Scootering Words & Sounds

The best of scootering words and music as reviewed by Nik & Sarge.

With the current glut of scooter-friendly reissues hitting the market at the moment, we’ve compiled some of the better releases together in a single column to separate classic reissues from new releases. Infamous punk label Captain Oi! has been busy over the last few months, pushing out a steady stream of box sets showcasing material from the early years of punk. First up are stalwarts Peter And The Test Tube Babies. This Early Years compilation covers the band at arguably their best, with the legendary Pissed And Proud the obvious highlight of the set, although some of the lesser known material scattered across the other four discs is well worth revisiting.

The Toy Dolls have been subject to a five-disc compilation featuring their first four albums and a collection of rarities from their early years. Similarly, The Angelic Upstarts set contains their first five albums – including Teenage Warning and the classic 2,000,000 Voices – each with a few bonus tracks. 999 are featured with a four disc set comprising their first three albums and the almost obligatory collection of single mixes and flip sides, compilation only tracks, and the Biggest Prize In Sport mini album and comes highly recommended. Rounding out their current releases is another box set, this time featuring the Angelic Upstarts’ earliest releases. Each comes in a clamshell type box and features reproductions of the original sleeves.

Skinhead reggae has had something of a resurgence with the new version of the classic Dr Bird label. Bob & Marcia’s get a double release with Young, Gifted and Black being joined by Pied Piper in a reissue of their two Trojan LP releases, while Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and The Upsetters present another twin release with Return Of Django and Eastwood Rides Again. Both are popular early examples of the eccentric producer and performer at his creative peak, with many tracks being dancefloor favourites to this day. There are a couple of extended single album releases too. Dave & Ansell Collins’ brilliant Double Barrel gets an extra 13 tracks, while Harry J Allstars’ Liquidator gets a mere dozen, including the (almost) instrumental version of Young, Gifted And Black. Nik