Whenever the first wave of U.K. punk is mentioned, such usual suspects as
the Sex Pistols,
the Clash, and
the Damned immediately and automatically come to mind. But there were obviously countless other acts that flew the punk flag during the late '70s, such as
the U.K. Subs. While many of their pals from the era ultimately fell by the wayside,
the Subs continued to plow on, as evidenced by the 2000 double-disc set
Sub Mission: The Best of U.K. Subs 1982-1998. Although the group's glory days are pinpointed to such releases as 1979's Another Kind of Blues and 1980's Brand New Age by many fans,
the Subs did manage to release quite a few subsequent strong tracks. The albums they were featured on were not always up to snuff, so that's where a compilation such as this comes in handy -- to put a spotlight on worthy tracks that would normally slip through the cracks. Quite a few punk acts of the late '70s softened their sound during this era, but
the Subs admirably stick close to the original game plan on such standouts as "Police State," "Self Destruct," and "Another Typical City." And to entice longtime fans into purchasing the set, the second disc is comprised of a concert CD, recorded live at Bristol in 1991. Long considered one of punk's high-energy live acts (check out the DVD Punk Can Take It for the proof),
the Subs still deliver at this latter stage of their career, especially on "You Don't Belong" and "Emotional Blackmail."
Sub Mission combined with
the Subs' aforementioned 1979 and 1980 albums will do a solid job of showcasing the highlights of one of punk's more underrated acts. ~ Greg Prato