***Originally released by Decca Records (bizarrely only in Spain!) just as the band split up in 1978, this album has only been available for a hefty price tag on vinyl collector websites in recent times. This is the first official re-issue of this title in nearly 45 years. Using the original artwork and printing it on gold foil, symbolizes the importance of this band’s history. The band have directly overseen this release via Captain Oi and made sure that this very special pressing is in the same format as the entire collection of Cock Sparrer studio albums that are being made available to fans as part of the 50th anniversary album collection brought to you by Pirates Press Records. Remastered from the original ¼” analogue tapes and presented on 180gram black vinyl, this album is truly a ‘must-have’ for any fan of the band and captures the Cock Sparrers sound during the initial 1970s emergence of UK punk.
LP $20.95
03/24/2023
***Before Shock Troops even hit the shops, the bands Guitarist Micky Beaufoy had left, replaced with Shug O’Neil who brought a fresh approach to song writing giving Running Riot in ’84 a sound that was different to the bands recorded output to date. Cock Sparrer split up before the record hit the pressing plant meaning they had very little input in the release. Only 8 studio songs were records, so label Syndicate bolstered this with two ‘live’ (in the studio!) tracks. The front cover was also a last minute thrown together affair by the label who decided that crowd trouble from the 1979 West Ham vs Millwall match was suitable. The album was recorded in the same studio as Angelic Upstarts ‘Power of the Press’ and ‘Saturdays Heroes’ by The Business and like a fine wine has become more popular with age.
LP $20.95
03/24/2023
***Some records so perfectly capture an artist at a critical point in their creativity, and make such an impact, that they become not just synonymous with the band, but an essential piece of music history. Such is the case with Shock Troops, the album that not only became Cock Sparrer’s most acclaimed record, but a defining moment for Oi!, punk rock, and underground music in general! Originally released by Razor Records in 1983, Shock Troops proved to consist of song after song which would each become anthems of the burgeoning Oi! scene and far beyond. From the opening of “Where Are They Now?” on through “Take ‘Em All,” “We’re Coming Back,” all the way to the closing chords of “Out On An Island,” there isn’t a song in the bunch that any self respecting punk rocker can’t shout along to. These working class anthems are just as vital today, as proven by the crowds of beloved fans worldwide that continue to go wild at Sparrer’s live shows, where Shock Troops tracks still make up the heart of their setlists.
LP $20.95
03/24/2023
***For many, this band requires no introduction, as they are indeed legends in a vibrant scene stretching across the world. At the same time, for anyone not part of that category, they are far and away the best band that you’ve not heard yet. This full length, their sixth, truly exemplifies how incredible and how special this band is. Rather than follow the all-too-common trajectory of releasing a new full length every few years, and following it up with tour after tour, SPARRER really remained selective with the new music they’ve chosen to release, the gigs they were willing to play, and for many people that is what really sets them apart. There is no ‘fluff’ - ever! All of their albums are classics, and this one is as well. Hit after hit, hook after hook, singalong after sing-along and jam packed with substance, Forever is an album treasured by hundreds of thousands of fans and will be for decades to come. These best of friends wear their hearts on their sleeves, and bring an intensity and emotional component to everything that they do – whether it is recording new tracks, or getting on stage to thoroughly impress thousands of fans with their incomparable and truly spectacular live performances. This album does nothing short of illustrate that perfectly - and this version, newly remastered to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary also does so in step.
LP $20.95
03/24/2023
***The first of the pair of records representing Cock Sparrer’s re-emergence amidst the madness of the 1990s punk rock boom, Guilty as Charged stands as a testament to the timelessness of the Cock Sparrer sound, as these punk rock originators staked their claim to show the new generation how it’s done. On Guilty as Charged, the band’s playing is in fine form, and the lyrics display the same exhilarating, anthemic spirit that built the band’s reputation, as seen on tracks like “Roads To Freedom.” At the same time, the band’s winking, wry sense of humor shines through, never more than when they provide a tongue-in-cheek sequel to one of their all-time classics in the form of “I Fit Central Heating (Working Pt 2).” They even open up to show the Sparrer version of a romantic soft side in “Tough Guys.” But truly, for many fans, the highlight of the album is “Because You’re Young.” Perhaps something of a spiritual answer to the early Sparrer hit “What’s It Like To Be Old?,” “Because You’re Young” is a song from rock & rollers who have the wisdom and lived experience of years on their side. It has stood the test of time as an all-time favorite of Sparrer audiences, and is represented on nearly any list of the band’s definitive songs. Remastered once again in celebration of the bands 50th anniversary, this 180gram black vinyl pressing with a jacket on gold foil is the classiest and best-sounding version out there.
LP $20.95
03/24/2023
***With 2007s Here We Stand, legendary punk rockers Cock Sparrer moved into the 21st Century, and staked their claim on an exciting new era for the band.Never content to simply rest on the considerable laurels of their back catalog, the first Sparrer studio album since the 1997 not only put a new release into the hands of the old faithful and new fans alike, but kicked off a renewed period of active international touring and headlining festival appearances that has continued to this very day.
LP $20.95
03/24/2023
***The second of the pair of records representing COCK SPARRER's re-emergence amidst the madness of the 1990s punk rock boom, Two Monkeys once again found these punk rock originators keeping time with the new generation while staying true to the classic sound that first made them an institution. Longtime fans were rewarded as the band added the final chapter to their "Working" trilogy—which they began on the classic Shock Troops and continued on Guilty as Charged—finally concluded on Two Monkeys with “I Live in Marbella (Working Pt 3).” However, perhaps the two highlights of the proceedings display a different side of Cock Sparrer altogether and an emotional core for the album. "Battersea Bardot" is a nostalgic tribute to the late London-born actress Carol White. And finally, the band, now grown men with priorities for home and family, made space on the album for a love song, admiring the tough-as-nails women who had captured their hearts on “East End Girl.”
LP $20.95
03/24/2023