Cock Sparrer
Shock Troops

Cock Sparrer are one of the most historic street-punk bands, and some might turn up their noses seeing dates that are already "mature", but in reality, they’d already been around for a while when this album came out; half an hour of proper punk.

Today’s audience probably won’t appreciate this album that much because the sound has evolved over time, and nowadays it seems strange to think that punk sounded like this: there’s no need to dig into streetcore, even back in the Sparrer's day there was much heavier, meaner, and dirtier stuff out there. But the answer is very simple: Cock Sparrer played Oi! in its purest form, that is, having fun, causing a ruckus against the system, being English from the suburbs just as real suburbia demands. The roots of this album’s nature are very much oriented towards pub rock sounds, making it perfectly enjoyable even for those who aren’t really into punk.

The production is, in a way, relaxed: you won’t find those aggressive stadium chants, verses screamed straight ahead with the drums going full throttle, nor fast syncopations or off-beats that make your head spin. Here you’ll find singalong choruses, energetic and very seventies-style riffs, a typical sound of those years serving up nearly always spot-on melodies. This is punk to enjoy with a beer in your hand while you watch West Ham - Arsenal on the TV in some dive bar, surrounded by your friends. Live, the energy cranks up: Cock Sparrer show that punk doesn't have to be extreme, its energy can also be delivered with a very rock and roll approach, which, on stage, can be chanted by crowds of skinheads, showing off its more muscular side.

After all, when this record came out, punks (and metalheads too) were basically in their first moment of confusion: the metalheads would rise again with the generous fruits of the enterprising New Wave of British Heavy Metallers, punks with hardcore and so on. It’s clear in "Where Are They Now", a track that—for those who know where to look—reveals a sort of nostalgia: many names important to the band are mentioned (not by chance even the Who and Led Zeppelin, presumably); some say there’s a reference to the Pogues, but looking at the dates, I doubt it.

But there are plenty of excellent tracks: the beautiful "Riot Squad", the anthem "England Belongs to Me" or "I Got Your Number", whose melody is so British it reminds me of Jethro Tull; the album flows really well.

Okay, it may not be the highest point ever reached by punk, but it’s certainly an honest and truly solid work. It hasn’t stolen anything: it’s an iconic album and deserves to be. Rating: 83/100.