V/A - Fast Product - Mutant Pop 78/79 (1980, PVC)

To a lot of you, this compilation may not come as much of a revelation to you. Granted, there are some household names here - Gang of Four, The Human League, and Mekons to be specific, however this post-punk trifecta is represented here before they jumped ship to major labels and/or massive cult status. Mutant Pop 78/79 compiles early 7" singles by the aforementioned, and another three less illustrious participants, all originally released on the Fast Product imprint. Hear the nascent Mekons in all their crude, DIY-ridden glory. Marvel at the sounds of the Human League while they still had their credibility intact (albeit far less catchy of course). Most enticingly of all, indulge your ears to Gang of Four's first foray into the vinyl age, with alternate versions of soon-to-be-classics "Damaged Goods," "Love Like Anthrax," and "Armalite Rifle." Truth be told, those three tracks would have been perfectly suited for inclusion as bonus tracks on the most recent reissue of GOF's Entertainment! album, although I believe said versions of "Damaged..." and "Armalite..." wound up on the band's 1998, 100 Flowers Bloom anthology. Speaking of Flowers, the Scottish band of that very name also make an appearance here. The Same Mistakes blog can fill you in on them at your leisure. The Scars groove along in a Swell Maps-y kind of way, to highly convincing effect, while Sheffield's 2-3 subscribed to a more linear aesthetic. Mutant Pop makes for a model snapshot of the burgeoning and often crude British post-punk movement of the late '70s.

Egg City Radio is also hosting this album, but this rip is straight from my own vinyl copy at a higher bitrate with less surface noise. At any rate, their write-up is definitely worth checking out.

Mekons01. Never Been in a Riot
02. 32 Weeks
03. Where Were You

Scars
04. Adultery
05. Horror Show

The Human League
06. Being Boiled
07. Circus of Death

2-3
08. All Time Low
09. Where to Know?

The Flowers
10. After Dark
11. Confessions

Gang of Four
12. Love Like Anthrax
13. Armalite Rifle
14. Damaged Goods

Hear