Action Time Vision show the kids weren't alright in the late 70s

Let’s put into perspective though. Punk died as soon as it crossed over. John Lydon and The Clash soon turned their attention to more complex music genres and as soon as pub rockers decided to become disenfranchised for an easy quid, it was game over.

That's not to say there weren't some great music beyond the hype, which is where Action Time Vision: A Story of UK Independent Punk 1976-1979 comes in. This four CD box set is pretty overbearing if you're only a passive punk fan, plus the punk ideology of only needing to learn three chords to play means that it's pretty one dimensional music. However, Cherry Red have the art of compilations down to a tee. Following on from the excellent expansion of C86, the shoegaze compilation Still In A Dream or their investigation into pre 1984 electronica, Close To The Noise Floor, this collection is equally as essential, even if you can only listen to a little at a time.

With most tracks barely scraping the two minute mark, there's an overwhelming amount of hidden nuggets here. Yes, it starts with the very first UK punk single, "New Rose" by The Damned (how could you not!) and checks in all of the main punk acts (Sham 69, Stiff Little Fingers, The Ruts, The Only Ones, 999, Skids, Sham 69, UK Subs, Cockney Rejects, Alternative TV and Chelsea are all present), but the collection veers away from obvious choices, even finding space for Joy Division's "Failures" from their Ideal For Living EP.

More interesting however, are some of the lesser known acts; the speed freak rock of "Fascist Dictator" by The Cortinas and the blistering bile of Johnny Moped's "No One" both sizzle with incandescent rage, while the acoustic punk poetry of Patrik Fitzgerald with "Safety Pin Stuck in My Heart" comes across as a Southern cousin of John Cooper Clarke. The sophisti-punk of”Teenage Treats" by The Wasps takes its cue from the art rock leanings of Television, while Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias subscribe to the, 'everything's' crap and I hate my mum’ attitude on "Gobbing On Life", yelling how "Living like a moron is such a pissing drag / I'm sick of all the crap that I get from that old bag". This kind of punk fuck you was probably life affirming at the time, but with age it comes across as quaintly childish, while "Lookalikes" by The Drones also falls into punk lyrical cliché. A line like "You lookalikes - leave me alone / I don't wanna dress like you - I don't wanna be you and you don't wanna be me - and we don't wanna conform with you" was probably incredibly galvanising back in the late 70s, but now comes across a little too sixth form angst despite sounding like a gritty little thrill.

Like the other aforementioned boxsets from Cherry Red, they eschew the ‘hits’ to get down to the obnoxious and primal heart of the genre, this is geeky crate digging in CD form, designed to entertain and educate.