Various - The Best Of Fried Egg Records (bristol 1979 - 1980)

bristol in the punk era! guitars, cafes, speed and conspiracy theories. originally one of the main punk centres by 1979 it had settled into the position it holds today - self-sufficient bohemianism with a hint of cross-over and the occasional defining moment to interest the outside world. by the turn of the decade, the original punk-oriented labels were already looking beyond the city to fame and big bucks (yeah right) and not reflecting the uniquely pungent flavour of punk, pop, pilfering, piss-take and pretension that has always characterised this inland port. someone had to recognise bristol's combination of shit-hot musicianship, theatricality and absolute disregard for success, and that man was andy leighton, phil manzanera look-alike guitarist for the crystal theatre (a real 60's alternative theatre group) and publisher of the rocky horror picture show. the crystal theatre production of radio blzbub (featuring a youthful keith allen) led to the formation of shoes for industry, and then to fried egg records, this compillation spans little over a years worth of output from that small bristol independent label but is a wonderful eye-opener to what was a vivacious, talented and eclectic late 1970s scene. the influence on today's music is ever present - for art objects' 'hard objects' read art brut, for the stingrays' 'exceptions' read the drums. highlights also include the peerless jangle-pop of 'the original mixed up kid'. essential listening.