The brilliance of this collection is that it combines the standard Brit-punk anthems by the Sex Pistols, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, and Stiff Little Fingers with other great songs that typify the variety and range of punk-era independent music from both sides of the Atlantic. The songs are so well chosen that the punk aesthetic is further revealed by the inclusion of songs that characterize pub rock, new wave, and other related genres. The usual punk suspects ("New Rose," "Anarchy in the UK") are all here, along with many other treasures: Dr. Feelgood's "Milk and Alcohol", Devo's "Mongoloid," Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner," Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer," and Television's "Marquee Moon." The less commonly anthologized punk selections are inspired, too: the Ruts' "Babylon Is Burning," Generation X's "Ready Steady Go," and X-Ray Spex's "Identity," along with the seminal "Sheena is a Punk Rocker." The conception of the genre is expanded further to include Elvis Costello, Iggy Pop, XTC, Joe Jackson, the Pretenders, the Tubes, and Blondie, and their presence overcomes the tendency for boring repetition on a very long collection.

By the time Aussie rockers Cold Chisel did their sold-out farewell shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre in December of 1983, they had established themselves as one of the all-time legendary bands down under. But this is the album that lit the fuse in the days when the crowds were eager but thin. After migrating from their home town of Adelaide, South Australia, to the big smoke of Sydney in 1977, the Chisels gained a rep for slugging it out on the pub circuit with an ardor worthy of their illustrious forebears AC/DC. But as Cold Chisel clearly illustrates, Chisel was a band married as much to melody as power.

Rockin' is a budget-priced collection covering Dave Edmunds' Columbia recordings. Which means, of course, that his biggest hits and best-known songs are present as live tracks, not the original hit single versions, and that the remaining cuts are culled from uneven records which were often hampered by Jeff Lynne's heavy production. Therefore, Rockin' doesn't capture Edmunds at his best, but it does offer a fair overview of a decidedly uneven portion of his career.

Australian rock veterans Cold Chisel may have continued to remain a crowd-drawing, if slightly sporadic, live presence throughout the last decade, but up until now have been strangely reluctant to add to their back catalog of national treasures. However, following the death of their drummer Steve Prestwich earlier in the year, Jimmy Barnes and company have regrouped for their first new compositions in over 13 years, ensuring that All for You is more intriguing than your average cynical cash-in compilation. Indeed, alongside the emotive barroom balladry of the title track and the old-school rockabilly of "HQ454 Monroe," both of which fit comfortably next to the other 18 more familiar favorites, the track list, selected by thousands of visitors on their official website, also highlights the fact that this is very much a fan-friendly affair.

In the days before punk rock, Kursaal Flyers straddled the line separating pub rock and power pop. The line was so thin it would seem to disappear in the rearview mirror, but when Kursaal Flyers were active in the mid-'70s, they were subtly pulled in two different directions. They'd tour on the same circuit as their friends Dr. Feelgood, but they also signed to Jonathan King's company in 1975, then worked with pop impresario Mike Batt after singing to CBS for The Golden Mile in 1976. Batt gave "Little Does She Know" a grandiose arrangement designed to conjure memories of Phil Spector, and it was enough for the single to crack the U.K. Top 20; however, instead of being their breakthrough, it was their only hit.

THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD is Boogie Children, Volume 7 of our popular Heavy Nuggets series. Hypnotic rifferama in the key of Young/Young, starring Canned Heat, ZZ Top, Little Feat, John Lee Hooker, R.L. Burnside, Howlin Rain, Endless Boogie and more!

The prolific veteran continues to cover a lot of musical territory on an album that resonates with the sound of his glory years of the mid-to-late 1970s. On the first two songs, Parker recalls his breakthrough with Dylanesque phrasing on "I Discovered America" before flashing forward to the current state of British pop celebrity on "England's Greatest Clown." There's his trademark sardonicism in the socially-conscious singalongs of "Ambiguous" and "Stick to the Plan," while other highlights include songs of resilience ("Suspension Bridge," "Hard Side of the Rain") and redemption ("Somebody Saved Me"). At almost eight-and-a-half minutes, "The Other Side of the Reservoir" is epic by Parker's standards, as he follows Van Morrison into the mystic. The closing "All Being Well" could pass as a traditional Irish benediction. With arrangements largely built around Parker's acoustic guitar, the predominantly midtempo material doesn't rock as hard as Parker has, but the hooks sink deep into the soul.

Cold Chisel opened the '80s with their most widely accepted and artfully constructed album, East. Following it up was a tall order for the Aussie quintet, but they did the trick admirably with Circus Animals. (A live album, Swingshift, was released in the period between the two studio discs.) A ten-song stew of the band's signature guitar-and-piano-driven ballads and rockers, it further confirmed Chisel's depth and breadth as a creative unit. From the outset of Circus Animals, the boys come crashing in through the window like a bunch of rowdies with hell-raising on their minds, cranking out the guitar rock rottweiler "You Got Nothing I Want." Singer Jimmy Barnes' wrote the song about the frustration of a recently completed U.S. tour that had imploded ingloriously. As he belts out the number, Barnes' voice sounds like a buzz saw blade that's flown loose and ripped through a bunch of parked cars.

A new CD and vinyl box set called Live 1978-1992 focuses on the live recordings of Dire Straits. These packages spotlight four main concerts (or live albums): Alchemy (1983), On The Night (1993), the Live at the BBC compilation from 1995 and Live from the Rainbow Theatre, a 1979 gig which is previously unreleased.

After several years in England's pub rock scene, ex-Duck Deluxe members Nick Garvey and Andy McMaster formed the Motors in 1977 with vocalist Bram Tchaikovsky and drummer Ricky Slaughter. Their first album was a splendid piece of guitar-driven pop/rock highlighted by the single "Dancing the Night Away." Approved By was the album that earned them the U.K. hits "Airport" and "Forget About You"; the record saw the band's songwriting improving with forceful melodies and invigorating performances. After that record, the Motors split up; Garvey and McMaster used the band's name for the 1980 album Tenement Steps, which didn't equal the spark of their first two records.