Various Artists - A Fresh Selection

A Fresh Selection is a vital 1981 archival vinyl compilation documenting the fierce, left-of-the-dial roster of London’s independent Fresh Records. Emerging from the London market scene via a mail-order and distribution network that originally handled pioneering acts like the Buzzcocks, Fresh Records evolved into a major standalone force in the early 1980s UK indie charts. This specific label sampler skips mainstream radio posturing entirely, acting as a direct time capsule for the unique, transitional period where first-generation pub rock and punk collided with the stark, angular soundscapes of the emerging UK Decay-led post-punk and goth-rock movements.

The release beautifully displays the label’s philosophy of prioritizing uncompromising street art over commercial safety. Featuring definitive label cornerstones like UK Decay, The Wall, Family Fodder, and the Art Attacks, the album tracks how the chaotic template of 1977 expanded into avant-garde terrain. Rather than functioning as a standard corporate marketing product, the album feels cohesive, operating as an authentic audio newsletter of the post-punk community centered around Howe and Alan Hauser's pioneering Fresh Records ecosystem.

As an intentional counterweight to mainstream music compilation models, A Fresh Selection thrives precisely because it champions bands that were actively mutating the genre boundaries of punk. The collection's energy anchors itself heavily on the dark, tribal, and theatrical intensity of UK Decay, whose inclusion proves exactly why they are revered as co-founders of gothic punk. These brooding textures are masterfully balanced by the frantic punk-pop power of The Wall and the explosive, short-fused energy of early tracks from The Art Attacks, ensuring the vinyl's momentum remains jagged, unpredictable, and exciting from track to track.

The absolute highlight of the compilation is how cleanly it exposes the label's eccentric side, proving Fresh Records was never a monolith. The inclusion of Family Fodder brings a brilliantly strange, post-punk wave of experimentalism, utilizing bizarre structures and deadpan vocals that sit in direct opposition to standard guitar-heavy rock bands. When paired with the glam-tinged punk theatre of the Cuddly Toys and the high-energy, raw guitar work of pub-rock legend Bernie Tormé, the record showcases an era where a single independent label could confidently house disparate artistic factions under one roof.

Ultimately, A Fresh Selection stands out in retrospect as a remarkably sharp piece of curation that captures a label right at its peak before its eventual transition into the Jungle Records family. For collectors browsing current Discogs listings or hunting down physical pressings, it acts as a premier roadmap for navigating the early 80s UK DIY explosion. It remains a flawless reminder of a time when small-market stalls could discover, fund, and broadcast the most urgent subcultures in the country on their own terms.

Ripped to MP3

Side A

1. Dumb Blondes – "Sorrow"

2. Cuddly Toys – "Someone's Crying"

3. The Igloos – "Octopus" (A unique post-punk cover of the classic Syd Barrett track)

4. Family Fodder – "Savoir Faire"

5. Cuddly Toys – "Madman"

6. Wilko Johnson – "Back in the Night"

7. Bernie Tormé – "All Day and All of the Night" (The Kinks cover)

Side B

1. UK Decay – "Unwind"

2. Manufactured Romance – "Time of My Life"

3. The Dark – "Hawaii Five-O" (A high-velocity punk version of the famous TV theme)

4. The Wall – "Ghetto"

5. J.C.'s Mainmen – "Earbending"

6. Menace – "The Young Ones"

7. The Art Attacks – "Punk Rock Stars"