Album Review: Chelsea – The Step-Forward Years 1977-82 4CD Box Set

Hands up who loves a box set? I know I do! Most die-hard fans of an artist typically have all that’s on offer for their favourite artist already. Any collector who frequents the numerous record fairs up and down the country, looking for rare “live” recordings, or the Japanese 7” in puce green vinyl, tend to view them with suspicion, but for anyone new to an artist or simply unwilling to slavishly enter the world of snobbery that is vinyl, they are a god send. This Cherry Red Records collection of Chelsea’s “Step Forward Years 1977-1982” is a perfect example.

With 89 tracks spread over the 4 discs, this collection contains BBC Sessions recorded between 1977-79, all the singles issued on Step Forward between 1977-1982, various rare recordings, including demos and monitor mixes and both the albums Chelsea and Evacuate. Also included are the 9 live tracks broadcast from the BBC’s In Concert programme, recorded at The Paris Theatre in London’s Regent Street on 12^th Sept 1979, which show what a great live band they were and how many thought they were the natural successors to The Clash at the time.

With 12 studio albums spread over nearly 50 years, the band have struggled to eclipse the critically acclaimed sophomore album Evacuate, with Nic Austin’s brilliant guitar work demonstrating why he’s such a highly regarded musician in the punk world. Fortunately those tracks are included on Disc 4 along with all the Step Forward singles released between 1981-2.

Vocalist Gene October remains the only ever present in a band that has previously included Gen X’s Billy Idol, Tony James and John Towe as well as James Stevenson (ex-Cult, Gen X, Gene Love Jezebel and The Alarm).

The whole set is completed by a booklet packed with informative liner notes and pictures of all relevant record sleeves.

When the history of punk is discussed, Chelsea are a band who don’t really get the credit they deserve and often find themselves omitted from the narrative. Their debut single “Right To Work” is rightly deserving of it’s place in the Mojo Magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time.

This box set brings back all that early energy and anger, synonymous with their live shows and worth a place in anybody’s collection who thus far hasn’t discovered or rediscovered them. I’ll gloss over their later work and live shows, as for me they don’t come close on the rare occasions I’ve seen them perform at festivals. Dreadful name though!!!!

The box set can be ordered here from Cherry Red Records

DISC ONE
CHELSEA
1 I’m On Fire
2 Decide
3 Free The Fighters
4 Your Toy
5 Fools & Soldiers
6 All The Downs
7 Government
8 Twelve Men
9 Many Rivers
10 Trouble Is The Day

BONUS TRACKS – THE STEP-FORWARD SINGLES 1977-80
11 Right To Work
12 The Loner
13 High Rise Living
14 No Admission
15 Urban Kids
16 No Flowers
17 No-One’s Coming Outside
18 What Would You Do
19 Look At The Outside
20 Don’t Get Me Wrong
21 No Escape

DISC TWO
THE BBC SESSIONS
JOHN PEEL 27.6.77
1 No Admission
2 High Rise Living
3 Right To Work
4 Pretty Vacant
5 Blind Date
JOHN PEEL 3.7.78
6 No Flowers
7 Urban Kids
8 Come On
9 I’m On Fire
KID JENSEN 10.10.78
10 Twelve Men
11 Trouble Is The Day
12 Come On
13 Urban Kids
MIKE READ 7.9.79
14 Fools & Soldiers
15 Don’t Get Me Wrong
16 Look At The Outside
17 Trouble Is The Day
IN CONCERT 29.9.79
18 Fools & Soldiers
19 Twelve Men
20 I’m On Fire
21 All The Downs
22 Free The Fighters
23 Trouble Is The Day
24 Your Toy
25 The Loner
26 Urban Kids

DISC THREE
RARITIES
1 Right To Work (Monitor Mix)
2 Government (Demo)
3 No Admission (Demo)
4 Curfew (Demo)
5 Twelve Men (Demo)
6 All The Downs (Demo)
7 Trouble Is The Day (Demo)
8 Your Toy (Demo)
9 Free The Fighters (Demo)
10 No Escape (Different Mix)
11 I’m On Fire (Remix)
12 Decide (Remix)

LIVE AT THE MUSIC MACHINE 1978
13 Come On
14 Twelve Men
15 All Together Now
16 High Rise Living
17 Urban Kids
18 The Loner
19 No Flowers
20 Right To Work
21 Decide
22 Your Toy
23 Urban Kids (Encore)

DISC FOUR
EVACUATE
1 Evacuate
2 How Do You Know
3 Cover Up
4 Looks Right
5 Tribal Song
6 War Across The Nation
7 Forty People
8 Running Free
9 Last Drink
10 Only Thinking

BONUS TRACKS – THE STEP- FORWARD SINGLES 1981-82
11 Rockin’ Horse
12 Years Away
13 Freemans
14 I.D. Parade
15 How Do You Know (7” Version)
16 New Era
17 War Across The Nation (7” Version)
18 High Rise Living (Remix)
19 Stand Out