''Streets'' is a

compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

of early British and French punk rock bands from a variety of independent record labels. It was an attempt at an end of year ‘round up’ and, significantly, was the first album released on

Beggars Banquet Records Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels. History In 1977, spurred by the prevailing ...

(catalogue number BEGA1). The sleeve notes stated that: "1977 was the year that the music came out of the concert halls & onto the streets; when independent labels sprang out of the woodwork to feed new tastes; when rock music once again became about energy & fun; when the major’s boardrooms lost control. Suddenly we could do anything".

Release and reception

The Members The Members are a British punk band that originated in Camberley, Surrey, England. In the UK, they are best known for their single "The Sound of the Suburbs", reaching No. 12 in 1979, and in Australia, "Radio" which reached No. 5 in 1982. Ca ...

' contribution to ''Streets'' was their debut on vinyl, and its impact was such that it contributed to a record deal with

Stiff Records Stiff Records is a British independent record label formed in London, England, by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. Originally active from 1976 to 1986, the label was reactivated in 2007. Established at the outset of the punk rock boom, Stiff ...

. It was also The Doll's recording debut. Within 14 months of the release of the compilation, both bands went on to have UK Top 30 hit singles; the Members with "The Sound of the Suburbs" (number 12 in January 1979) and the Doll with "Desire Me" (number 28 in December 1978). The album also included "Talk Talk Talk Talk" by the Reaction, which, as "

Talk Talk Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles " Talk Talk" (1982), " It's My Life", and " ...

", was later a hit for singer Mark Hollis' band

. Music critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and ...

named the album one of the few import-only records from the 1970s he loved yet omitted from '' Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies'' (1981). In 2004, the record was included in a trakMarx review of ''Classic Punk Rock Compilation LPs'', where it was described as "the first real collection of ‘highlights from independent British labels’ ever undertaken ... Streets was utterly groundbreaking stuff.". The Punk77 website described it as an "excellent" compilation. Two of the tracks –

Slaughter & the Dogs Slaughter and the Dogs are an English punk rock band formed in 1975 in Wythenshawe, Manchester. Their original line-up consisted of singer Wayne Barrett McGrath, rhythm guitar Mick Rossi, drummer Brian "Mad Muffet" Grantham, lead guitarist M ...

’s "Cranked Up Really High" and

The Nosebleeds The Nosebleeds are a punk band formed in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England in 1976. The band is well known in modern rock history for the later successes of its individual members, notably Morrissey (the Smiths), Billy Duffy (the Cult), and Vi ...

' "Ain’t Bin To No Music School" - were included in ''

Mojo Mojo may refer to: *Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * '' ...

'' magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time. Another track, The Drones’ "Lookalikes", was similarly acclaimed in an all-time best list by Steve Gardner of NKVD Records.Steve Gardner (1996) “Hiljaiset Levyt: 100 Best Punk singles”
/ref>

Track listing

;Side one #"Trash" by The Doll #"Fear on the Streets" by

#"Be My Prisoner" by The Lurkers #"Isgodaman" by Arthur Comics #"Arabs in 'Arrads" by The Art Attacks #"19" by

Dogs The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. ...

#" Talk Talk Talk Talk" by The Reaction #"College Girls" by Cane ;Side two #

"Cranked Up Really High" by

#"Ain't Bin to No Music School" by

#"Lookalikes" by The Drones #"Hungry" by Zeros #"Bend and Flush" by

The Pork Dukes The Pork Dukes are an English punk rock band, formed 1976 during the first wave of British punk in London, England. History The band was originally composed of twin brothers and former Gnidrolog members Colin Goldring ( vocals / guitar) and ...

#"Disaster Movie" by Exile #"Jerkin" by Drive #"Innocents" by John Cooper Clarke #"No More Rock 'n' Roll" by

Tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or construction. Most commo ...

References

External links

* {{Discogs master, type=album, 208398, name=Streets Sampler albums 1977 compilation albums Punk rock compilation albums Beggars Banquet Records compilation albums