10 Forgotten 1970s Punk Albums You Need To Hear
1. F.U.2 – Depression (1977)
This entry languished in obscurity despite a release during the heyday of punk. It was essentially a ‘manufactured’ punk album, and so considered an abomination in punk circles, but as time gradually freed it from the constraints of fashion, it is now more of an intriguing curio than an outright travesty.
F.U.2 consisted of British session musicians put together by guitarist Terry Clemson (previously of Downliners Sect) purely to cash in on the new punk ‘trend’. The band’s on-the-nose name and the unambiguous ‘punk rock’ lettering adorning most versions of the sleeve art beside safety pins and skulls gave away their ‘faker’ status to British punks. However, the record was primarily aimed at a foreign market they hoped wouldn’t be able to distinguish it from the real thing at that early stage when punk was only just beginning to catch on beyond the UK and North America.
As much as it may pain old punks to admit it, a dispassionate listener will find at least the first half of the album does a convincing job emulating the sound and attitude of early British punk, despite these old rockers being unable to resist bringing their harmonicas and keyboards along. Recording and mixing the entire album in just one day (which does lend it a little more punk credibility), it consists of some fine, rousing punk rock songs, albeit with a tongue-in-cheek and less than serious style in songs with titles such as Sniffin’ Glue and Mean Evil Child.