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Formed in 1976 by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto ( who
later formed Magazine)
after seeing the Pistols and even put a gig on in
Manchester with the Pistols headlining and them
supporting. Specialising in melodic buzzsaw punk and loud
shirts with wing collars the Buzzcocks made a stream of
classic singles and some good albums, away from
traditional punk lyrics, all on UA records. Picks include Orgasm Addict / Whatever
happened to (1978 ),
I
Don't Mind / Autonomy
(1978 ), What Do I Get / Oh Shit
(1978)
, Ever
Fallen In Love / Just Lust
(1978)
and Harmony In My Head /
Somethings Gone Wrong Again
(1979)
. Fine debut album Another Music In A
Different Kitchen. Highlights include
Fiction Romance
and Moving Away From The
Pulsebeat. Also two live tracks
Breakdown
and Love
Battery on the
Live At The Roxy
album. Compilations abound. 
"The Buzzcocks more than anyone else, were responsible for
wrenching the frenzied punk impulse into some sort of pop
beauty. Making their debut with the infamous "Spiral Scratch" EP it was soon obvious that they had
more to say than ' we are very angry'.... They managed to
make the concept of boredom a luscious seduction, with
the song of the same name, the group at that time
including Howard Devoto who went on to poke similar ribs
in Magazine. The first album "Another
music..." wrapped three minute pop perfection around
themes of desolation and alienation, a strange dichotomy
that focused Pete Shelley's awesome lyrical abilities.
Only Manchester's other favourite sons Joy Division could
ever come as close to articulating the heady intensity of
thwarted desire without slumping into complacent
indulgence." (
Melody Maker Oct 1987)
Indeed this fine run is documented on the album "
Singles Going Steady"
and Shelley's lyrical themes all come together in the
moving " There Is no love in
this world anymore"
off the album 'A different kind
of Tension'
Check
out the bootleg Times Up
with the Devoto singing a horrendous version of Can't
Control Myself by the Troggs.
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