Blitz All Out Attack

Blitz 'All Out Attack' (Retch Records, 1991)

Oh dear, another alphabetical anomaly. I had taken all this week's records out and placed them beside the death deck, but then they got mixed up over an evening of listening to new additions and many Tyskies with Big Dunc.

This was originally a 7" EP released in 1981 on No Future records which was re-released by Retch on 12" in 1991. I have been overlooking EPs so far, but I thought I'd make an exception for this little gem.

Everything about this record is classic; the British 'Street Punk' take on the iconic Ramones cover shot, Nidge's tache, Mackie's Discharge stylings, Carl's 'Spirit of '69' boots and braces stance in front of 'Skinhead' graffiti, the fact that the music is constantly at the point of feeding back (particularly on 'Fight To Live') and five brilliant punk/oi anthems.

My personal favourite '45 Revolutions' has always been overshadowed by the insanely catchy 'Someones Gonna Die'. Who in their right mind hasn't spent many a night singing:

Do you feel alright?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Someone's gonna die tonight
Oi! Oi! Oi!
Do you feel alright?
Oi! Oi! Oi!
The boys are out tonight

Not many folk, I'll wager!

'Someones Gonna Die' has been covered most famously by Rancid, but everybody from Anti Flag to Driller Killer has tackled it at some point and anybody who saw any gigs at The Tap will have heard it performed to varying degrees of success. As the blueprint for an Oi song you can't really get any better; raw, aggressive, melodic and with a massive sing a long chorus.

Unfortunately, guitarist, Nidge, was run over and killed in 2007 and their MySpace seems locked in a time before that happened actually listing the gig in Austin after which he met his tragic fate.

A fantastic record.

Peace