Buzzocks - Love Bites

Buzzocks were Manchester's initial contribution to the UK Punk Rock scene, combining pop melodies with the high rapid punk energy singing mostly love songs. Singer and lyricist Pete Shelley was Punk's romantic poet.

I had already gone out and bought two of their early singles, "What Do I Get ?" and "I Don't Mind" and was expecting plenty more classics like them when I bought this, their second LP. However, I remember being disappointed with the album, and after the initial burst of enthusiasm trying to like it, Love Bites was quickly despatched to near the bottom of my pile of records.

It does contain their biggest ever hit, with "Ever Fallen In Love ( With Someone You Shouldn't've )" reaching number 12. Eight years later, the Fine Young Cannibals cover made the UK Top 10. It is possibly unique in having a word with two apostrophes in the title !

From the rest of the songs, before playing again I tcould only recall two, "Sixteen Again" & "Love Is Lies", and although "Late For The Train" is an instrumental I couldn't exactly say how it goes. I also remember thinking side one was better than side two of the LP.

The album starts well with "Real World".  Choppy guitars and a long intro slowly build to the introduction of the distinctive buzz guitars. There is a catchy chorus and a punk guitar solo. It's followed by "Ever Fallen In Love", perhaps now their signature song.

"Sixteen Again" closes side one and sticks to the classic Buzzcocks formula. This could have been the second single from the album.

In between these "Operator's Manual" borrows the guitar riff and vocals style from Jilted John, "Nostalgia" is forgettable noise and "Just Lust" lacks a decent tune and the vocal delivery is annoying.

It goes downhill with side two which opens and closes with instrumentals. "Walking Distance" has some similarities with The Motors "Dancing The Night Away" whilst "Late For the Train" has a false ending before the train like beat of the drums and guitar come back, but unlike, say, The Cure's "Another Journey By Train", this is pretty forgettable.

"Nothing Left" is reasonable but the "at all, at all" chorus is annoying and "E.S.P" has an hypnotic guitar riff but little else to recommend it

"Love Is Lies" is a real oddity compared to everything else around it. Sung by Steve Diggle it's an acoustic ballard which could have been released by any of the MOR acts of the mid-70s ! Its as far from punk as imaginable and I remember it being panned by the music critics at the time. Had it been recorded by Smokie or Kiki Dee I expect the reception would have been fine.

Buzzocks have a bit of a reputation as being a singles band, and with an album like Love Bites that is understandable. An occasional classic surrounded by forgettable dross.

However, as Mark Lamarr observed, without them the long running TV show could have been called "Never Mind Joan Armatrading". And there is no "The" in the name of the band.........


Track Listing :

1. Real World
2. Ever Fallen In Love ( With Someone You Shouldn't've )
3. Operator's Manual
4. Nostalgia
5. Just Lust
6. Sixteen Again
7. Walking Distance
8. Love Is Lies
9. Nothing Left
10.E.S.P
11. Late For The Train


Released 1978
UK Chart Position : 13

Singles :

Ever Fallen In Love ( With Someone You Shouldn't've ) ( No 12 - 1978 )