everything has to be super fast to be punk. I have always been a fan of “London Girls” and “Automatic Lover,” but those songs have now been replaced by “Disco in Moscow” and “Troops of Tomorrow.” I would really love to have had some commentary between tracks to set up the stories around the songs, maybe stories about touring, but that may be asking for too much. If you’re looking for a history lesson in punk rock, I suggest you pick this up. –Alex Cragun