Slaughter And The Dogs – Do It Dog Style (Captain Oi!)

During the early days of the original punk explosion, Slaughter And The Dogs were a band that split opinion in the music press. One side of the coin saw them as a band to continue the work of The Sex Pistols, while the other side saw them as a bunch of glam chancers, presumably due to them daring to originate in the provinces rather than London. Although their debut single Where Have All The Bootboys Gone? was a genuine punk classic of its day, their tendency towards the foot-stomping sound of the previous generation was always something of an undeserved thorn in their side. Time has put these concerns to one side, and Wythenshawe’s finest now sit comfortably at the top table of early punk. They weren’t a band who left a massive legacy, but those early recordings are compiled for the completist out there, with the notable exception of their version of Frankie Valli’s You’re Ready Now. Do It Dog Style is presented in its glory on disc one, a genuine slab of 1978 punk rock, while the second disc brings together all the single A and B sides, along with compilation tracks not included on the debut album, meaning that for once there isn’t endless repetition of key tracks. The final disc is the famous Live Slaughter – Rabid Dogs set. Recorded before they became well known, it closes the argument on whether they were a punk band or not. The aggression and style on display show that without a doubt, Slaughter And The Dogs were the original leading light of the Manchester punk explosion that was soon to come, and is arguably one of the best live sets recorded in those early years of punk.