On January 27th, the world was graced with the official re-release of the Buzzcocks’ critically acclaimed – and yet somehow still considered cult favorite – Spiral Scratch EP. Released by Domino Records, the EP celebrates its 40th year, which may be hard for the underground punk scene to deal with. The thing is, all four songs are still infinitely appealing to modern listeners. So to have this EP come out now is cause of celebration, as another generation of listeners can be familiarized with the people who inspired the music we listen to today, especially in the DIY and underground/garage scene.
As it was the first self-released record of its era, Spiral Scratch serves as a beacon for the punk movement, a notable collection of tracks from the start. From the interesting – but relatable – lyrics in “Breakdown” (“I feel me brain like porridge coming out of me ears”), to the expression of fear for time restraints in “Time’s Up”, to the deep bass and slight change in vocalist stylings in”Boredom”, right on through to the almost strange, quick clip of “Friends Of Mine”, the frantic soundscape still gets your heart pumping the way it was intended to in 1977.
The Buzzcocks (mk. 1) Box Set will be released on March 10th. It includes a 7″ vinyl and CD of Spiral Scratch, LP vinyl and Cd of the noteworthy Time’s UP, audio and video download codes for the releases, special edition reprinted throwback merchandise, and many more surprises. Keep up with the influencers themselves here.
