Black Album

Japanese edition of 1980 album packaged in a miniature LPsleeve.

Following the pop-punk genius that is Machine Gun Etiquette proved not to be the easiest task for these British punk rock pioneers (not that this is a bad album, by any means). Released as a sprawling, eclectic, and head-scratching double LP in 1980, the nods to the Beatles' White Album are obvious, though not overt. This is a hodgepodge of an album that veers from some of the biggest mistakes the band ever made ("History fo the World, Pt. 1") to their most skeweringly delicious ("Lively Arts") and simply balls-out vicious ("Wait For The Blackout"). If you enjoy albums where you don't know what's going to come next, this one's for you. There's even a twelve minute tune from these three chord wonders, and it doesn't suck. Aside from being newly remastered, this double CD version of the album adds every 7" song the band released in 1980 as well. –Mike McGonigal