Sunday 22 July 2018

Various Artists ‎– "City Walls - A Southampton Compilation" (White Elephant Records ‎– RIOCH 1) 1980



From Southend, we logically move along the coast of the UK round the corner past Kent , Sussex to Southampton. Where, like everywhere else in the UK had a compilation of local New Wave pop groups unleashed onto a disinterested public.
It includes a smorgasbord of wanna-be power poppers, cold wavers, and Noo Wavers, all busting a bloodvessel to be the new Vapors or the next Department S. Luckily I love Power Pop, and secretly wish i was in the Vapors too;complete with mullet and tiny fringe.....but as i'm bald I cry myself to sleep every night knowing this is just the dying embers of a cruel dream.
All the tracks are jolly good (which sadly includes the obligatory Punky Reggae number!), and pogo-able; which is a rarity among local band comps,of which this is one of the better ones.

Tracklist:

A1 –The Motifs - Julie
A2 –The Motifs - Disillusion
A3 –Vertical Motion - Last Chance
A4 –Vertical Motion - You've Lost The Thread
A5 –Almost Cruelty - Foetus
A6 –Almost Cruelty - Dangers Of Tranquility
A7 –Exploding Seagulls - Prefab (Buildings) !
B1 –Exploding Seagulls - Ring Pull/Takes
B2 –The Point Fives - Stabbed
B3 –The Point Fives - Next Time
B4 –Inferior Complex - Crimean War
B5 –Inferior Complex - Not Concerned
B6 –Games To Avoid - Nature Nurture
B7 –Games To Avoid - Wasteland (Crusader 80)


3 comments:

Mark L. said...

Always been a fan of the Point Five track on this and along with "South Specific" is prolly one of the stronger regional V/A's of the time.

Jonny Zchivago said...

Funnily enough South Specific is up next...logically.

Mark L. said...

haha, i kinda figured.