The Buzzcocks are fortunately well served at the moment by anthologies. There are no less than three excellent collections of their songs, and one wouldn't go wrong with any of the three. SINGLES GOING STEADY was the first released, and the shortest. It collects the best of the best, and is probably the most certain to please the casual fan from beginning to end. OPERATORS MANUAL is more wide-ranging, and contains nine more songs. The best of that album are, however, contained on SINGLES GOING STEADY. For the true fan, the essential album is PRODUCT, currently available in import only, but which contains all the studio recordings the Buzzcocks ever produced. The one qualifier to all these albums is that one of the most important, if not most important, albums the Buzzcocks released was the great EP SPIRAL SCRATCH, which is not included on any of these albums because of rights issues. It is in print, however, and any Buzzcocks fan should make sure they get it.

The Buzzcocks, like a lot of the best punk bands, embraced a number of contradictions. On one level, they rejected beauty and aesthetic excellence, with Pete Shelley for a period of time buying the cheapest guitar in the history of rock (I forget the details, but if I remember correctly he bought it for a few pounds from Woolworth's), and rejected the musical mainstream. On another level, however, they crafted a number of exquisite singles with enormously catchy hooks and pop sensibility. And while many other punk bands adopted an in-your-face outrageousness, the Buzzcocks usually only managed to produce songs expressing teen angst and frustration in love. They were by no means the greatest of the punk bands, but they are probably the most accessible.

None of this is seen any better than in their greatest song, "Ever Fallen in Love." This was later rerecorded by the Fine Young Cannibals. The problem with this version, however, is that Roland Gift ends up sounding more like the person you shouldn't have fallen in love with than the one who does the falling in love with. He almost swaggers through the song, and the song comes across as hollow and false. With Pete Shelley singing the same lyrics, however, the listener is convinced that he has spent his young life in one ill advised relationship after another, falling in love with emotionally sadistic women, or women who do not requite his love at all. Peter Shelly sounds like a tortured soul; Roland Gift sounds like the torturer.

A great band and great songs. My advice to one new to the Buzzcocks would be to pick up SINGLES GOING STEADY or OPERATOR'S MANUAL first, and then, if they like what they hear, going on to pick up PRODUCT.

The Buzzcocks were quite possibly the most melodic of the first-wave punk bands, with a pronounced talent for witty lyrics and well-constructed, hook-laden songs. In fact, with their indelible melodies, sturdy song structures, and obsessive concern with matters of the heart, they almost make one speculate that if Buddy Holly had been born 20 years later, and gotten into the punk scene, he might have sounded something like this (minus the British accent of course). These guys rock their [butts] off on almost every track here, but the smart arrangements lend a welcome sense of dynamics (the end of "Autonomy" or the beginning of "Love You More" among many examples). Standouts for me are the jetstream catchiness of "Everybody's Happy Nowadays," the anthemic "I Don't Mind" and "Ever Fallen In Love?" and of course the deathless "Orgasm Addict"---but truthfully, only two songs are below average: "Harmony In My Head," sung by Diggle rather than Shelley, and the overlong "Why Can't I Touch It?" but even they start to grow on you. The other 14 hit you between the eyes on first listening.

It was particularly fun getting this compilation back in the days of vinyl, because the eight singles here were programmed in chronological order, but with all the A-sides on side one, and the B-sides on side two. There's a conceptual neatness to that, and the real fan could then make a tape with the songs in proper A,B,A,B...order. Nowadays I suppose you can program your CD player to do that, but it seems like a pain. Finally, the double entendre of the title is entirely indicative of the lyrical witticisms herein. Punkier-than-thou sorts who don't think punk should incorporate attractive melodies and harmonies will probably disapprove of this music, but the rest of us can wallow happily in it.

This is a splendid collection of songs, simply one of the greatest punk rock albums ever made. BUT...as previously noted here, the mastering on this CD is pathetically tinny, as bad as I have ever heard a CD sound, and will sound like dreck on anything but the most pathetic boom box. I found it unlistenable, but fortunately the CD has been reissued in Britain with good booming sound. That import is available on Amazon, and should be purchased instead, so you can here these gems in their full five-star glory.

It would be hard to give "Singles Going Steady" anything less than 5 stars, ever. In any context.

This remaster is, in most cases, excellent. The sound quality is generally better -- but I kept my old, unremastered copy too, if that tells you anything. The new mix is thicker, but I like the rawness of the original mix just as well for high-volume listening.

A few of the bonus tracks sap the energy from the original release. But a few of the bonus tracks nest like litter-mates with this already awesome collection of non-album singles.

Get this album one way or another -- whether this souped-up version or the older, clankier (but just as pleasing) version.

And the "Spiral Scratch" EP too.

I cannot even tell you how many times I have listened to this album. It is a personal favorite of mine. Do not listen to the people who gave this album 3 stars or less. They probably are upset that Singles Going Steady doesn't sound like New Found Glory or Sum 41 or whatever fake punk bands they listen to. That's because it is a trillion times better than those above mentioned corporate bands who have no right to call themselves punk. If you consider yourself a punk fan, this is a must have! Pop Punk would not have existed if it hadn't been for The Buzzcocks. They were there at the beginning in 1976, and they are still going steady after all these years. They just released a new album a few months ago, and are now touring the U.S. I would recommend that if you are new to The Buzzcocks, you should buy Singles Going Steady before you buy their latest album. The new album is pretty good, but nowhere near as phenomenal as their songs from the '70s. I am very surprised by the fact that the new album currently has a higher rating than Singles Going Steady. It would be nearly impossible for their new songs to be anywhere near as infectious and catchy as: What Do I Get?, I Don't Mind, Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have), Everybody's Happy Nowadays, Lipstick, Promises, Why Can't I Touch It? etc. That is because you cannot get any more infectious or catchy than those songs. Do yourself a favor, and buy this album, you won't regret it!