Next to Chiswick and Step Forward, Raw Records was one of my fave UK p-rock labels way back when. There's a, uh, raw DIY feel to most of their releases that keeps 'em soundin' fresh to this day. From the deadly guitar attack of the Users to the more sophisticated wail of the (early) Soft Boys, most of the labels releases were miles apart from the more glossy produced bands on labels like Virgin etc. And let's not forget that they were also thoughtful enough to put out re-issues by such pre-punk luminaries like the Creation and Hammersmith Gorillas and release new material by the Downliners Sect. And altho' I certainly wasn't aware of it at the time, these days I marvel at the ongoing links between the UK's six-o Beat/R&B boom, the Hawkwind/Deviants/Pink Faries-axis and 70s DIY labels like Chiswick, Stiff and, yep; Raw. To me this is the only real r'n'r heritage the UK ever came up with. Hey, I'm not suggestin' that all o' what's happenin' in the UK these days is worthless, but what w/ Lemmy livin' in LA, we could send out a rescue boat for Billy Childish, and then pull the plug on the entire island and let it drift off to Antarctica....
Anyways, what I'm trying to get at, is that UK label Damaged Goods has two comps out featurin' all of Raw's finest material and some of the last great music created in jolly ol' Britain, and these are well worth your time 'n hard earned pay.
Music made w/ passion, and w/ out the slightest hint of cynicism, how's about that for a change...
