GBH:
Leather, Bristles, Studs and Acne: CD
At long last, a reissue of this legendary band’s greatest work, and all I can say is it’s about friggin’ time. This is it, kiddos, their finest hour. While the work that followed was by no means terrible, this is GBH at their best, a standard they have often come damn close to but have not quite surpassed over the years. Compiled on this beautiful hunk of plastic are the Leather Bristles, Studs and Acne mini-LP, the Sick Boy EP and the No Survivors EP and every song here, from the opener “Race Against Time,” through “Lycanthropy” past “Self Destruct” and to the closer “Am I Dead Yet,” is a classic. To sweeten the deal, they’ve included the original record’s “hidden” track, “Alcohol,” which makes its digital debut here. So mandatory it ain’t funny.
–Jimmy Alvarado (Captain Oi)