Lurkers - Complete Punk Singles Collection (CD)

All Music Guide

Inaugurating the Beggars Banquet label with the life-affirming buzz rush of "Shadow," the Lurkers -- west London's answer to the Ramones -- went on to establish themselves among the finest singles bands of the age, a veritable production line of three-chord/three-minute classics whose longevity defied even the most generous expectations. "Freak Show," "Ain't Got a Clue," "I Don't Need to Tell Her," "Just Thirteen," "Out in the Dark," "New Guitar in Town" -- the chart statistics may be almost embarrassingly unimpressive (none climbed higher than number 45), but the first two years of the Lurkers' lifespan still sound second to none. By the time the Lurkers broke up in 1979, only the Buzzcocks and the Adverts could arguably point to a stronger sequence of singles. And by the time they re-formed in 1982, they were in a class of their own. The Complete Punk Singles Collection rounds up every A- and B-side the Lurkers released prior to their second split in 1984. True, the later years lost ...some of their early conviction and elan, but still the album triumphs, unearthing the original versions of the band's Clay label releases as opposed to the remixes that have previously been issued in their stead. A total of 28 tracks are then rounded off with the inclusion of the "Go Ahead Punk, Make My Day"/"Lucky John" coupling, a single so rare that most band discographies don't even know about it. Of course, the Lurkers would return once again, reuniting in 1989 and almost carelessly returning to the basic brilliance that informed their first years. But of all their releases, archive and otherwise, The Complete Punk Singles Collection might well be the most important of them all. For it reminds listeners with (almost) every track why the band remains so cherished. - Dave Thompson, All Music Guide Read more Less