The seventh in my series of Ace singles comps reaches the years 1977-79. Unlike the earlier 70s, when I’d been streamed into the rock world, I’d started to listen to a wider variety of music during that time – punk, obviously, but also the beginning of post-punk, early homegrown electronica, European synth disco, dub, a bit new wave and unique one-offs such as Subway Sect’s ‘Dontsplitit’ or the Lines’ ‘White Night’ – that represents a turbulent, highly creative period which reflected a divided, increasingly harsh world outside.
It was the late 70s, with symbols clashing everywhere, and I was in the thick of it – having moved from fan and consumer to practitioner – first with Sounds from April 1977 onwards, and then with Melody Maker from October 1978 on. Moving from small live reviews and record reviews to longer interviews, I started by covering punk and then moved to historical psychedelia, reggae and dub, American and British independent records and New Musick, the November 1977 Sounds feature I co-edited with Jane Suck about the electronic future.
As you’d expect, I was sent dozens of records from within those genres. A mix of punk, reggae, dub, independent experimentation – including late 70s psychedelia – and increasing amounts of electronica was my staple during those years. Reggae and dub came from my experience of living in London: that’s what you heard all over North Kensington, Shepherd’s Bush and in shops like Acme Attractions, run by Don Letts and Jeannette Lee. Rough Trade regularly carried reggae imports, and I’d go there most weeks.
Unlike most compilations from this period, which focus on just one genre – almost always punk – “Symbols Clashing Everywhere”, as its title suggests, contains a mix of different styles and genres co-existing, informing and occasionally clashing: and that’s without any funk or high disco. In accordance with all the previous volumes, all of these 46 tracks were released on single – the perfect medium for a fast-moving, incredibly exciting and productive period.
DISC ONE
1. Prophesy Reveal - Bo Jangles
2. Neat Neat Neat - The Damned
3. Heavy Manners - Prince Far I
4. Soda Pressing - The Boys
5. Quick Step - The Adverts
6. Young Savage - Ultravox!
7. Magic Fly - Space
8. The Modern Dance - Pere Ubu
9. Day By Day - Generation X
10. Utopia - Me Giorgio - Giorgio
11. The Passenger - Iggy Pop
12. Suspended Sentence - John Cooper Clarke
13. Bamba In Dub - The Revolutionaries
14. No Bones For The Dogs - Joe Gibbs & The Professionals
15. Emergency - 999
16. King’s Lead Hat - Brian Eno
17. Dontsplitit - Subway Sect
18. 52 Girls - The B-52’s
19. Moving Away From The Pulsebeat - Buzzcocks
20. Never - Penetration
21. Warm Leatherette - The Normal
22. I Remember - Suicide
23. True Confessions - The Undertones
DISC TWO
1. Being Boiled - The Human League
2. White Night - The Lines
3. Come Back Jonee - Devo
4. Tired Of Waking Up Tired - The Diodes
5. Voices - Siouxsie & The Banshees
6. 28/8/78 - Scritti Politti
7. The Set Up - Cabaret Voltaire
8. Human Fly - The Cramps
9. Found A Job - Talking Heads
10. Situations - The Middle Class
11. Times Encounter - Nigel Simpkins
12. Handling The Big Jets - The Members
13. Hippie - Suzannes
14. 3.38 - The Pop Group
15. Warrior In Woolworths - X-Ray Spex
16. Are ‘Friends’ Electric? - Tubeway Army
17. All Night Party - A Certain Ratio
18. Pakmoväst - Telex
19. Eine Symphonie Des Grauens - The Monochrome Set
20. A Question Of Degree - Wire
21. I Heard It Through The Grapevine - The Slits
22. Hindu Gods (Of Love) - Lipstick Killers
23. Spacer - Sheila & B Devotion
