Various Artists - The Rare Stuff

"The Rare Stuff?" is a notable, historic 1979 punk and new wave compilation album released in the UK by Harvest Records (a subsidiary of EMI). True to its name, the LP acted as a "sampler" showcasing hard-to-find tracks, early singles, and forgotten B-sides from emerging acts of the late-1970s underground scene. The album is structured symmetrically by offering multiple tracks from its primary artists; it famously features four songs each from Australian punk pioneers The Saints, pub-rock/punk group The Banned, and Coventry-based new wave band The Flys.

Musically, the compilation captures the high-energy, experimental pivot from raw punk rock into melodic power pop and post-punk. It features highly sought-after material, including Wire’s "Dot Dash" and "Options R" (which were left off their seminal debut Pink Flag) and The Flys' iconic classic "Love And A Molotov Cocktail". It also boasts Rich Kids' "Only Arsenic"—the rare 1978 B-side to the band formed by ex-Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock and future Ultravox frontman Midge Ure.

Released at the tail end of the initial 1970s underground explosion, "The Rare Stuff?" serves as a fascinating time capsule of a major record label trying to find its footing during a musical revolution. Harvest Records, heavily associated with kaftans and progressive rock, compiled this 16-track LP to showcase their leaner, meaner talent pool. Instead of traditional, scattershot compilations that gave one track to a dozen different acts, this release takes a structured, multi-song showcase approach. By giving substantial real estate to a curated group of acts, the record provides an unusually deep dive into the transitional ecosystem of late-70s British and Australian rock.

The undisputed highlights of the compilation belong to the heavy hitters: Australia's punk trailblazers The Saints and English art-punk legends Wire. The Saints dominate their portions with raw, high-energy tracks pulled from their historic 1976/1977 sessions, including a blistering, barely-recognisable punk interpretation of Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep Mountain High". Wire offers an incredible glimpse into what could have been, delivering "Dot Dash" and "Options R". Both tracks were recorded during the sessions for their seminal debut Pink Flag but omitted from the final product. Hearing these essential tracks contextualised amongst their contemporaries is worth the price of admission alone.

The compilation genuinely succeeds in how it balances these massive names against melodic power pop, pub rock, and new wave curiosities. Listeners get a taste of Rich Kids via "Only Arsenic"—a rare, brilliant B-side featuring the powerhouse duo of ex-Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock and future Ultravox singer Midge Ure. The rest of the tracklist is rounded out nicely by the fast-paced, high-energy output of The Flys (celebrated for their underground classic "Love And A Molotov Cocktail") and the gritty pub-rock-infused rhythms of The Banned. These deeper cuts prevent the album from feeling top-heavy and paint a vivid picture of a scene moving past simple 3-chord aggression into tighter songwriting.

Ultimately, "The Rare Stuff?" is a cohesive and highly satisfying listen for collectors of the era. It captures that brief, magical window where the grandiosity of 70s stadium rock was thoroughly dead, but the rigid, synthesised pop formulas of the 1980s hadn't quite taken over yet. It avoids the fluff that usually bogs down sampler records, offering an essential listen for anyone trying to understand the full breadth of the original post-punk movement.

Ripped to MP3

Side A

A1. The Saints – River Deep Mountain High

A2. Wire – Dot Dash

A3. The Banned – Him Or Me

A4. The Flys – E.C.4.

A5. Rich Kids – Only Arsenic

A6. The Flys – Love And A Molotov Cocktail

A7. The Banned – You Dirty Rat

A8. The Saints – One Way Street

Side B

B1. The Saints – Lipstick On Your Collar

B2. The Saints – Demolition Girl

B3. Wire – Options R

B4. The Flys – Can I Crash Here

B5. The Flys – Civilization

B6. The Banned – C.P.G.J.'s

B7. The Banned – Little Girl

B8. The Shirts – Cyrinda