Almost instantly on the first listen, Buzzcocks became one of my favorite bands. Their short lived career (76-81, three albums) places them in a category of bands that for a time could do no long (as far as peers, I’d throw The Jam and English Beat in there as well).
They also felt like the first punk band to reform after a break and release new material (I know, I know, the Damned, Wire and others might have a claim but it also never felt like they went away, and others who weren’t particularly memorable).
Which brings us to Trade Test Transmissions. An album that to my ears is as good as anything they had done, or at least as good as any band’s fourth album.
The album exists in a weird space. Primarily, because it was largely unheard; but also because reviews for it are all over the board. Allmusic gives it three stars, which means one day I will probably have to write a post to defend it, but others agree with me as it being essential.
One of the strengths of the comeback was Steve Diggle taking vocal duties on a few songs and providing a counterpoint to Shelley a la Mould/Hart, Strummer/Jones Mascis/Barlow and other duos.
From there, I followed the band religiously and bought all the releases as soon as they came out.
Besides a few rests and line up changes, the Buzzcocks mk. 2 are now just over 30 years and six albums in.
I have to say that my appraisal of each post-TTT album is the same- mild disappointment, the cover work generally fairly generic and if I associate a personality with an album it’s that of one of the specific label that they were on at the time. There was a carousel of labels too (IRS, GoKart, Merge, Cooking Vinyl). Yet of course, the truth in a world of Buzzcocks inspired melodic punk, you could always do worse than Shelley and Diggle.
Even with Shelley’s death in December of 2018, the band continues on.
With the benefit of hindsight, I can reevaluate the bands work. 1996’s All Set is actually a strong set of songs. Perhaps not as good as it’s predecessor, but pretty close.
The band recorded with Neill King- who engineered the breakout albums by Green Day and other Buzzcocks influenced bands like Rancid, Jawbreaker and the Muffs.
It seems absurd that a band with that name and that age would be able to replicate the success of their followers but the demise of IRS records shortly following the release would have certainly not helped things.
99’s Modern doesn’t have the tunes, but sonically it’s a great listen. The band incorporated a lot of new wave electronic elements.
03’s self titled album brought the band back to something more akin to the bands original sound. It’s hard to say why this album doesn’t click for me since there’s so much energy. Is it so competent it’s boring?
Flat Pack Philosophy (2006) similarly misses the Mark, but the band mixes their sound up between songs that it at least feels like a more interesting listen.
The bands last album to date (The Way 2014) is likely the weakest. The album reminds me of all of the 90s indie bands that had listened to some Husker Du records and dutifully set out to make their own (often inferior) product.
All of this is irrelevant of course when it comes to Late For The Train- a six disc boxed set that tries to capture the Mk. 2 Buzzcocks live performances.
The band was always a bunch of frenetic
Punks with a solid catalog. The band picked the best of the new material and it fit seamlessly with the Greatest Hits.
If for some reason, you have not checked out the second incarnation (a term I use loosely - Buzzcocks mk 2 has had three main “lineup” changes -89-92, 92-08, 08-current) this is a great starting spot.
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