Various Artists - Birth Of A Nation Inevitable Records An Independent Liverpool 1979-1986

Birth Of A Nation: Inevitable Records – An Independent Liverpool 1979-1986 is a 3CD compilation released by Cherry Red Records in April 2019. It documents the Liverpool-based independent label, featuring post-punk, new wave, and synth-pop from artists like Dead or Alive, China Crisis, WAH!, and It's Immaterial. Chronicles the label run by Jeremy Lewis, focusing on the DIY music scene in Liverpool following the punk era. The collection is noted for covering early, pre-fame material from Pete Burns, including the "Birth Of A Nation" EP by Nightmares in Wax.

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Jeremy Lewis established and ran Liverpool’s Inevitable Records, and in doing so provided what he calls an “incubator” for an impressive selection of the talent emerging from the city at that time. From Pete Burns and Dead Or Alive to China Crisis, Wah! Heat and others, Inevitable provided the launchpad for many successful careers. Operating initially out of Lewis’ Amazon Studios, and mutating as the years passed from an outlet for the city’s spiky post-punk sounds to a synth-pop, commercially minded imprint with major label backing, Inevitable proved popular with John Peel and found admirers from across the ‘80s musical spectrum.

Presented here for the first time is an overview of the label, including a disc of contemporary Peel Sessions from key artists and a 3,000 word account of its story by Jeremey Lewis himself. Of particular interest to many will be never-before-heard (or re-issued) work by a young Pete Burns – his first Nightmares In Wax single, two Dead Or Alive singles Plus two previously unreleased Dead Or Alive Peel Sessions are included.

A further look at the wonderful music explored in ‘REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT’ this is an in-depth look at the roots of several special careers, produced with input from Inevitable founder Jeremey Lewis.

Various Artists - Revolutionary Spirit - The Sound of Liverpool 1976-1988

Revolutionary Spirit: The Sound of Liverpool 1976-1988 is an extensive 5CD deluxe boxset released by Cherry Red Records that chronicles the "second wave" of music in Liverpool following the era of The Beatles. Curated by the team behind acclaimed compilations like Scared to Get Happy, the set features 100 tracks including classics, rarities, and previously unreleased material. The collection covers a broad spectrum of genres, from punk and new wave to synth-pop and early indie rock. 

Revolutionary Spirit: The Sound of Liverpool 1976-1988 is a masterfully curated 5CD box set that serves as a definitive "civic reclamation" of the city’s musical identity following the shadow of The Beatles. Released by Cherry Red Records, the collection expertly moves from the raw, eccentric punk energy of the late 70s into the lush, psychedelic-infused synth-pop and indie-pop that defined the 1980s. By prioritising "parochial singles" and rare gems over overplayed jukebox hits, the set successfully re-establishes Liverpool as a creative powerhouse often overshadowed by the better-documented Manchester scene.

The first two discs are a particular highlight, capturing the "Class of '77" at the legendary venue Eric's. Early myth-making tracks from The Teardrop Explodes ("Sleeping Gas") and Echo & The Bunnymen ("The Pictures on My Wall") sit alongside experimental electronic works by OMD and A Flock of Seagulls. This era showcases a unique "Northern surrealism," where bands rejected southern punk tropes in favour of a "wilful obtuseness" and a love for 1960s-inspired psychedelia.

As the collection moves into the mid-to-late 80s, it pays homage to the feverishly creative indie scene populated by "no-hit wonders" and future talent generators. Notable inclusions like The Lotus Eaters’ "The First Picture of You" and Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s "Two Tribes" provide mainstream anchors, but the real treasure lies in the deeper cuts. The final disc signals the transition toward Britpop with tracks from The La’s, before ending on the haunting, atmospheric "Come Holy Spirit" by The Revolutionary Army of the Infant Jesus, which perfectly encapsulates the city's "purple passion".

The physical presentation of the set is consistently praised as "sumptuous" and "essential". It is housed in a hardback-bound format with a 56-page A5 book featuring insightful essays by scene participants like Bernie Connor and Mike Badger. Many of the tracks are accompanied by sleeve notes written by the artists themselves, adding a deeply personal layer to the historical archive. This high-quality packaging makes the set a must-have for collectors and those seeking a "trip down memory lane".

While almost universally acclaimed, the collection is not without minor controversy regarding its tracklist. Critics and users alike have pointed out the glaring absence of Pete Wylie (Wah!) and Half Man Half Biscuit, likely due to complex licensing issues. However, even with these omissions, the set remains a monumental achievement. It stands as a vivid testimony to the elevating power of art during a dark economic time for the city, proving that Liverpool's "revolutionary spirit" was truly second to none.

Various Artists - To The Shores Of Lake Placid

The origin of Zoo Records is probably known the world over, so prepare your-self for a plethora of artists that have become legendary. Formed in Liverpool in 1978 by Bill Drummond and David Balfe (Keyboards in the Teardrops Explodes) to release a 12” single by Drummond’s perennially struggling band, Big In Japan (From Y to Z And Never Again). Zoo would only release two albums and a handful of singles by the likes of the Teardrop Explodes, Echo & The Bunnymen and Lori & The Chameleons. Inside we're informed that the music had been taken from a play To the Shores of Lake Placid which ran from August 24 1978 to February 21 1981 with "all titles performed by the Original Cast". Society For Cutting Up Men (SCUM) by Big In Japan opens (shown in a photo with a young Ian Broudie lying against a giant Teddy), followed by Drummond's other band Those Naughty Lumps with Iggy Pop's Jacket (issued as a single in January 1979). Next up we have the Teardrop Explodes with their original version of When I Dream, a couple of tracks by Echo & The Bunnymen and to close side one a couple of real gems in the Lori & the Chameleons single Lonely Spy and the Turquoise Swimming Pools (featuring Troy Tate) previously unreleased track The Wind. Side two begins with Whopper and Dalek I Love You and more from the Turquoise Swimming Pools, Teardrop Explodes, Big In Japan and Echo & the Bunnymen.

Street To Street – A Liverpool Album

A fantastic review by Die or DIY’s Jonny Zchivago who posted a copy of this a couple of months ago. I don’t necessarily agree with every point Jonny makes, in fact I don’t agree with any of it, but it saves me writing the exact opposite…

Not one of my favourite local compilations is this one, especially listening to it now; it seems even more dated these days, logically, than it did back in '79. Liverpool kinda missed the post-punk and punk rock boats by some distance. Blighted by that weighty melodic curse of the Beatles' long shadow and wilting under the heat radiating from the northern powerhouse of Punk/post-punk capital, Manchester. It starts off with the truly terrible 'Big In Japan', jam-packed with attention seekers and 'future members' of more successful dross......like a scouse 'London SS', but with members of the 'Bromley Contingent' instead of Generation X*, Damned and the Clash. Musically they had more in common with Generation X, no tunes but lots of posing. To paraphrase John Peel from the sleeve notes, 'a quixotic cornerstone' of the Liverpool scene. Points of interest are, a track by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, before they were called Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark; in this case The ID. There's also an Echo and the Bunnymen track from before they had a real drummer and used a drumbox called 'Echo'; awful stuff. The rest sounds like demos of minor chart hits from 1974 or some scally reggae numbers or melodic power pop by people who can't write melodies, sung by people who can't sing trying their level best to sing 'properly', ugh! The only saving grace is that there's No 'Teardrop Explodes' or 'Wah! Heat!' on here.  

(*er...wasn't Billy Idol one of the Bromley mob?)