Music

The biggest surprise is that Brit dole proles Chelsea's two discs are at least as repeatedly playable as Dutch radicals the Ex's one. But would the Ex approve of "Right to Work," if Chelsea's pinnacle is indeed the anti-union workers' anthem it often seems? How about Chelsea's "Many Rivers to Cross" cover? It's Clash-worthily unclunky, albeit fairly straightforward—at least compared to the Ex's dub attempts or Killing Joke's ("$0.36") or ones by such ahead-of-their-time women as the Slits; New Age Steppers; Ja Ja Ja; or Rip, Rig and Panic. And if we're gonna talk punky reggae, let's just say the Clash had good reason to borrow "Armagideon Time" from Willi Williams. And he didn't stop there.

Low-rent and shouting about it

Details

See also:

Podcast: An Audio Guide to This Week in Music
NEW! Clubrat Special by Robert Christgau

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• CANDIDA PAX Day
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• Arts, Entertainment, and Media
• Punk Rock

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CANDIDA PAX
Day
(Shadoks Music/Normal '70s hippie blues-rock reissue)
Stream "Don't Leave Me" (Windows Media)
Stream "Day" (Windows Media)

CHELSEA
Urban Kids: A Punk Rock Anthology
(Castle/Sanctuary '70s–'80s punk reissue)
Stream "Right to Work"
Stream "The Loner" (Windows Media)

THE EX
Singles, Period: The Vinyl Years 1980–1990
(Touch and Go Pinko post-punk reissue)
Stream "Weapons for El Salvador" (QuickTime)
Stream "Human Car" (Windows Media)

KILLING JOKE
Ha! Killing Joke Live
(EMI ‘80s proto-goth post-punk dance-metal reissue)
Download "Death and Resurrection Snow" (MP3)

KILLING JOKE
Killing Joke
(EMI '80s proto-goth post-punk dance-metal reissue)
Stream "Loose Cannon" (Windows Media)

KILLING JOKE
Revelations
(EMI '80s proto-goth post-punk dance-metal reissue)
Download "Total invasion" (MP3)

KILLING JOKE
What's This For . . . !
(EMI '80s proto-goth post-punk dance-metal reissue)
Download "Zennon: Exclusive B Side" (MP3)

THE SPOILS OF WAR
The Spoils of War II
(Shadoks Music/Normal '60s hippie art-rock reissue)
Stream "Big Sugar Plantations"
Stream "Dear Belgium Boy" (Windows Media)

VICTORIA
Victoria
(Shadoks Music/Normal '70s hippie folk-rock reissue)

WILLI WILLIAMS
Messenger Man
(Blood and Fire '70s reggae reissue)
Stream "Messenger Man" (RealAudio)

Grlz: Women Ahead of Their Time
(Crippled Dick Hot Wax! ’80s post-punk post-funk reissue compilation)
Stream "(Various Songs)" (Site Player)

Keats Rides a Harley
(Warning Label/Happy Squid ’80s art-punk reissue compilation)
Stream "The Earwigs - A Martyr Is Made"
Stream "100 Flowers - Salmonella" (Windows Media)