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Lethal Weapons

(Aztec)

Originally released back in 1978 as a kind of after-the-horse-has-bolted attempt to launch a new punk label, this compilation was inevitably a mixed bag.

Kicking off with the Teenage Radio Stars' 'Wanna Be Your Baby' – a hilariously blatant rip-off of the Vibrators' 'Baby Baby' – the first half of the album presents us with a selection of restyled pub nearly-rans to little or no great effect. It's telling that many of the bands would be defunct by the year's end.

Things improve dramatically on the second half of the album with Boys Next Door, shortly to catapult Nick Cave to fame as the Birthday Party. While their rendition of 'These Boots Are Made For Walking' is a bit pointless, 'Masturbation Generation' is good, fun, mildly offensive punk rock.

Later the Negatives deliver a brooding, claustrophobic 'Planet On The Prowl', before the sadly neglected X-Ray-Z deliver the brilliant, rampaging, oddly theatrical 'Three Glorious Years' and 'Valium'. Superb! A triumphant end to a difficult game of two halves.