What more can be said about Sid Vicious, the Sex Pistols and punk rock that hasn’t already been flogged like a dead horse? Well for me this album represents stepping up from middle school to high school and a new awareness of the music landscape of the time as well as the realization that music didn’t have to sound pretty or polished to be enjoyed. While many of my classmates may have happily been listening to Billy Joel, Michael Jackson or Blondie, I was off in a corner with a few friends being entertained by this album that had been transferred countless times to cheap cassette tapes. “Belsen Was a Gas” gave me a rough and distinctive glimpse into my history lessons. My favorite track on the record continues to be the excellent rendition of the Stooges “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. A few years out of school I finally tracked down an original vinyl copy of the LP yet still hold on that worn out tape.
Released: 1979 / Virgin
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Video: “My Way”