Damaged Goods 2003 release,
Oh No It's More From Raw is a reissue (that adds four bonus tracks to the original running order) of the Raw Records compilation of the same name that was released in 1978 to commemorate the influential U.K. punk label's first birthday. In keeping with the label's moniker, most of the tracks are pretty darn raw. The best of the lot are as good as any U.K. punk going on at the time: the Users' "Sick of You" is tough, Detroit-style rock that sounds like a lost
Saints' single, the Killjoys' "Johnny Won't Get to Heaven" is a snarling slice of attitude and noise -- with vocals by future
Dexy's Midnight Runners leader
Kevin Rowland -- and
the Soft Boys' "Wading Through a Ventilator" is a swirling, punk-psych blast of energy that is one of their finest moments. The label wasn't bound to just a simplistic punk sound, as
the Soft Boys songs, as well as the pounding garage punk of the Hammersmith Gorillas, and the glam punk of the '60s survivors
the Downliners Sect, show. This disc is an essential item for anyone who wants to dig past the obvious sources for '70s U.K. punk and discover what was going on at the fringes. Not only will you have a punky good time, you might learn something too. ~ Tim Sendra