Monocled Alchemist

LP reviewed in Sounds, 16th October, 1982

UK Subs | Recorded 1979-1981 | (Abstract) 1982 **** | WHY IS it so bloody difficult to write about the UK Subs? Just why do I sit here, Pental in hand, without a solitary clue what to say?

I just don’t know, and it’s so very hard to pinpoint the problem. I’m absolutely certain that, oh, let’s say three years ago back in 79, there would not have been the same trouble . . .

Hey look! Now we’re getting somewhere. 1979 — what a year . . . UK Subs everywhere; the Lyceum, the Moonlight Club, the Marquee . . . never missed a gig; great steaming celebrations every one of ’em.

And then there was the Gem signing-up party in Camden where Charlie gave me a glass of red wine and a Subs sticker (still haven’t stuck it anywhere even now).

There was the terrible ‘Stranglehold’ single, (never matched the live version), Garry Bushell giving me the excellent ‘Tomorrow’s Girls’ (on blue vinyl), and then the debut album, (fine except for that plodding version of ‘Live In A Car’; included here incidentally) the first official T-shirts, and ‘Warhead’ . . .

But something happened between then and today.

Today Charlie turns up all over the place with his Urban Dogs, the UK Subs play here and there every few weeks, and the UK Subs release ‘best of compilation albums . . .

I mean there’s nothing actually wrong with them, they’re still a terrific live band, and they released a damned good album earlier on this year. No, the only problem that faces the UK Subs is . . . 1979 itself. Problem solved. (Winston Smith)