ALBUM REVIEW: Where Were You: Independent Music From Leeds (1978-1989) (Cherry Red Records)
Having previously explored the rich vein of independent music which has emerged from Sheffield and Manchester, Cherry Red turn their attention to an equally productive northern city, Leeds.
Where Were You? is a 68-track set spread over three CDs celebrating the indie scene of the 1980s in the city which gave us Soft Cell, Sisters Of Mercy, Gang Of Four, The Wedding Present, Scritti Politti and The Mission, to name a few of the bigger names.
Like the aforementioned cities, Leeds enjoyed an explosion of music triggered by the punk explosion of 1977, and Where Were You is the first comprehensive anthology from that period through to the end of the 1980s.
There’s a veritable smorgasbord of choice, as music veered off in a myriad different directions, from punk to goth, indie pop to industrial dancefloor, and out-and-out pop to underground psychedelia.
As ever with these lovingly-compiled sets, it contains lots of obscurities making their debut on CD – including many tracks from records now worth a small fortune to collectors.
It kicks off with John Peel favourites The Mekons, whose 7in single gives the collection its name. They are one of several bands featured who sprang from the melting pot of creativity that was Leeds University.
Other Peel favourites to make the cut include CUD, Delta 5, The Pale Saints, Age Of Chance and The Bridewell Taxis, who all stamped their mark on the indie charts.
There’s spiky punk from Abrasive Wheels (Army Song) and The Underdogs (East Of Dachau), quintessential indie from The Wedding Present (You Should Always Keep In Touch With Your Friends) and Girls At Our Best (Getting Nowhere Fast), and classic post-punk from Gang Of Four (Damaged Goods).
Goth was big in Leeds too, and to that end there’s some atmospheric offerings from The March Violets (Religious As Hell), The Rose Of Avalanche (Goddess), as well as the aforementioned Sisters and Mish.
As ever, there’s loads of bands I’ve never heard before, but their contributions here make me yearn for more: I give you The Vaynes (Lick The Dirt), one-single wonders Rouge (Have You Seen Gene?), The Prowlers (Life’s A Mystery) and The Edsel Auctioneer (Our New Skin), and there’s plenty more where they came from on this most eclectic of sets. 7/10.
