Description
Label Review.
Voice Of A Generation / Punk Singles And Rarities / Live 1982 / Second Empire Justice / Killing Dream. Plus 7 bonus tracks. Captain Oi!
Our Overview.
The ultimate Oi!/hardcore band, this quartet from Derbyshire quartet comprised two skins (Carl, Charlie) and two punks (Nidge, Mackie). Quaint as it may now seem, back then this was supposed to be a Major Political Statement, the kids being united and all that. They were also one of the hottest UK bands of the early 80s, immensely successful (in punk terms anyway, blazing into the charts (top 30 albums and top 75 singles)) and influential, with a chainsaw guitar that made early Ramones sound refined, and a vocalist who sounded like he was chewing razorblades.
Oi! band Blitz helped to successfully launch No Future Records with its first EP, All Out Attack. Fans snapped up all 1,000 copies of the first run in short order. During the summer of 1981, indie charts in the U.K. saw the release rise to the number three spot. Sales of the four-track EP, which was the first release by the new label, eventually totaled more than 20,000 copies. "Never Surrender," a single that followed the debut's release, climbed to the number two spot on the U.K.'s indie charts. It took the place of "Time Bomb," a single that Blitz's members had wanted to put out until the label nixed that idea. The group followed up with "Warriors," which was backed by "Youth." Critics and fans compared the single to efforts by the 4-Skins and the Business, and it, too, performed very well on the indie charts. For the second time in a row, Blitz hooked the number two spot. The group then made it onto the national charts with 1982's Voice of a Generation, its first album. It held steady on the charts at number 27 despite the fact that there was little to no promotional campaign from the label to back it up and grab some exposure.