Stiff Records was a maverick among British independent record labels, partially responsible for starting the punk and new wave revolution of the late '70s. Under the guidance of house producer Nick Lowe, Stiff turned out an enormous number of seminal punk and new wave singles in their first years, including classic tracks by the Damned, Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, the Adverts, Ian Dury, and Lowe himself. But what really gave the label its wild, original flavor were minor artists like Ian Dury, Wreckless Eric, Tenpole Tudor, the Yachts, Lene Lovich, Rachel Sweet, and Mickey Jupp, who turned out a series of raw pop gems that were everything good rock & roll singles should be -- catchy, energetic, and memorable. Over 100 of Stiff's finest tracks are collected on this wonderful four-disc box set. While most of these songs weren't hits, they are classic rock & roll. The first three discs are excellent; the fourth disc contains some bright moments, but by that time, their artists were pretty much spent. However, the box remains one of the most compulsively listenable sets ever assembled, providing the definitive retrospective of arguably the most important and influential British record label of the late '70s.
The Stiff Records Box Set
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The Stiff Records Box Set Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Track Listing - Disc 1
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 | Nick Lowe | 02:32 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
2 | Nick Lowe | 02:04 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
3 |
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The Pink Fairies | 03:15 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
4 | Roogalator | 06:06 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
5 | Sean Tyla | 02:37 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
6 | The Damned | 02:44 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
7 | Richard Hell | 02:53 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
8 | The Damned | 00:59 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
9 | Elvis Costello | 03:10 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
10 | Max Wall | 03:28 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
11 | Jill Read | 02:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
12 | The Adverts | 02:36 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
13 | Elvis Costello | 03:21 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
14 | Dave Edmunds | 05:00 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
15 | Wreckless Eric | 02:58 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
16 | Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias | 01:38 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
17 | Ian Dury | 03:13 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
18 | Ian Dury | 02:57 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
19 | Yachts | 03:15 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
20 | Mick Farren | 02:20 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
21 | Elvis Costello | 03:45 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
22 | Ian Dury | 03:39 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
23 | Larry Wallis | 03:19 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
24 | Jane Aire | 03:07 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
25 | Graham Parker | 02:53 | SpotifyAmazon |
Track Listing - Disc 2
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 | Nick Lowe | 03:00 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
2 | Nick Lowe | 02:47 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
3 | Ian Dury | 03:27 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
4 | Elvis Costello | 02:24 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
5 | Humphrey Ocean | 02:29 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
6 | Lene Lovich | 02:46 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
7 | Devo | 03:20 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
8 | Ian Dury | 03:43 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
9 | Wreckless Eric | 02:56 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
10 | Jona Lewie | 01:45 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
11 | Rachel Sweet | 03:07 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
12 | Lene Lovich | 02:46 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
13 | The Members | 03:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
14 | The Rumor | 03:31 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
15 | Wreckless Eric | 03:42 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
16 | Kirsty MacColl | 03:02 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
17 | Mickey Jupp | 03:14 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
18 | Rachel Sweet | 02:58 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
19 |
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Motor Boys Motor | 02:20 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
20 |
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Lew Lewis & Reformer | 03:22 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
21 | Theatre of Hate | 02:49 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
22 | Madness | 02:19 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
23 | The Rumour | 02:46 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
24 | Ian Dury | 05:19 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
25 | Lew Lewis & Reformer | 02:17 | SpotifyAmazon |
Track Listing - Disc 3
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 | Madness | 02:47 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
2 | Desmond Dekker | 03:09 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
3 | Joe "King" Carrasco | 03:37 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
4 | Graham Parker | 03:30 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
5 | Jona Lewie | 03:03 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
6 | Any Trouble | 03:29 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
7 | Dave Stewart | 03:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
8 | Graham Parker | 03:05 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
9 | Dirty Looks | 03:13 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
10 | Madness | 02:45 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
11 | Dave Stewart | 03:49 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
12 | John Otway | 02:39 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
13 | Tenpole Tudor | 03:01 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
14 | Jona Lewie | 02:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
15 | Department S | 04:24 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
16 | Department S | 03:05 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
17 | The Equators | 03:36 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
18 | Tenpole Tudor | 02:56 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
19 | Desmond Dekker | 02:38 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
20 | Alvin Stardust | 02:41 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
21 | Billy Bremner | 02:54 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
22 | Tenpole Tudor | 03:30 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
23 |
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Pookiesnackenburger | 02:25 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
24 | Via Vagabond | 03:06 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
25 | Tracey Ullman | 02:53 | SpotifyAmazon |
Track Listing - Disc 4
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
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1 | Belle Stars | 02:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
2 | Belle Stars | 03:19 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
3 | Electric Guitars | 04:12 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
4 | Tracey Ullman | 02:35 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
5 |
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Passion Puppets | 03:31 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
6 | Jakko | 04:36 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
7 |
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King Kurt | 03:26 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
8 | The Pogues | 02:59 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
9 | Inspirational Choir of the Pentecostal First-Born Church of the Living God | 04:03 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
10 |
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Makin' Time | 02:50 | SpotifyAmazon | ||
11 | The Pogues | 03:31 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
12 | The Untouchables | 04:01 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
13 | Kirsty MacColl | 03:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
14 | Jamie Rae | 03:40 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
15 | The Untouchables | 03:39 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
16 | The Pogues | 02:42 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
17 | Furniture | 03:43 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
18 | Dr. Feelgood | 03:56 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
19 | Tommy Chase | 04:36 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
20 | Furniture | 04:37 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
21 | Dr. Feelgood | 02:50 | SpotifyAmazon |