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Jo-Ann Greene
Are you feeling old yet? You soon will. This month marks the 25th anniversary of what history now recalls as the apex of punk rock, the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and the chart-topping chaos of the Sex Pistols' ''God Save The Queen.'' Twenty-five years. A quarter of a century. A span that means we are now further away from punk than the Pistols were from the birth of rock 'n' roll; which, in turn, means that the band's scheduled reunion in London at the end of July is chronologically equivalent to Bill Haley celebrating the 25th anniversary of the release of ''Rocking Chair Blues.''
Who cares? A lot of people, apparently. The import shelves this month are creaking beneath a barrage of punky anniversary releases, while a Sex Pistols box set is apparently on its way as well. But, if first impressions leave you thinking you've heard it all before, you may want to pay attention.
It is true, of course, that The Adverts' Crossing The Red Sea debut album has now appeared on CD more times than most people -- and chickens -- cross the road, but this latest edition (Devil's Own Jukebox/Snapper) is a gem regardless. Echoing its last appearance two years ago, the remastered version of the original LP (with two missing songs reinserted into the running order), is followed by six non-LP singles, while liner notes from Goldmine 's own Dave Thompson recount the band's history with a sure eye for historical context.
The real meat, however, lies in the six newly exhumed extra songs, recorded live at London's Roundhouse in early 1978. Vocalist TV Smith's explanatory comments recall the show as one of the most chaotic in the band's entire career, and one can sense that maelstrom here. New drummer John Towe was still learning the songs, the rest of the band was shaken up from an early morning car accident and the audience was comprised of 2,000 skinheads who had come along to worship the support band, Sham 69. But, while all of that could have resulted in an absolute disaster, The Adverts played with a passion and gritty commitment here with which their other live recordings simply cannot compete. Those who have already...