This double-disc retrospective compiles this Aylesbury group's vinyl releases dating from 1978 onwards and includes recent material as well. Since there have been so many reissues and collections from this time period hitting the shelves over the last few years, I wasn't sure what to expect from yet another one by a band I hadn't heard of.
I Beg To Differ turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise because it positively overflows with catchy material.
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
While their beginnings are rooted are in the discordance and angularity of late '70s punk, the band never loses sight of melody. Their songwriting becomes more and more pop-oriented in a brief amount of time and culminates in some fantastic songs that could have been hits overseas with a little more luck and exposure. Their early songs are mainly concerned with rhythmic elements, but tracks like "Lake Superior" and "Sugarside" show their songwriting evolving to more fully encompass the rest of the instruments, including the voice. The second disc begins with the masterful "Love Will Blow Up In Your Face" and is followed by a string of great songs like "Letters of the Alphabet," "Tina Weymouth's Smile," and "She Loves Me Like a Brother." They also have a good sense of humor, as evidenced by the track "Mark, What's the Score?," in which they sample Mark E. Smith reading football scores, and the sarcastic "King of the Manchester Baggy Scene." Also included is a song by the band's pre-Disco Students incarnation The Haircuts entitled "Do You Remember L-L-Longwick?" It is clear evidence of their ability to create memorable pop songs early on. They have resumed activity in recent years, so hopefully more people will take advantage of the chance to experience this underrated group.
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