SMALL ONES

Angela Rippon.

O.K., we're not talking ultra-rare here, but I just had to post the Puncture Mucky Pup 45, having spent a couple of weeks running through the living room with my son to the sounds of this punk classic (my son calls punk rock "running music", as every time I've found a great punk record we put it on and start running and jumping around to it). Like most people, I knew the song "Mucky Pup" from the Exploited's Punk's Not Dead LP; I don't think they even credited the song so I didn't know it was a cover (now it's pretty obvious; the weird chord sequence sounds nothing like their kind of metal/punk). I was always wondering what they were shouting towards the end of the song; well, finally I know: it's "Angela Rippon! Angela Rippon!" (etc.) I have a sneaking suspicion Puncture were a joke band along the lines of Snuff Rock Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, but as with Alberto Y..., they're great so who cares? In any case, this was the first release on Small Wonder records (hence the legendary catalog nr. "Small One"), a seminal UK punk label that put out a lot of great records but never seemed to have a clear identity. They didn't have a trademark sound (like Raw) or aesthetic (like Rough Trade), bands like Cockney Rejects and Crass were happily rubbing shoulders, and most acts jumped ship after 1 or 2 releases, going major (Punilux, Carpettes, some obscure band called The Cure) or starting their own label (Crass, Poison Girls). With this haphazard approach it's a miracle (or small wonder, har har...) how many great records they put out. I know there's a Small Wonder Punk Singles Collection CD out, so here's a couple B-sides I like. (Yes, I know, there's also a Small Wonder B-sides CD out now; be assured these mp3s are from my own scratchy dusty platters!)
Though not as great as "Violence Grows", the Fatal Microbes' "Beautiful Pictures" is a nice piece of clanging and yelping (these guys and gal look like they're 12 years old on the sleeve). The Rejects' "I Wanna Be A Star" is a pleasant ditty, not as macho as they became later (why, there's even baby pictures of them on the sleeve!). Nicky & The Dots are one of those one-offs I know nothing about; "Linoleum Walk" (B-side of "Never Been So Stuck") is a nice slice of powerpop. I still like punk rock busker Patrik Fitzgerald, even after Blur got big and I noticed the striking similarity between Patrik's and Damon Albarn's voices. The Cravats were one of the few bands that stayed on Small Wonder for (almost) all their career, but instead of posting something from their regular records I'd like to do a song that was one of my first punk purchases ever, back in 1981: the "Fireman" track that only appeared on a flexi with Dutch 'zine Vinyl. The Shend sorta reminds me of Pere Ubu's David Thomas, only a gruffer, Cockney version.

Puncture - Mucky Pup
Puncture - You Can't Rock 'n Roll (In A Council Flat)
Fatal Microbes - Beautiful Pictures
Cockney Rejects - I Wanna Be A Star
Nicky & The Dots - Linoleum Walk
Patrik Fitzgerald - Buy Me, Sell Me
Cravats - Fireman