The best of British punk: The 10 best vinyl deals available on Amazon this week
Welcome back to Far Out’s weekly vinyl corner feature, where we look to bring you a tempting selection of records from some of our favourite artists, bargain vinyl deals to look out for, and unmissable limited-edition releases. Today, we’re celebrating the British punk explosion of the mid-to-late-1970s.
Vinyl sales grew for the 15th consecutive year in 2022, rising to 5.5million units, the highest level since 1990, when …But Seriously by Phil Collins was the year’s biggest-selling studio album. The return to plastic has steadily climbed since the invasion of streaming services in the late 2000s. While the weightless, highly accessible and practical format is great for discovering and consuming swathes of new music while you’re out and about, there’s nothing like coming home to a bit of vinyl.
Fellow collectors will agree that if there’s an artist or album you love, there’s always a good reason to have the turntable at the ready and a 12″ slot reserved on the shelf for inevitable expansion. The sound quality of vinyl brings something more hearty and vibrant with its analogue warmth and crisp definition that there really isn’t a substitute for.
So if, like me, you have a soft spot for these groovy discs of plastic, allow me to walk you through ten hot picks for this week. The list includes all British punk essentials from Sex Pistols to The Clash.
The following selections have been handpicked by Far Out Magazine, and as a result, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
The 10 best vinyl deals available on Amazon this week:
The Clash – The Clash
After Sex Pistols, The Clash were probably Britain’s second most influential punk group. The band’s eponymous debut album, released in 1977, brought The Clash’s most punk-orientated sound before a subsequent post-punk odyssey that increasingly ventured into external influences like rockabilly, ska, reggae and funk.
Regularly cited among the greatest Rock and Roll albums of all time, The Clash features highlights like ‘White Riot’, ‘Janie Jones’, ‘London’s Burning’ and ‘Police & Thieves’, a pacey, punk-infused cover of Junior Murvin’s original.
Available for purchase here for £21.07.
Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols
While Sex Pistols didn’t start the punk movement, their jaw-dropping ability to shake up the sociopolitical landscape of the UK made them one of the most memorable exponents of the movement. Sex Pistols inspired countless bands on a level near that of The Beatles and only had one studio album to show for it.
Never Mind the Bollocks is home to seminal classics, including ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’, ‘God Save the Queen’, ‘Holidays in the Sun’ and ‘Pretty Vacant’. This 2014 reissue marks the first time the album was sold as a single LP since its original release in 1977.
Available for purchase here for £21.99.
The Damned – Damned Damned Damned
Damned Damned Damned is the essential debut album of the early London punk outfit, The Damned. Alongside The Clash and Never Mind the Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols, this album made 1977 the year of punk’s true arrival in the UK.
The classic album includes the band’s 1976 breakout debut single ‘New Rose’, which was joined by just one other single, ‘Neat Neat Neat’. Other highlights include ‘Fan Club’, ‘See Her Tonite’ and ‘I Fall’.
Available for purchase here for £21.99.
![The Damned - Damned Damned Damned [Yellow Vinyl]](https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/static/uploads/1/2022/10/The-Damned-Damned-Damned-Damned-Yellow-Vinyl.jpg)
The Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus
In 1977, The Stranglers introduced their unique pub rock sound to the wider market with their masterpiece debut album, Rattus Norvegicus. Their heavy delivery and razor-sharp attitudes made them the perfect fit for the burgeoning punk craze, and they rode the wave despite never considering themselves a true punk group.
“None of us were really punk. But it was an opportunity. Who cares what they call us? This is our chance to get in through the door,” Cornwell admitted in a recent interview with Classic Rock. Rattus Norvegicus is home to the classic hits ‘Peaches’, ‘Sometimes’, ‘Princess of the Streets’, ‘Hanging Around’, ‘(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)’ and ‘Down in the Sewer’.
Available for purchase here for £28.49.
Wire – Pink Flag
Wire may not have achieved the levels of fame and hence influence as Sex Pistols or The Clash, but they undoubtedly deserved more recognition. They released their debut masterpiece, Pink Flag, in 1977 at the height of punk in the UK and continued to develop their sound impressively through the subsequent post-punk waves.
Pink Flag is an intriguing mixture of short, punchy, half-baked tracks and fully-fledged bangers. ‘Three Girl Rhumba’, ‘Ex Lion Tamer’, ‘Mannequin’ and ‘Strange’ are undeniable highlights, but there’s not a dry moment amid the 21 tracks, some of which don’t reach the 50-second mark.
Available for purchase here for £17.99.
Buzzcocks – Singles Going Steady
Manchester’s answer to London’s Sex Pistols came in the form of Buzzcocks. Thanks to frontman Pete Shelley’s unique vision, they pulled themselves from under the shadow of local contemporaries and made a name for themselves as one of the most important bands of the 1970s.
Released in 1979, Singles Going Steady is a compilation Buzzcocks’ US label, Liberty, chose to release domestically just prior to their first US Tour. With ‘Orgasm Addict’, ‘What Do I Get?’, ‘Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve?)’, ‘Promises’, ‘Everybody’s Happy Nowadays’, ‘Why Can’t I Touch It?’ and ‘Lipstick’, the precursor to Magazine’s ‘Shot by Both Sides’, this record holds all of the essentials.
Available for purchase here for £24.99.
The Jam – In The City
Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler of The Jam released their debut album, In The City, in 1977. The music dwelled heavily on working-class struggles to assert the anger appropriate for the punk era. This angle was stylishly adorned with a mod-revival aesthetic led by Weller’s Steve Marriott haircut.
In the City is The Jam’s most unrefined album, most exemplary of punk and was host to a fine selection of essential hits, including ‘In The City’, a cover of Larry Williams’ ‘Slow Down’, ‘I Got By In Time’ and ‘Away From The Numbers’.
Available for purchase here for £48.54.
The Slits – Cut
Formed in 1976, The Slits were one of the earliest female punk groups to bless the British scene. The group, formed from the ashes of The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators, enjoyed a meteoric rise fuelled by supporting performances for The Clash and Buzzcocks.
In September 1979, The Slits finally released their debut album, Cut, a bona fide classic. An innovative fusion of punk, reggae and art rock has seen the album widely praised as a monumental release, propelled by such hits as ‘Love und Romance’, ‘Typical Girls’, ‘FM’ and their famous cover of ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’.
Available for purchase here for £26.27.
Gang of Four – Entertainment!
Leeds’ most beloved punk outfit, Gang of Four, released their debut album, Entertainment!, in 1979. The timeless classic does exactly what it says on the tin. Their characteristic sound was achieved by jagged, cutting chords, a storming drum beat and Jon King’s iconic vocal energy.
The seminal release saw a rejuvenation last year with a re-recording of the album’s lead single, ‘Damaged Goods’, performed by Bristol post-punkers IDLES as a tribute to the late guitarist Andy Gill. Other highlights on the record include ‘At Home He’s A Tourist’, ‘I Found That Essence Rare’ and ‘Natural’s Not In It’.
Available for purchase here for £24.75.
Generation X – Generation X
Famed most for spawning ’80s new wave icon Billy Idol, Generation X made their first notch on the bedpost of punk in 1978 with their eponymous debut. The classic of British punk was home to classic hits such as ‘Youth Youth Youth’, ‘Kiss Me Deadly’, ‘One Hundred Punks’ and ‘Ready Steady Go’.
“We [recorded] it in TW [Studios], and it was like recording in a garage; it was such a shithole. But it was great as we felt completely at home; we just plugged in and played great, and it sounded great,” bassist Tony James told ZigZag of recording the album.
Available for purchase here for £44.40.
