With Buzzcocks Reissues, What Do I Get?

The punk scene of the late '70s, particularly from across the pond, is one of my favorite genres, and from 1978-1979, no band did it any better than the Buzzcocks. Mute must think so, too, because on Feb. 9 the label is reissuing all three of Buzzcocks' records from this time period -- 'Another Music in a Different Kitchen', 'Love Bites' and 'A Different Kind of Tension' -- as double discs with a slew of bonus material. Here is the breakdown:

'Another Music in a Different Kitchen': The entire 11-song album, four additional singles from the time period, three songs from a 1977 John Peel session, 14 demos and a whole 1977 live show from Manchester's Electric Circus.

'Love Bites': The entire 11-song album, four additional singles from the time period, seven songs from three separate John Peel sessions, 13 demos and a whole 1978 live show from Lesser Free Trade Hall.

'A Different Kind of Tension': The entire 12-song album, 11 singles and select B-sides from the time period, four songs from two separate John Peel sessions and 11 demos.

Wow! Pretty impressive, eh? In my opinion, these are musts. To get you in the mood, here are three of the band's singles. One of these will appear on each of the reissues. These are taken from one of the best compilations of all time, 'Singles Going Steady'.

Buzzcocks - What Do I Get? (mp3)
Buzzcocks - Love You More (mp3)
Buzzcocks - Everybody's Happy Nowadays (mp3)

On a side note, this is as good a time as any to state that the reunion of the band after disbanding for most of the '80s actually produced at least one really good album. I give high marks to the 1993 album 'Trade Test Transmissions'. I was working at a record store at the time of its release, and I played it numerous times in the shop. I imagine quite a few people saw them tour in support of that record since they opened for Pearl Jam in 1993 and Nirvana in 1994. Here is one of my favorites from that overlooked Buzzcocks' gem.

Buzzcocks - Innocent (mp3)