Zounds "The Curse Of Zounds Discography 1980-2001" 2011(comp)*****

"The Curse of Zounds" is my favorite anarcho-punk album ever, and I like all anarcho-punk bands. I never bought into the Sid Vicious version of anarchy: (self) destruction as fashion, anger without reason, that kind of thing. No, bands like Crass (and their protégés Zounds) just picked their targets and shot them down one by one: militarism, patriarchy, consumerism, capitalism, mass culture, pop idols, politicians etc. What set Zounds apart was that they avoided the rigid approach of similar bands, by combining noise with melody, anger with melancholia, the political with the personal. A couple of their songs were club classics in Exarchia bars of the late 80's: garage rocker "True Love" and Joy Division-like  "Demystification", challenging established notions of love and life. Zounds' LP and EP's (released between 1980-83) were already rare when I discovered them, but there were always 2nd or 3rd generation cassettes of their stuff going around. Thankfully a Greek indie label (Lazy Dog from Thessaloniki) re-released the album and singles in the 90's in the form of a double LP, which I bought and love. Which didn't stop me from buying this CD version when I spied it last year at the Rough Trade record shop in London. It's an update of "The Curse Of Zounds + Singles" CD, adding the 2001 track "Alone" - a melodic garage punk track every bit as good as what the band did at its prime, released as the B-side of a single with a reworked version of "This Land" on the front. The compilation opens with their 1980 debut EP "Can't Cheat Karma/War/Subvert". The first two songs are excellent but typical punk rock, while "Subvert" is unique, from its acoustic intro to the galloping bass driving the song throughout, and the short psychedelic guitar solo. "Great White Hunter", which reminds me of The Adverts, gives way to the tracks from the original Curse... album. It's darker stuff, from "Fear" to the slow and agonizing teenage suicide story "Did He Jump" played as a meddley with punk rocker "My Mummy's Gone". "Little Bit More" is a fast garage rocker with a catchy chorus and "Target" is straight punk, while the rest of the album tracks are somewhat slower and more experimental, touching on subjects ranging from the music industry ("New Band"), nuclear weapons ("Target/Mr Disney") and -hillariously- the punk squatting scene from the perspective of a neighbour who is disgusted by it ("Dirty Squatters").

Good as the album was, the singles appended here are the true gems: the mid-tempo "Dancing" is psychedelic new wave on a par with Pornography-era Cure, "True Love" and "More Trouble Coming Everyday" are melodic 60's garage. The desperate "Knife", augmented with synths and trumpet, sheds punk orthodoxy for a new wave sound reminiscent of The Sound, while "Biafra" is straight Clash-like punk rock. "Not Me" is just as anthemic, while the CD adds live recordings of "Fear" and Crass-like punk "Wolves". The aforementioned new track "Alone" rounds up one of the best punk albums ever. Easily in my all-time punk Top 5. My version includes a booklet with all the lyrics - and this is one case where you really have to pay attention to the lyrics. You can find them all here, but the booklet is not the only reason to buy this CD instead of downloading it: first of all, proceeds don't go to a big record label, but small indie Active Distribution ("Active" is written with a circled A Ⓐ, just to let you know where they stand). Then, the songs are remastered for the first time, by singer/bassist Steve Lake himself who seems to be involved with the label somehow. Above all, the fantastic artwork (though that's a reason to opt for the vinyl LP instead). Ingeniously, you have to turn the album to discover that the firemen of the cover aren't trying to put out the flames which seem to be engulfing the House of Parliament - they're actually dousing it with petrol. A sight to warm the heart of Greek anarchists, whose favourite slogan is: "Na kaei, na kaei to mpourdelo i Vouli (Burn, burn the parliament whorehouse)". If I haven't convinced you to buy it yet, there's a link in the comments - if Steve Lake is true to his ideology, I don't think he'll mind you downloading his music...

***** for Subvert, Demystification, Dancing, True Love, More Trouble Coming Everyday, Knife

**** for War, Can't Cheat Karma, Great White Hunter, Fear, Did He Jump Or Was He Pushed/My Mummy's Gone, Little Bit More, New Band, Dirty Squatters, Biafra, Not Me, Alone

*** for This Land, Loads Of Noise, Target, Mr Disney, Fear (Live), Wolves (Live)