The Boys "Alternative Chartbusters" LP

Standard Black Vinyl LP Pressing. Includes Digital Download. Bonus Tracks.

A punk classic, gloriously anthemic power pop from the cult UK outfit. On 17 March 1978, a mere six months after the release of their self-titled debut, The Boys second album Alternative Chartbusters was released (once again, produced by Dangerfield & Steel). As AllMusic recognises, Alternative Chartbusters was way ahead of its time, a buried treasure that only got dusted off much later: “Condemned at the time for offering up little more than a straight carbon copy of its predecessor, the second Boys’ album has since ascended to the pantheon of power pop greats, a combination of the band's own inestimable position at the forefront of what, by early 1978, was already a burgeoning movement, and their seemingly effortless grasp of the rudiments of, indeed, a great pop song.”

Along with the Sex Pistols, Clash and the Damned, The Boys were part of the first wave of the mid-1970’s UK punk explosion. Armed with an arsenal of killer Steel/Dangerfield songs The Boys became the first UK punk band to sign an album deal in January 1977 and subsequently released two albums, their self-titled debut and the follow-up Alternative Chartbusters in quick succession. Highly regarded by the music press and their contemporaries, yet somehow criminally ignored by a wider punk audience, unable to grasp their heritage of vintage rock ‘n’ roll that went back to Chuck Berry courtesy of The Beatles. Their well-crafted songs, together with Steel and Dangerfield’s layered harmonies, even led to them being described as ‘The Beatles of Punk’.

Tracklist

A1        Brickfield Nights
A2        U.S.I.
A3        Taking On The World
A4        Sway (Quien Sera)
A5        Do The Contract
A6        Heroine
A7        Not Ready
B1        Classified Susie
B2        T.C.P.
B3        Neighbourhood Brats
B4        Stop Stop Stop
B5        Talking
B6        Backstage Pass
B7        Cast Of Thousands