Alternative Tv - The Image Has Cracked - The ATV Collection

  by Tony Gaughan

published: 4 / 3 / 2011

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Mark Perry was as instrumental to punk rock as any of the big UK acts with his xeroxed fanzine, 'Sniffin Glue', as he helped to break punk at it heights in the mid 1970s and as it took took Britain by storm. Perry then did the proper punk thing and walked away from it to form his very own punk band Alternative TV just as big things were predicted for 'Sniffin' Glue'. This collection simply brings the memories flooding back. 'Alternatives' is a strange opener being live with audience participation with Perry ranting off at the crowd like a proper punk poet. 'Action Time Vision', which follows it, would not be out of place in any Mod's record collection. Nonetheless it is a three minute classic, like many on this bumper re-issue such as 'How Much Longer?' and it's B side 'You Bastard' or the punk anthem 'Life'. The latter, which can only be described as a masterpiece, has the brilliant opening lines of "Life's about as wonderful as a record mart/I don't like selling albums but I don't wanna go to work," which Perry rants in his finest South East London drawl. Perry comes from Deptford to be precise and this is probably the reason for an appearance from another Deptford boy done good, Jools Holland, on 'Viva La Rock and Roll', who sets alarm bells ringing with his awful trademark boogie woogie piano, but fortunately not for long as his piano is soon pushed aside by a buzz saw guitar . There is plenty on here to mull over even if some of the live stuff and dub drags on a bit, but, however, the epic 'Loves Lies Limp' which was originally given away as a free flexi disc celebrating Sniffin's first anniversary , makes this worth collection worth owning alone.

Track Listing:-

1 Alternatives
2 Action Time Vision
3 Why Don't You Do Me Right?
4 Good Times
5 Still Life
6 Viva La Rock'n'Roll
7 Nasty Little Lonely
8 Red
9 Splitting In Two
10 Love Lies Limp
11 Life
12 How Much Longer?
13 You Bastard
14 Another Coke
15 Life After Life
16 Life After Dub
17 The Force Is Blind
18 Lost In A Room
19 How Much Longer? (Diff. Version)
20 You Bastard (Diff. Version)

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