Old punks never die.
"What do I get? Oh oh what do I get?"
It's adding a personal touch that should usually be avoided in reviews but in the latest bundle of CDs what I got included 'Reconciliation' by The Buzzcocks, a rather splendid punk band, famous from the late 70's and early 80's, but still around as a going concern today. Everyone will know 'Ever Fallen In Love?' but they had some more aces up their sleeve, including the previously mentioned 'What Do I Get?' So, do old punks (although to be fair, this isn't a recent reunion for the Buzzcocks, they have been recording and touring for many years, so don't fear that it's just a lazy cash-in) grow old gracefully or, as those other snot nosed geezers put it, is it all about the filthy lucre?
'Reconciliation' feels as much of today, as it remains very true to that Buzzcocks' sound, which can only be seen as a testimony to the influence that the band has had down the years. The sneering youngsters in bands these days who would hail the band as a blueprint for their own output, should look on in awe at being trumped by the band yet again. It's a dark little number which powers from start to end, with a melody as poppy as you could wish for but with a riveting backing track that doesn't stray far from the band's roots. There's still a fire and a passion in The Buzzcocks' music and for all that the new material may not be as exhilarating or as incendiary as the original songs, there's still a kick to this track. If a new band came out with it, they'd be getting praised to the hilt, so that probably says it all.
B-Side 'See Through You' ups the pop ante even more, even sounding like, dare it be said, the Fab Four. It may have been another punk act who declared a dislike for The Beatles and Pink Floyd but with a slightly chunkier guitar, there's some similarities to mid 60's Beatles classics like 'If I Needed Someone' or 'You Won't See Me.' As a B-side, it's completely wasted and deserves to be heard in its own right.
So there you have it, the Buzzcocks still have it and in quantities larger than most of the acts who have copied them in recent years.