Various - Blackbox compilation (1992)

Punk rock.  Blackbox Records, based out of Germany I believe, released a spate of punk/pop/grunge type records in the early '90s, and this CD compilation manages to gather up nearly 20 songs, many of which had only existed on vinyl prior to.  Some fairly renown American outfits are present and accounted for:  Samiam who contribute an acoustic take of their 1990-era chestnut, "Home Sweet Home," Big Drill Car's live rendering of Billy Joel's "Big Shot" is phenomenal, and the Doughboys take on Kiss' "Stole Your Love" live in the flesh.  As for the other Yanks that appear on Blackbox, there's in-concert Big Chief goodness, Nova Mob's "Evergreen Memorial Drive" is a tuneful pop reprieve from this disks overall mayhem, and Bone Club and The Heretics who never got their due on either side of the pond, round up the US contingent.

The most prominent of the European participants, Leatherface contribute a pair of songs from the Mush-era (or thereabouts).  Probably worth the price of admission alone for more than a few of you.  Spoon (track four) are not the Austin indie idols of the same moniker.  The Speed Niggs assault our collective senses with their version of Murphy's Law's "Secret Agent S.K.I.N," and the Big Drill Car indebted Thud! pose the musical question, "What is comfort when you're dead?"  Indeed.

01. Big Chief - Jungle Jam (live)
02. Nova Mob - Evergreen Memorial Drive
03. Samiam - Sky Flying By
04. Spoon - Fearless
05. EA 80 - Wo steht die Uhr?
06. Heretics - Gotta Go
07. Boxhamsters - Auf Wiedersehen
08. Leatherface - Eagle
09. Bone Club - With Me
10. Thud! - What is Comfort...
11. The Nozems - Psycho
12. Maximum Bob - Way 2 B
13. Speed Niggs - Secret Agent S.K.I.N.
14. Big Drill Car - Big Shot (live)
15. Doughboys - Stole Yer Love (live)
16. Leatherface - Dreaming
17. Heretics - Straight On
18. Bone Club - Time of Day
19. Thud! - If I die...

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