Description
Subhumans – “Demolition War Demos” Double LP
A first-time-on-vinyl reissue of the earliest Subhumans recordings that were originally made available as the Demolition War Parts I-III cassette that Bluurg released back in 1981. Three separate recording sessions – a live set from Warminster 1980 (Part One); a recording session from Warminster Youth Centre 1981 (Part Two); and (Part Three) recorded a month later in the same location – twenty four tracks in total, featuring rough-edged, un-produced versions of songs that became the six track debut 7″, the Demolition War E.P. and the first album, The Day the Country Died. And including three songs that have always been unavailable elsewhere, not least “Trowbridge Park” – a classic Subhuman’s song that was dropped from future recording sessions because the band considered it’s theme to be ‘too local’. Which is such a shame, not only a great song, but, sniffing glue, tribal fights, running from the police – something that any early 80’s teen punk could relate to, I’m sure.
There was some first generation punk that was fabulous – The Banshees, Adam and The Ants etc. – but, and this is my bias, many were urban, media-savvy, hipsters, and it took a few years for the less glamourous youth out in the non-cosmopolitan rural market towns and villages for punk rock to really become vital and alive. Unpretentious and burning bright from the inside out. Subhumans, of course, with their big tunes, confrontational politics/philosophies, mixed with an exuberant, teen-fired, joie de vivre, were yer prime example of second/third generation punk, ushering in new are of subversion and defiance. Therefore, this album is essential for any fan of early 80’s punk, even more so due to excellent packaging (as to be expected from Sealed Records) with a gatefold sleeve that includes a poster-insert featuring a collage of photos and fanzine interviews.
