By the time the 2010’s rolled around you’d have expected a band of the U.K. Subs’ vintage to start easing off the pedal a little, but not so with this bunch of original punks. Part of the reason for their constant rejuvenation is the injection of fresh blood, and the arrival of guitarist Jet Tangiguchi heralded a period of stability that resulted in a heady creative peak. Finding the band coming to the end of their quest of releasing an album beginning with each letter of the alphabet, The Jet Age evidences a band at the top of their game and coming out with all guitars blazing.
Disc One: Work In Progress (2011)
Opening with a sonic blast that could rival anything from the UK82 scene, ‘Creation’ was the first introduction many people had to Keita (Jet) Tangiguchi, and he’s certainly made his presence felt. It is two-and-a-half minutes of perfect punk rock fury that explodes like a nail bomb, spraying shrapnel in everywhere and setting a dangerous precedent for the rest of the record. However, the U.K. Subs we far from a one trick pony and the following ‘Tokyo Rose’ brings to the fore a melodic sensibility that underpinned much of their work, while ‘The Axe’ puts the boot in with aggro, and its Oi! flavouring is just waiting for a band such as Agnostic Front to cover it. What guitarist Jet has brought to the Subs’ party is a solid foundation, allowing the band to veer in any direction they wish and ensured Work In Progress belied its title and arrived fully formed.
As a bonus, the super rare ‘666Yeah’ single makes an appearance, but the real boon is the Warhead 2000 mini-LP. I’m usually a bit dubious about bands re-recording previously released material, yet cuts such as ‘I Live In A Car’ and ‘Straighten Out’ are shored-up with a modern production, and their inclusion makes this the definitive version of a classic album.
Disc Two: XXIV (2013)
There’s nothing like having a critically-acclaimed album in the bag, and the U.K. Subs took all that was great about Work In Progress and ramped it up a few notches for XXIV. Featuring a stable line-up who were happy in their own company, XXIV is a street brawler which lands a succession of heavy blows. It is an album that seethes with proletarian rage, there’s an anger that seeps through every note, and in 2013 there was a lot to be angry about. Political lyricism can age music very quickly, yet ‘Coalition Government Blues’ still sounds fresh and vibrant a decade later. Benefiting from a production that places plenty of emphasis on the bass, cuts such as ‘Rabid’ pack a serious punch. Bastardising the riff of the old blues standard ‘Smokestack Lightnin’’ turns ‘Wreckin’ Ball’ into a punky bruiser, yet ‘Workers Revolution’, ‘Failed State’ and ‘Momento Mori’ all tapped into the prevailing zeitgeist, and in doing so, the U.K. Subs not only produced an album of those times, but for all time.
Disc Three: Yellow Leader (2015)
Housed in a pop art sleeve featuring the victim of friendly-fire, Yellow Leader dropped in 2015 and consolidated the Subs’ position as the U.K.’s premier punk band. But while many of their peers were settling comfortably into heritage status, the U.K. Subs still had plenty of fire in their bellies. The haunting backing vocals that accompany opening track ‘Sick Velveteen’ add a layer of intrigue, and is the kind of decision that separates the band from the rest of the pack, and like the harmonica on single ‘Sin City Blues’, it’s something only they could pull off with any conviction. ‘Bordeaux Red’ takes a familiar riff, puts a new slant on it both lyrically and musically, and presents as something totally updated and relevant. Yellow Leader is a record that rocks along at mid-tempo like a restrained Discharge (i.e. ‘Deconstruct’), and this gives a unified, cohesive feel, yet there’s still room for smoking blasts of sonic fury such as ‘Heathens’. As with the previous two albums Jet makes his presence felt, and his chiming guitar on ‘Feed The Whore’ is musical nectar, yet the whole band are on fire, and Yellow Leader shows exactly why this incarnation of the Subs are so well regarded.
Disc Four: Ziezo (2016)
With its sleeve echoing the band’s debut album (Another Kind Of Blues), the U.K. Subs finally achieved their goal of releasing an album beginning with every letter of the alphabet, and 2016’s Ziezo was a fine way to reach this milestone. Overall, the aesthetic that surrounds this record is far dirtier and grittier than that which appeared on Yellow Leader, and explosive opener ‘Polarisation’ reverberates through the whole record, and was the perfect soundtrack to the fragmented age that was 2016. With a riff that recalls classic Guns ‘N’ Roses, ‘Oligarchy’ sparkles like Appetite For Destruction, and has a similar effect on the cranium. With only a few of the songs breaking the three-minute mark, Ziezo has the feel of a band coming full circle, its brevity is also its strength, and in true punk style, these songs are the musical equivalent of a hit-and-run accident. However, even when things are extended, such as on ‘Maid Of Orleans’, things never feel forced or staid. With album number 26, the Subs are still up for something new and ‘City Of The Dead’, with its Rancid-style ska flavourings sounds fresh and exciting.
Disc Five: Acoustic XXIV (2013)
Previously only available as a bonus disc with the physical CD version of XXIV and now extremely rare, Acoustic XXIV now becomes widely available as part of this box set. This album is interesting on a number of levels, firstly it brings Charlie Harper’s vocals to the fore. Often his voice is lost in the general maelstrom of a U.K. Subs song, yet the acoustic setting puts him centre stage, and with a voice that’s aged like a fine grape, that’s exactly where it should be. As his recent solo album Little Black Crow proves, his roots reach far deeper than rock ‘n’ roll, so the folky vibes you might pick up from this disc should really come as no surprise. Secondly, Jet proves himself an adept guitarist handling both the slower (‘The Outsider’) and uptempo (‘High Tide’) with great aplomb. This was a bonus disc that offered a rare insight into the workings of the U.K. Subs, and it now stands proud as an album in its own right.
The arrival of guitarist Keita (Jet) Tangiguchi added a touch of stability to the good ship U.K. Subs and, as this set amply proves, delivered an unrivalled set of albums that rank amongst the band’s best.
- 2006-2016: The Jet Age is released via Cherry Red Records on 25th August 2023.
- U.K. Subs – Time & Matter
Track List:
Disc One: Work In Progress (2011)
- Creation
- Tokyo Rose
- Hell Is Other People
- The Axe
- Radio Unfriendly
- This Chaos
- Guru
- Eighteen Wheels
- Children Of The Flood
- All Blurs Into One
- Blood
- Rock ‘N’ Roll Whore
- Strychnine
- Robot Age
Bonus Tracks:
- 666Yeah
- Straighten Out
- I Live In A Car (2008)
- Creation
- Warhead (2008)
- Straighten Out (2008)
- Knuckleduster
Disc Two: XXIV (2013)
- Implosion 77
- Coalition Government Blues
- Speed
- Rabid
- Monkeys
- Black Power Salute
- Las Vegas Wedding
- Stare At The Sun
- Garden Of Good And Evil
- Workers Revolution
- Wreckin’ Ball
- Detox
- Failed State
- Momento Mori
Bonus Track:
- Workers Beer Company
Disc Three: Yellow Leader (2015)
- Sick Velveteen
- Artificial
- Bordeaux Red
- Chemical
- Deconstruct
- Diatribe
- Feed The Whore
- Heathens
- Prime Evil
- Rebellion Song
- Sin City Blues
- Slave
- Big Bug
- Suicide Girl
- Virus
- Cry Wolf
- Archaeology
Disc Four: Ziezo (2016)
- Polarisation
- Oligarchy
- I’ve Got A Gun
- Evil Vs Evil
- Proto Feminist
- Disclosure
- Rise
- World War III
- Dope Fiend
- I Don’t Care
- Master Race
- Banksy
- This Machine
- City Of The Dead
- Maid Of Orleans
- Zeitgeist
Disc Five: Acoustic XXIV (2013)
- Angel Of Eight Avenue
- Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind
- Metamorphosis
- Sleeping Rough
- Souls From Hell
- Stop Global War
- Four Strong Winds
- Higher Tide
- The Outsider
- Thunders In The Rain
- Stormy Day
- Little Black Crow
Bonus Track:
- Hard Times Café
