Scars - Author! Author!

Is the post-punk group Scars one of the Last Great Lost Bands?

Chances are that you won't remember post-punk band Scars. Their moment in the sun was both tragically and gloriously brief. They stormed out of Edinburgh in the early 1980s possessed of equal parts glam audacity, art-rock solemnity and futuristic zeal. They were roundly hailed as the next great white musical hope. Two Peel sessions and a handful of music-paper covers later, they vanished in a fog of egotism and unhealthy appetites. But not before they delivered their one and only album, 1981's maddeningly beautiful Author! Author!

In the intervening years, Scars have been effectively forgotten. Years ago, Mark E Smith name-checked them as his favourite band ("because they were the complete opposite of the Fall"), and more recently, Lemon Jelly briefly raised Scars' profile by sampling them on their '64-'95 album. But despite guitarist Paul Research's sterling efforts to keep the name alive on his Scars website, the band appeared to be permanently consigned to the dustbin of history. Even in Simon Reynolds' encyclopaedic post-punk history, Rip it Up & Start Again, they merit only the most fleeting of mentions.

Meanwhile, down the last 38 years, every other once-forgotten band of their era has been either endlessly repackaged and/or critically rehabilitated to enable them to enjoy an extension on their fifteen minutes. Even the very worst of the fag-end punk bands (The Lurkers, Chelsea, Slaughter and the Dogs) have been kept on life-support by virtue of their appearance on a thousand and one dodgy service-station compilations. Music monthlies can be relied upon to remind us all of the greatness of cult artists (John Cooper-Clarke, Vic Godard, Penetration's Pauline Murray) who might have accidentally slipped off the radar. Most recently, Castle's CD86 compilation plucked the likes of Darling Buds, Revolving Paint Dream and 14 Iced Bears from the kind of shambling obscurity that most would agree was their deserved fate.

As for Scars, their fate has hardly been helped by the convoluted copyright situation that held up the reissue of Author! Author! for all these years. Now that it's finally here and sounding as edgy and lovely as it always did, maybe the band can finally enjoy some of the critical acclaim that has long been denied them. If that should come to pass, then this will surely establish them as one of the Last Great Lost Bands to come to our attention. Unless, that is, you readers have any better ideas. Word of warning: the likes of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Stump, Cock Sparrer and Bum Gravy will automatically be disqualified on the grounds that the dustbin of history is exactly where these bands belong.

Author! Author! (1981) by the Edinburgh band Scars stands as a seminal yet overlooked masterpiece of the early 1980s Scottish post-punk explosion. Released on Charisma Records' subsidiary PRE Records, the album expertly fuses the jagged, angular guitar architecture of Paul Research with the dramatic, hyper-theatrical vocals of frontman Robert King. The rhythm section of bassist John Mackie and drummer James Mackie provides a driving, taut foundation that anchors the band's sonic experimentation. Tracks like "All About You" and "Aquarama" showcase a distinct blend of art-school punk defiance and shimmering new romantic pop sensibilities, carving out a unique space in the UK underground.

Musically, the record is celebrated for its forward-thinking fusion of genres, frequently described by contemporary critics as a premier example of "challenge-pop." Scars eschewed the bleak minimalism of their English peers, opting instead for a sound rich in melody, kinetic energy, and subtle dance elements. Paul Research’s guitar style relies on clean, crystalline, and razor-sharp riffs that directly mirror the work of contemporaries like Josef K and Orange Juice. King’s vocals deliver literate, often macabre lyrics with an urgent, camp, and highly stylized affectation that elevates the album from a standard rock record into a piece of avant-garde performance art.

Despite its immense artistic merit and substantial critical backing, Author! Author! failed to achieve commercial success at the time of its release, leading to the band's premature breakup. The glossy, slick studio production by Bob Sergeant became a point of contention, with some fans and critics arguing it smoothed over the feral, chaotic energy of the band's legendary live performances. However, time has been incredibly kind to the record. Retrospective evaluations have elevated its status from a forgotten bargain-bin curiosity to an essential, highly influential post-punk artifact that predicted the angular indie-rock revivals of the early 2000s.

The album's enduring legacy was firmly cemented by recent expanded multi-CD reissues, which compiled the original tracklist alongside rare singles like "Adult/ery" and "Horrorshow." These collections reveal a band operating at the absolute peak of their creative powers, capturing the transition from raw punk energy to sophisticated alternative pop. While it remains a cult item rather than a household name, Author! Author! stands as a brilliant testament to Scotland's vibrant post-punk landscape. For any dedicated listener exploring the roots of modern alternative music, this ambitious, flawed, and utterly magnificent record demands a spot on the shelf.

Ripped to MP3

A1: "Leave Me in Autumn"

A2: "Fear of the Dark"

A3: "Aquarama"

A4: "David"

A5: "Obsessions"

B1: "Everywhere I Go"

B2: "The Lady in the Car with Glasses on and a Gun"

B3: "Je t'aime c'est la mort"

B4: "Your Attention Please"

B5: "All About You"