Various–CBGB-A New York City Soundtrack 1975-1986 4X CD

“CBGB was a place for the dirty people.” - Jimmy Destri of

Blondie

“Afterwards, I took off and went crosstown to CBGB’s, the

stronghold of the unknown, to be with my own people.” - Patti

Smith

In December 1973 Hilly Kristal changed the name of his roots

music bar from Hilly’s on the Bowery to CBGB and altered his

musical policy to hire mostly rock bands. He was indifferent to

many of them (“No one is going to like you guys, but I’ll have

you back,” he told Joey Ramone), blissfully unaware of how

important his scruffy little club would soon become.

In the span of only 15 months, the five groups that comprise

the CBGB’s pantheon all debuted: Television in March 1974,

followed by Ramones in August and Blondie in October, then

Patti Smith in February 1975 and Talking Heads four months

later.

Those five groups all quickly got record deals and became popular enough to outgrow CBGB’s. By the fall

of 1977, Smith was the only one who was still playing there. What succeeded the Big Five was an array of

new and retro styles, all of which feature here: No Wave (Sonic Youth, Mars, DNA, Bush Tetras), post-punk

(Ritual Tension, Unknown Gender, Khmer Rouge), mutant funk and R&B (James Chance & The

Contortions, Mink DeVille), art-rock bands (R.L. Crutchfield’s Dark Day, The Revelons, Erasers, Jeff and

Jane Hudson) hardcore punk (Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Vatican Commandos, Beastie Boys), and lots of

power pop (Sorrows, The dBs, The Rudies, The Miamis, The Paley Brothers) .

The club’s best-known bands are present on this compilation but we’ve also revived interest in dozens of

unfairly forgotten acts that, for a moment in time, made an album, EP, 45, or even a demo that crackled

with innovation, wit, and joy.

CBGB no longer exists, at least not in the physical plane, but what happened between those soot-filled,

beer-stinking walls continues to reverberate around the world.

1-1 The Dictators– (I Live For) Cars And Girls 3:58

1-2 The Harlots Of 42nd Street– S&M (I Can't Live Without You) 3:52

1-3 The Magic Tramps*– S&M – Leather Queen 4:39

1-4 Patti Smith– Free Money 3:49

1-5 The Brats– Be A Man 2:51

1-6 City Lights (2)– Travelin' Man 3:51

1-7 The Hounds (6)– Call Me 3:13

1-8 Erasers (2)– It Was So Funny (That Song That They Sung) 3:38

1-9 Ramones– Beat On The Brat 2:32

1-10 Stuart's Hammer– Everybody's Depraved (Live At CBGB) 3:21

1-11 The Planets (27)– Come On Up 3:03

1-12 Milk 'N' Cookies– Not Enough Girls (In The World) 3:32

1-13 Just Water– They Live By Night 4:33

1-14 Television– See No Evil 3:51

1-15 Mumps (3)– Crocodile Tears 2:08

1-16 The Heartbreakers (2)– Born To Lose 3:04

1-17 Testors– You Don't Break My Heart 2:41

1-18 The Dead Boys– Ain’t Nothing To Do 2:25

1-19 The Senders– You Really Piss Me Off 2:38

1-20 The Electric Chairs– Fuck Off 3:06

1-21 Marbles (5)– Forgive And Forget 2:49

1-22 Cherry Vanilla– Hard As A Rock 2:32

1-23 Tuff Darts– Fun City 2:55

1-24 Talking Heads– A Clean Break (Let's Work) (Live At CGBG's) 4:54

2-1 Suicide– Ghost Rider 2:33

2-2 Pure Hell– I Feel Bad 2:31

2-3 Helen Wheels– Room To Rage 3:55

2-4 Blondie– Picture This 2:57

2-5 Mars (4)– Helen Forsdale 2:30

2-6 Come On– Don't Walk On The Kitchen Floor 2:15

2-7 Mink Deville– "A" Train Lady 3:23

2-8 The Heat (25)– Instant Love 3:34

2-9 Genya Ravan– Aye Co'lorado 3:00

2-10 Theoretical Girls– Lovin' In The Red 2:17

2-11 Richard Hell & The Voidoids– The Kid With The Replaceable Head 2:20

2-12 The Stillettos*– Pink Stillettos 2:09

2-13 The Paley Brothers*– Baby, Let's Stick Together 2:57

2-14 Neon Leon– Rock 'N' Roll Is Alive 2:52

2-15 Revelons– The Way (You Touch My Hand) 3:06

2-16 New York Ni**ers*– Just Like Dresden '45 3:19

2-17 L.O.K. (2)– Fun House 3:03

2-18 Material– O.A.O. 4:47

2-19 The Laughing Dogs– I Need A Million 3:10

2-20 Shrapnel (4)– Combat Love 2:17

2-21 Peroxide (4)– Heart Disease 2:25

2-22 Student Teachers– Christmas Weather 2:48

2-23 Tom Verlaine– Breakin' In My Heart 6:08

2-24 Richard Lloyd– Number Nine 2:53

2-25 James Chance & The Contortions– Jailhouse Rock (Live At CBGB 1978) 3:22

3-1 The Cramps– Garbage Man 3:36

3-2 The Dots (5)– I Don't Wanna Dance (With You) 1:44

3-3 The Miamis (2)– We Deliver 2:04

3-4 Model Citizens (3)– Shift The Blame 1:46

3-5 The dB's– Black And White 3:08

3-6 The Rattlers– On The Beach 3:01

3-7 Love Of Life Orchestra– The Revolution Is Personal 5:05

3-8 Urban Verbs– Next Question 5:47

3-9 Sylvain Sylvain– Teenage News 3:10

3-10 Stimulators*– Loud Fast Rules 3:08

3-11 Tot Rocket And The Twins– Reduced 2:42

3-12 The Bongos– Telephoto Lens 2:04

3-13 Outsets– I'm Searchin' For You 2:46

3-14 Sorrows– Teenage Heartbreak 2:40

3-15 The Lounge Lizards*– Do The Wrong Thing 2:40

3-16 Nervus Rex– There She Goes 2:46

3-17 The Cosmopolitans– Wild Moose Party 2:10

3-18 Polyrock– Your Dragging Feet 5:00

3-19 Lenny Kaye With The Lone Wolves (2)– Child Bride 3:20

3-20 R.L. Crutchfield's Dark Day*– Arp's Carpet 3:09

3-21 The Colors– Jealousy 2:54

3-22 TV Toy– (Don't Blame It On The) Weekend 2:48

3-23 DNA (4)– Blonde Red Head 1:51

3-24 The Rudies (4)– Sherri Goodbye 2:52

3-25 The Raybeats– Tight Turn 3:55

3-26 Phosphenes– Asexual 3:01

3-27 Minor Threat– Straight Edge 0:47

4-1 Bush Tetras– Things That Go Boom In The Night 4:25

4-2 Human Switchboard*– (Say No To) Saturday's Girl 3:50

4-3 Disturbed Furniture– Information 3:09

4-4 The Necessaries*– Back To You 4:05

4-5 Chemicals Made From Dirt– Oriental Television 2:07

4-6 China Shop– If It's New 4:07

4-7 James Blood Ulmer– Open House 5:20

4-8 Nihilistics– You're To Blame 1:06

4-9 Beastie Boys– Egg Raid On Mojo 1:21

4-10 The Individuals (9)– My Three Sons (Revolve Around The Earth) 3:20

4-11 Rhys Chatham– Drastic Classicism (Edit) 3:47

4-12 Unknown Gender– Boys-Girls (Radio) 2:50

4-13 Khmer Rouge (2)– Hinterland 3:51

4-14 Bad Brains– Banned In D.C. 2:09

4-15 Heart Attack (2)– English Cunts 1:21

4-16 Outpatients– Fight 2:13

4-17 Vatican Commandos– Housewives On Valium 1:37

4-18 Sonic Youth– The World Looks Red 2:41

4-19 Jeff & Jane Hudson*– Operating Instruction 4:38

4-20 Glorious Strangers– Deception 3:20

4-21 Nona Hendryx– Transformation 5:31

4-22 Reagan Youth– No Class 1:35

4-23 Rat At Rat R– Assassin 3:55

4-24 Ritual Tension– Social Climber 3:05

4-25 The Ordinaires– Grace 4:30