The Best of Fried Egg Records

Reviewed by Chris Render

I was really looking forward to this, a compilation of Bristol punk from 1979-1980. And I wasn’t disappointed. The Best of Fried Egg Records provided me with a new look at a genre I love. Bands like Shoes for Industry and Electric Guitars are greatly indicative of the punk scene at the time, both in terms of musical sound and of political agenda, and in the integration of the two.

Reminiscent of bands like The Sex Pistols and my beloved Clash, the bands The Best of Fried Egg Records showcases are exactly what you would expect from the late 70’s British punk scene. These artists perfectly exemplify the musical styling of the nation at the time, and although maybe not as famous as some of their contemporaries, these musicians stand up alongside artists like The Damned and The Stiff Little Fingers in terms of musical ability if not notoriety.

The Best of Fried Egg Records is everything I had expected and more: a compilation of fantastic punk tracks that could easily rival London Calling or Smash It Up. This album opened my eyes to a much wider range of seventies/eighties punk than I had ever knew existed.

4/5

C