In the late '70s,
the Ramones were the kings of punk-pop. But in England, that honor went to
the Buzzcocks. Arguably British punk's equivalent of
the Kinks,
the Buzzcocks had plenty of hooks and infectious pop melodies to go with their snotty, snarling, in-your-face demeanor. For the most part, you won't find a heavy socio-political agenda on
I Don't Mind the Buzzcocks, an 18-song collection that came out in 1999 and looked back on the band's influential 1978-79 output. What you will find on classics like "Oh, Shit," "Whatever Happened To?," "I Don't Know What to Do with My Life," "Just Lust," and "Something's Gone Wrong Again" is an infectious, reckless sense of fun. Although without a dull moment,
I Don't Mind the Buzzcocks isn't the ideal
Buzzcocks collection -- some of the band's essential recordings from the late '70s are missing, including the hysterically funny "Orgasm Addict." But even so,
I Don't Mind the Buzzcocks is full of gems and paints an impressive picture of one of punk's most important bands.