Punk 45 collects rare, obscure, or outright classic single releases from the earliest days of punk, proto-punk, art rock, and all other middle ground of the raw, angry, and exuberant early years of 1973-1980. Released by Soul Jazz, the 21-track compilation coincided with the release of a huge book of the same name depicting the cover art from picture sleeves of hundreds of punk 45s from that golden era. Tracks pop up from bands both highly revered and lesser-known from scenes in Detroit, Cleveland, New Orleans, and other hubs of punk activity, including songs from legendary acts like
Pere Ubu,
Tuxedomoon,
the Urinals,
Electric Eels, and many others. ~ Fred Thomas