Auntie Pus: Halfway To Venezuela 7″

Description

Julian Isaacs aka Auntie Pus, made a bet with his childhood friend Chris Millar (Rat Scabies of The Damned) that one of them would have a top ten record within 3 years. He of course lost that bet in less than a year as The Damned took the world by storm. Isaacs carried on with his own brand of punk and Syd Barrett inspired songs, playing with the best of the first wave of UK punk bands, and becoming frequent tour partners of bands like The Damned and The Ruts. In 1978 he finally recorded a single, featuring Rat Scabies on drums, which was eventually released with some help from the Ruts management, and did make it, not just into the weekly top 10 in Sounds, but “Single of the Week”, and in a top 10 in Record Mirror when the Damned were pulling the reigns that week. Since then, the single has become a staple of conversations covering under the radar 70s UK DIY punk and “messthetics” type singles. This 7″ is a deluxe edition with an unreleased track, artwork faithful to the original, with an accompanying insert that includes an in depth interview which should be fascinating to any fan of 70s UK punk, or fans of the Damned, photos, and more. Available on Black, Pink, and Green vinyl.

Our take: General Speech brings us an expanded reissue of this obscure but excellent 1978 UK punk single. While Rat Scabies is on the drums and the two tracks he plays on benefit from his trademark wallop, the music doesnt resemble the early Damneds raw rock and roll so much as Television Personalities neo-Syd Barrett-isms. Another band Auntie Pus brings to mind is the Only Ones, particularly the bluesy lead guitar playing and the way they deliver the vocals in this sort of fey croak. While those are points of reference, it all adds up to a record that doesnt sound quite like anyone else, and the energetic performances and strong songwriting are worth your while if youve spent any time digging past the most well-known 70s UK punk bands. General Speechs reissue adds an extra track; recorded 8 years later, it doesnt feature Scabies on drums and isnt punk more of a Cole Porter-type jazz age song. The insert, though, is a treat, a lengthy interview with Auntie himself thats full of the trainspotting punk nerdery I love. An excellent single that will fit well into any night spent sitting around spinning UK punk 45s.