...has aged so well
Stargrazer | deep in the heart of Michigan | 03/08/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Following up the superb debut "Another Music In A Different Kitchen" and their slew of excellent singles, the Buzzcocks had their work cut out for them on their sophomore platter, "Love Bites." You can hear them working a little bit harder at the songwriting, it's not quite as natural and effortless as on their debut, and from all reports some tensions were forming in the band as well, and lots of drugs -- especially acid -- were being consumed. That makes for an erratic work environment to put it mildly, but by and large the band pulls it off with their reputation for razor-sharp pop intact. In fact, "Love Bites" contains a couple classic tracks, not just as Buzzcocks songs, but as perfect or near-perfect pop songs. For example, "Ever Fallen In Love," which was a pretty big hit back home in England. Along with other well-known songs like "Just Lust," this album contains some great fare like "Real World," the acoustic-driven "Love Is Lies," the storming instrumental "Walking Distance" (which the Descendents certainly learned from) and the krautrock-y "Late For The Train."
The remastered version includes the usual riches of this reissue series: the singles "Love You More," "Noise Annoys," "Promises," and "Lipstick" -- four of their most concise and blistering tunes; a slew of demos; several Peel Session tracks from '78-'79; and a live set from Manchester's Lesser Free Trade Hall from July 21, 1978.
"Love Bites" has taken a lot of guff over the years for being "less essential" than "Another Music In A Different Kitchen" or "Singles Going Steady." That smacks of damning with faint praise. Granted, it may have been a slight letdown when it first came out, but that's because the band had been hitting such consistent highs that anything less than perfection seemed a grave departure. We have the luxury of hindsight now, and "Love Bites" stands up pretty damn well on it's own. Apples to apples, the first three albums and "Singles Going Steady" are all pretty essential. If you like what you're hearing on any one of those releases, you're in for more of a good thing. The Buzzcocks had a unique talent for making all their albums sound like singles collections."
Track Listings (22) - Disc #1