Inventory (Singles Box Set)

The Buzzcocks' singles output from 1977 to 1981 remains one of rock's all-time finest runs of two-sided singles. The 1979 vinyl compilation of the first eight singles, Singles Going Steady, was rightly regarded as one of the half-dozen best albums from the original British punk era. Inventory compiles the group's debut EP Spiral Scratch (the first ever indie British single), everything on SGS, and the seven singles released after it. Each is packaged in a miniature reproduction of the original picture sleeve, one of the most eye-catching and graphically influential strings of singles ever. If you don't own all of these songs, the best place to get most of them is the 2003 reissue of Singles Going Steady (the version with 24 tracks). You really can't live without songs like "What Do I Get?," "Ever Fallen in Love," "Something's Going Wrong Again," and "Orgasm Addict." Inventory, 14 CDs each limited to two-four songs, is clearly aimed at collectors; it includes the two singles from A Different Kind of Tension (including the rare edit of "I Believe") that don't appear on the new SGS. The perfect boutique item for that serious Buzzcockian in your tribe. -- Kent H. Benjamin