BEST OF THE REST

Other reissues out this month

S*M*A*S*H Spring 1994 DEMON

Combining the best kinds of mod/punk/pop-art contrivance, brinklocated post-Clash/Boys Wonder/Manics trio S*M*A*S*H’s New Wave Of New Wave ultimately petered out on the sawdust Caesared beaches of Britpop. But Real Surreal still sounds fierce. 8/10

Hot Hot Heat

Make Up The Breakdown (20th Anniversary) SUB POP

As new-millennium skinny-tied indie flailed, failed and chased its tail post-Strokes, in search of yet another lost cause to champion, Canada’s preppy electro-bouncy HHH were briefly the new sliced bread. Yelpjangle-thud, yelp-jangle-thud… And then they were gone. 6/10

Jesus Jones

Some Of The Answers DEMON

Ploughing into the first disc of this 15-CD box, you’ll marvel at just how good electro-rocking ’89 rager Never Enough still sounds, but by midway through the tenth dance remix of Real Real Real you’ll be begging for it all to end. Nice book, though. 6/10

Paul Weller

Will Of The People (B-sides and rarities) UMC

Lou Reed once said: “My shit is worth others’ diamonds.” And, it seems, Weller’s B-sides are easily worth others’ hits. With a voice seasoned to perfection there’s soulful weight to all of these 31 tracks, but 2008’s Bobby Gillespie-ized Big Brass Buttons is a proper lost gem. 8/10

Various

Kids On The Street CHERRY RED

Another day, another scattershot three-CD punk-era box set. Ostensibly concentrating on ’78-vintage power-pop, KOTS does have ace scene faces The Pleasers on disc two, but also the Smash It Up

Damned, Inner City Unit and a past-their-best Searchers. 6/10

Cactus

Evil Is Going On HNE

Cactus saw ex-Vanilla Fudge Tim Bogert and Carmine Appice making a glorious proto-Montrose mess of the blues with ex-Detroit Wheel Jim McCarty and Amboy Duke Rusty Day. This eight-CD set (four ’70-72 ATCO albums bolstered by lives) is searing, savage stuff. 8/10

Julie Driscoll 1969 ESOTERIC

Former Steampacket/Trinity siren’s post-This Wheel’s On Fire debut sees her teamed with Keith Tippett and Chris Spedding on eight assured, genre-fluid, if jazz-leaning, originals. A long-delayed release (’71) killed it in the market, but it’s more than ripe for rediscovery. 8/10

Virgin Prunes

If I Die, I Die BMG

As stalwarts of the post-punk goth community, Virgin Prunes would support Bauhaus and offer repetitive, circular, ritualistic caterwauling that never seemed to display either destination or punch line. As demonstrated here, by their newly expanded ’82 debut. 6/10

March Violets

Play Loud Play Purple JUNGLE

A nicely curated five-CD/44-page-booklet package that comprehensively collates complete singles/BBC sessions, lives and demos from Leeds-based, Sisters Of Mercy labelmate drummachine Goths who kept their hearts in the tomb but their eyes on the dance floor. 7/10

Frank Zappa

Waka/Wazoo Box Set ZAPPA/UME

1972’s Waka Jawaka/Grand Wazoo period gets expanded. Big-band fusion recorded from a wheelchair (post-Rainbow ‘fan’ assault), FZ reaches for Bitches/Johnson Miles Davis but, hobbled by habitual discipline, never fully attains the requisite looseness of caboose. 7/10

Hard Meat

The Space Between 1969-1970 ESOTERIC

Polite if lumpily portentous of-its-time post-mod/psych prog formerly championed by Chris Blackwell at late-60s Island Records. Not quite tough enough to presage rock or metal’s ultimate future, but a lot better than their name suggests. Which isn’t saying much. 6/10