For those unaware, the just-released Singles 1978-1985 by the Angelic Upstarts is a magnificent 44-track 2CD set covering every A and B-side issued by the punk legends between 1978-85.

Running in chronological order, it starts with the self released The Murder Of Liddle Towers and is followed by the major label debut of I’m An Upstart which hit No.31 in the UK charts.

Teenage Warning then hit No.29 and saw the band in the nation’s living rooms via their appearance on Top Of The Pops. A hat-trick of hits was completed when Never ’Ad Nothin’ hit No.52 in late 1979.

The band moved into the 1980s with hits like Out Of Control (No.58), We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (No.58 and incredibly appearing here on CD for the first time in its original 7 version), Last Night Another Soldier (No.65) and Kids On The Street (No.57) before they switched to (then) newly established Independent label Anagram Records. Each of the 17 singles featured has a detailed history included in the booklet which is illustrated by the original sleeves.

CD 1
1. The Murder Of Liddle Towers
2. Police Oppression
3. I’m An Upstart
4. Leave Me Alone
5. Teenage Warning
6. The Young Ones
7. Never ’Ad Nothin’
8. Nowhere Left To Hide
9. Out Of Control
10. Shotgun Solution
11. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
12. Unsung Heroes Part II
13. Last Night Another Soldier
14. The Man Who Came In From The Beano
15. England
16. Sticks’ Diary
17. Kids On The Street
18. The Sun Never Shines
19. I Understand
20. Never Come Back
21. Heath’s Lament
22. Different Strokes
23. Different Dub

This vibrantly brilliant, punk-al-rock flashback opens on, quite possibly, one of the greatest punk anthems of all time, The Murder Of Liddle Towers and the rhythmic Police Oppression and then comes the fervent I’m An Upstart (complete with a terrific solo in the middle), the skinhead bopper Leave Me Alone, the ferocious Teenage Warning, an inspired cover of The Young Ones, and then we get the unwavering punk-rock-pop of Never ’Ad Nothin’, the thunderous Nowhere Left To Hide, the headbanger Out Of Control, the genuine foot tapper Shotgun Solution, a quite brilliant, emotionally raw cover of We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, and then comes the always underestimated Unsung Heroes Part II.

Up next is another punk tune with meaning, Last Night Another Soldier and the rhythmic punk of 14 The Man Who Came In From The Beano, and then we get a song that could have easily been England’s national anthem, England, the genuine storytelling within Sticks’ Diary, the drum-led beauty Kids On The Street, the informative The Sun Never Shines, and then comes one of their best offerings, the reggae-imbued I Understand, the still lyrically relevant today Never Come Back, the first disc rounding out on the comrade-driven, veritably poetic Heath’s Lament, The Clash-esque Different Strokes and a shimmering dub version of the same song (Different Dub).

CD 2
1. Never Say Die
2. We Defy You
3. Victory For Poland
4. Woman In Disguise
5. Lust For Glory
6. 42nd St.
7. Solidarity
8. Five Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest
9. Dollars And Pounds
10. Don’t Stop
11. Not Just A Name
12. The Leech
13. Leave Me Alone (Live)
14. Liddle Towers (Live)
15. White Riot (Live)
16. Machine Gun Kelly
17. Paint It In Red
18. There’s A Drink In It
19. Brighton Bomb
20. Thin Red Line
21. Soldier

The second disc kicks off just as powerfully as the first with the synth-led (yes, I said synth) Never Say Die and the alt-punk of We Defy You and they are in turn backed by the fist-clenched Victory For Poland, some turbulent political viewpoints (but then again, when were they ever not) are then aired within Woman In Disguise, the emphatically-charged Lust For Glory, the atmospheric 42nd St., the inspirational Solidarity, the scorching guitar work within Five Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, the short, but politically poetic Dollars And Pounds and the pop-rock of Don’t Stop.

Along next is the melodically-infused alt-punk of Not Just A Name and angst-fueled The Leech, before we are then graced with three live tracks in the form of Leave Me Alone, Liddle Towers and a brilliant cover of White Riot, which are in turn backed by their historical nod to Machine Gun Kelly, the anger-fueled Paint It In Red, a P.I.L.-esque There’s A Drink In It, the punk-rock anthem of Brighton Bomb, the second disc, and collection, closing on the gently frenetic Thin Red Line and the heartfelt and emotional song Soldier.

Official 2CD Purchase Link