While listening to the Cortinas' debut and only album 'True Romances' I had a thought - how many otherwise decent punk bands brought out totally pathetic debut albums? Quite a few when you think about it. I know - I was there - I remember the phenomena so well - great band - great live act but once they got a deal to do an album went totally rubbish bringing out some sanitised version of what their basic career had been up to at that point. I will now produce my list of over produced and disappointing debuts and see what you think. 1. Slits 'Cut' 2. Siouxsie and the Banshees 'The Scream'. 3. Joy Division 'Unknown Pleasures' 4. Ants 'Dirk Wears White Sox' 5. Only Ones 6. Subway Sect 'What's the Matter Boy' 7. Cortinas 'True Romances'
8 X-Ray Spex - that's what I come up with off the top of my head - I am sure you can think of some too - you might disagree with some of my entries but all of these bands if you took Peel sessions and live tracks to make their debut would have made a more honest record of what they were about to get an album deal in the first place. I suppose part of the reason was time - by the time these bands had got into the studio for the big one they had stopped being the thing that we all knew and loved. Or something.
Ralphadeus. Music movies comics feature in this look at life from Somerset.
