"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.
