Normally I wouldn't put a compilation record in my revered double-double-eighth-note group , but Singles Going Steady does not sound like a compilation. These songs fit together so well I did not even realize it was a compilation at first.

This was the first Buzzcocks record to arrive at WFDD, even though A Different Kind of Tension came out a few months earlier. I had heard some "buzz" about this band but had not expected to be as blown away as I was.

Punk for me at the time was partly about being silly and glancing at some of the song names on this record - "Orgasm Addict," "Oh Shit!," "Why Can't I Touch It" - they were quintessentially punk before I even listened to them.

This record is quintessentially punk, but in a very deep way. Almost every song on this record is a five-star rocker packed with power, melody, and great lyrics. It did not take long for me to realize that the Buzzcocks were not just the fun punk du jour. This continues to be one of the most played albums on my turntable and CD player (yeah, I have it in both formats). Some of the best power chords and guitar melodies you'll ever hear.

The Buzzcocks are also one of the few bands that I actually enjoyed hearing in a television commercial hocking products. Do you remember a few years ago there was a strange Toyota commercial with stop-framing that had "What Do I Get?" from Singles Going Steady blasting away? I admit I thought that was cool. Wonder how many people had any idea who the band was?

This record always makes me feel happy. It is also useful, too, to be able to play or sing "Noise Annoys" to my kids when the occasion calls for it. ("Pretty girls, pretty boys, have you ever heard your mother say: Noise Annoys!)

-- October 13, 2005 (DD)