The Entire History of Punk is not one of those meticulously compiled and annotated box sets that comprehensively survey a portion of musical history. Instead, it is a randomly organized collection of tracks with virtually no annotations beyond song titles, group names, and a brief introduction by former Vice Squad singer Beki Bondage. That may seem appropriate to punk music, a style that incorporated the suggestion of a rip-off as part of its essence, but the result is scattershot. Dressed to Kill has not licensed tracks from any of the major labels, so whenever an important song by a prominent artist turns up, a hit by the Sex Pistols or the Stranglers, for instance, it's a live performance or outtake, not the original recording. And although by this method some of the major names in British punk are included, along with legendary progenitors like Iggy Pop and the MC5, many others are missing. There is nothing here by the Clash or the Ramones, except for remakes of their songs by lesser known performers. So, the set does not live up to its ambitious title. But it does contain fifteen-and-a-half hours of punk music (which could have fit onto 13 CDs instead of being spread across 20), 314 tracks by 127 different artists, three dozen of them successful enough to make the U.K. charts. Most of those performers are second- or third-division punk acts, and many are second or third generation as well, with the recordings stretching from the mid-'70s until well into the 1980s. The real stars of the box are raucous, political British groups like the Angelic Upstarts (who have 12 cuts), the Adicts (nine), and Sham 69 (seven). As long as the listener doesn't expect a complete portrait of punk, there are many discoveries to be made.
The Entire History of Punk
Various Artists
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The Entire History of Punk Review
by William Ruhlmann
Track Listing - Disc 1
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 | Dead Kennedys | 04:39 | Amazon | ||||
2 |
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Vice Squad | 02:38 | Amazon | |||
3 | Anti-Nowhere League | 02:22 | Amazon | ||||
4 | 999 | 04:07 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Johnny Thunders | 02:51 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Chaos UK | 02:19 | Amazon | ||||
7 | The Adicts | 03:27 | Amazon | ||||
8 | Menace | 02:19 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Atv | 02:35 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Stiff Little Fingers | 04:20 | Amazon | ||||
11 | The Exploited | 02:04 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Ruts | 02:33 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Slaughter & the Dogs | 03:00 | Amazon | ||||
14 | The Damned | 03:22 | Amazon | ||||
15 |
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Anti-Pasti | 02:36 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 2
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | G.B.H. | 02:53 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Chelsea | 03:11 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Chron Gen | 02:13 | Amazon | ||||
4 | The Adicts | 02:48 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Eater | 03:01 | Amazon | ||||
6 | The Drones | 01:53 | Amazon | ||||
7 |
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Suburban Studs | 02:00 | Amazon | |||
8 | Dead Kennedys | 03:06 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Sham 69 | 03:03 | Amazon | ||||
10 | The Adicts | 02:41 | Amazon | ||||
11 | The Damned | 01:40 | Amazon | ||||
12 |
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Patrick Fitzgerald | 01:38 | Amazon | |||
13 | U.K. Subs | 01:27 | Amazon | ||||
14 | Splodge | 03:45 | Amazon | ||||
15 | Eddie & the Hot Rods | 02:52 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 3
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lurkers | 02:25 | Amazon | ||||
2 | The Stranglers | 04:03 | Amazon | ||||
3 | The Adverts | 02:33 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Chron Gen | 02:51 | Amazon | ||||
5 | The Damned | 02:39 | Amazon | ||||
6 |
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Electric Sex Circus | 02:49 | Amazon | |||
7 | Newtown Neurotics | 04:15 | Amazon | ||||
8 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:35 | Amazon | ||||
9 | One Way System | 03:07 | Amazon | ||||
10 | The Vibrators | 03:04 | Amazon | ||||
11 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:00 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Special Duties | 02:27 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Cockney Rejects | 01:36 | Amazon | ||||
14 |
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03:15 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 4
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Mekons | 02:03 | Amazon | ||||
2 |
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Redskins | 04:55 | Amazon | |||
3 | Billy Bragg | 04:13 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Penetration | 02:53 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Poison Girls | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
6 |
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The Three Johns | 04:07 | Amazon | |||
7 | New Model Army | 03:43 | Amazon | ||||
8 | Joolz | 05:13 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Dead Kennedys | 02:57 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Patrik Fitzgerald | 01:55 | Amazon | ||||
11 | Newtown Neurotics | 02:35 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Chaos UK | 01:36 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Chaotic Dischord | 02:55 | Amazon | ||||
14 | The Exploited | 02:36 | Amazon | ||||
15 |
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999 | 02:31 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 5
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sex Pistols | 04:28 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Spizzenergi | 03:48 | Amazon | ||||
3 |
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Notsensibles | 03:33 | Amazon | |||
4 |
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Violators | 02:18 | Amazon | |||
5 | Sham 69 | 03:44 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Tom Robinson | 03:21 | Amazon | ||||
7 | Billy Bragg | 02:28 | Amazon | ||||
8 | U.K. Subs | 02:54 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Anti-Nowhere League | 03:16 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Stiff Little Fingers | 03:13 | Amazon | ||||
11 | Angelic Upstarts | 04:57 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Poison Girls | 07:14 | Amazon | ||||
13 |
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The Three Johns | 03:20 | Amazon | |||
14 | Newtown Neurotics | 05:08 | Amazon | ||||
15 | Anti-Pasti | 02:10 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 6
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Exploited | 01:20 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Varukers | 02:15 | Amazon | ||||
3 | The Threats | 03:13 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Riot Squad | 02:44 | Amazon | ||||
5 | The Adicts | 02:23 | Amazon | ||||
6 | The Fall | 04:02 | Amazon | ||||
7 | The Au Pairs | 05:25 | Amazon | ||||
8 | Chron Gen | 03:37 | Amazon | ||||
9 | The Boys | 02:04 | Amazon | ||||
10 | The Stranglers | 03:12 | Amazon | ||||
11 |
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Redskins | 04:35 | Amazon | |||
12 | Theatre of Hate | 05:18 | Amazon | ||||
13 |
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Vice Squad | 03:00 | Amazon | |||
14 | New Model Army | 04:07 | Amazon | ||||
15 | Ruts | 03:12 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 7
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Strike | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Infa-Riot | 03:55 | Amazon | ||||
3 | The Business | 03:03 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Splodgenessabounds | 01:35 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Cockney Rejects | 01:23 | Amazon | ||||
6 | The Partisans | 03:44 | Amazon | ||||
7 | Blitz | 02:01 | Amazon | ||||
8 | Combat 84 | 02:48 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Cock Sparrer | 03:19 | Amazon | ||||
10 | The 4 Skins | 02:18 | Amazon | ||||
11 | The Last Resort | 03:00 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Sham 69 | 02:45 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Infa-Riot | 01:39 | Amazon | ||||
14 | Accident | 02:04 | Amazon | ||||
15 |
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The Business | 02:31 | Amazon | |||
16 | Splodgenessabounds | 03:13 | Amazon | ||||
17 |
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Blood | 02:16 | Amazon | |||
18 | Cockney Rejects | 02:04 | Amazon | ||||
19 | The Exploited | 02:33 | Amazon | ||||
20 | Blitz | 01:38 | Amazon | ||||
21 | Combat 84 | 01:35 | Amazon | ||||
22 | Cock Sparrer | 03:14 | Amazon | ||||
23 | The 4 Skins | 03:25 | Amazon | ||||
24 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
25 |
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The Last Resort | 25:45 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 8
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | The Gonads | 04:15 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Menace | 03:01 | Amazon | ||||
3 |
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Accident | 01:46 | Amazon | |||
4 |
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02:30 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Sham 69 | 02:55 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Splodgenessabounds | 01:59 | Amazon | ||||
7 | The Partisans | 01:50 | Amazon | ||||
8 |
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The Business | 03:31 | Amazon | |||
9 | Chron Gen | 02:15 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Blitz | 02:01 | Amazon | ||||
11 | Combat 84 | 01:15 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:56 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Cock Sparrer | 02:10 | Amazon | ||||
14 | The Partisans | 02:54 | Amazon | ||||
15 | The Business | 02:28 | Amazon | ||||
16 | Case | 03:31 | Amazon | ||||
17 | Section-5 | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
18 | The Gonads | 01:33 | Amazon | ||||
19 | Infa-Riot | 02:32 | Amazon | ||||
20 |
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Splodgenessabounds | 02:30 | Amazon | |||
21 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:54 | Amazon | ||||
22 | Accident | 02:34 | Amazon | ||||
23 | Blitz | 02:17 | Amazon | ||||
24 |
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Cockney Rejects | 02:18 | Amazon | |||
25 |
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Blood | 05:10 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 9
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
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02:32 | Amazon | ||||
2 |
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The Crack | 03:09 | Amazon | |||
3 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:33 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Criminal Class | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Sham 69 | 02:03 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Infa-Riot | 01:55 | Amazon | ||||
7 | The Gonads | 01:50 | Amazon | ||||
8 | The Partisans | 02:52 | Amazon | ||||
9 | The Business | 02:58 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Peter & the Test Tube Babies | 03:18 | Amazon | ||||
11 | The Exploited | 02:33 | Amazon | ||||
12 | The 4 Skins | 02:27 | Amazon | ||||
13 |
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Blood | 03:19 | Amazon | |||
14 | Slaughter & the Dogs | 02:13 | Amazon | ||||
15 | Angelic Upstarts | 03:46 | Amazon | ||||
16 | The Business | 02:09 | Amazon | ||||
17 | Case | 01:54 | Amazon | ||||
18 |
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Section-5 | 03:12 | Amazon | |||
19 |
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The Last Resort | 02:31 | Amazon | |||
20 | Lurkers | 01:51 | Amazon | ||||
21 | Peter & the Test Tube Babies | 02:59 | Amazon | ||||
22 |
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The Crack | 03:27 | Amazon | |||
23 |
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Cockney Rejects | 03:15 | Amazon | |||
24 |
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03:30 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 10
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
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04:20 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Atv | 05:11 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Angelic Upstarts | 03:09 | Amazon | ||||
4 |
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Chaos UK | 02:28 | Amazon | |||
5 | Disorder | 02:02 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Eddie & the Hot Rods | 04:22 | Amazon | ||||
7 | Johnny Thunders | 03:18 | Amazon | ||||
8 | U.K. Subs | 02:27 | Amazon | ||||
9 |
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The Vibrators | 02:13 | Amazon | |||
10 | The Adicts | 03:18 | Amazon | ||||
11 |
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TV Smith | 03:12 | Amazon | |||
12 | Captain Sensible | 03:15 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Chaotic Dischord | 02:33 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 11
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dead Kennedys | 02:06 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Eater | 02:35 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Alien Sex Fiend | 04:02 | Amazon | ||||
4 | G.B.H. | 02:25 | Amazon | ||||
5 | 999 | 02:46 | Amazon | ||||
6 | One Way System | 01:55 | Amazon | ||||
7 |
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Screaming Dead | 02:57 | Amazon | |||
8 | Peter & the Test Tube Babies | 02:02 | Amazon | ||||
9 |
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Varukers | 02:25 | Amazon | |||
10 |
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Vice Squad | 03:45 | Amazon | |||
11 | P. Paul Fenech | 02:43 | Amazon | ||||
12 | The Only Ones | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
13 |
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Kirk Brandon | 04:07 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 12
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sid Vicious | 02:56 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Beki Bondage | 03:33 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Attak | 03:23 | Amazon | ||||
4 |
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Anti-Pasti | 02:39 | Amazon | |||
5 | Blitz | 01:54 | Amazon | ||||
6 | The Boys | 02:47 | Amazon | ||||
7 |
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The Partisans | 02:49 | Amazon | |||
8 |
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Channel 3 | 02:00 | Amazon | |||
9 | Chaotic Dischord | 02:30 | Amazon | ||||
10 |
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Riot Squad | 01:46 | Amazon | |||
11 | Lurkers | 01:42 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Brix Smith | 03:48 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 13
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sex Pistols | 03:52 | Amazon | ||||
2 |
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The Barracudas | 03:47 | Amazon | |||
3 | Steve Diggle | 03:44 | Amazon | ||||
4 |
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Disorder | 01:35 | Amazon | |||
5 | The Exploited | 01:49 | Amazon | ||||
6 |
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Patrik Fitzgerald | 01:43 | Amazon | |||
7 | 999 | 03:03 | Amazon | ||||
8 | The Only Ones | 02:12 | Amazon | ||||
9 |
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03:23 | Amazon | ||||
10 |
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The Runaways | 03:33 | Amazon | |||
11 |
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Peter & the Test Tube Babies | 02:44 | Amazon | |||
12 | Johnny Thunders | 02:50 | Amazon | ||||
13 | The Adicts | 02:27 | Amazon | ||||
14 | Angelic Upstarts | 03:09 | Amazon | ||||
15 | Atv | 02:33 | Amazon | ||||
16 |
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05:38 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 14
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Iggy Pop | 09:22 | Amazon | ||||
2 | New Model Army | 03:27 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Chelsea | 02:57 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Newtown Neurotics | 03:22 | Amazon | ||||
5 | Long Tall Texans | 02:51 | Amazon | ||||
6 |
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Chron Gen | 04:04 | Amazon | |||
7 | The Damned | 02:57 | Amazon | ||||
8 | The Boys | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Sham 69 | 03:23 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Penetration | 02:42 | Amazon | ||||
11 | Electric Sex Circus | 02:59 | Amazon | ||||
12 | Captain Sensible | 03:29 | Amazon | ||||
13 |
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Red London | 04:40 | Amazon | |||
14 | Chaotic Dischord | 04:31 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 15
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Long Tall Texans | 03:06 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Anti-Nowhere League | 02:52 | Amazon | ||||
3 | U.K. Subs | 01:48 | Amazon | ||||
4 | Cortinas | 02:38 | Amazon | ||||
5 | The Damned | 03:26 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Anti-Pasti | 02:32 | Amazon | ||||
7 | The Adicts | 01:29 | Amazon | ||||
8 |
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Morgans | 03:05 | Amazon | |||
9 | The Stranglers | 03:50 | Amazon | ||||
10 |
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Chaotic Dischord | 01:18 | Amazon | |||
11 | Angelic Upstarts | 02:48 | Amazon | ||||
12 | MC5 | 01:34 | Amazon | ||||
13 | Varukers | 01:40 | Amazon | ||||
14 | The Business | 02:15 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 16
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cock Sparrer | 02:35 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Sham 69 | 02:11 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Stiff Little Fingers | 02:54 | Amazon | ||||
4 | The 4 Skins | 03:06 | Amazon | ||||
5 | The Boys | 02:12 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Blitz | 02:56 | Amazon | ||||
7 | Joolz | 03:14 | Amazon | ||||
8 | The Adverts | 02:05 | Amazon | ||||
9 | Slaughter & the Dogs | 03:12 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Special Duties | 01:10 | Amazon | ||||
11 |
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Knox | 03:40 | Amazon | |||
12 | Iggy Pop | 07:09 | Amazon | ||||
13 |
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02:47 | Amazon | ||||
14 | The Adicts | 03:35 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 17
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |
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Bomb Party | 04:04 | Amazon | |||
2 |
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03:27 | Amazon | ||||
3 |
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Newtown Neurotics | 02:07 | Amazon | |||
4 |
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Chron Gen | 02:22 | Amazon | |||
5 | Captain Sensible | 06:14 | Amazon | ||||
6 | Theatre of Hate | 03:52 | Amazon | ||||
7 | Red London | 02:18 | Amazon | ||||
8 |
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Beki Bondage / Ligotage | 03:16 | Amazon | |||
9 | Dead Kennedys | 03:03 | Amazon | ||||
10 | Pauline Murray | 04:28 | Amazon | ||||
11 | The Vibrators | 02:47 | Amazon | ||||
12 |
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Eater | 01:28 | Amazon | |||
13 | The Drones | 03:17 | Amazon | ||||
14 | Lurkers | 01:43 | Amazon | ||||
15 |
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The Three Johns | 04:11 | Amazon |
Track Listing - Disc 18
Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Angelic Upstarts | 04:45 | Amazon | ||||
2 | Sex Pistols | 02:59 | Amazon | ||||
3 | Chron Gen | 02:21 | Amazon | ||||
4 |
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Chelsea | 02:54 | Amazon | |||
5 | MC5 | 04:21 |