Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold

Infobox Album
Name = Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume One)
Type = Compilation album
Artist = Various


Released = 1977
Genre = Power pop,
Pub rock,
Punk,
New wave
Label = Chiswick Records (Cat. No. CH 2)
Producer =

Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold is a various artists Compilation album made up of acts on Chiswick Records. Chiswick was the "first true 'indie' label" to be established in Britain for nearly a decade". [cite book |title= "Alternative Rock"|last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Miller Freeman Books|location= San Francisco|pages= p.748;] The label has been described as "significant" in the "punk era". [cite book |title= "Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk"|last= Joynson|first= Vernon|year= 2001|publisher= Borderline Publications|location= Wolverhampton|isbn= 1-899855-13-0|pages= p.11;] The 101ers are notable for releasing Joe Strummer’s first recordings. The Count Bishops "were an important link between the R&B pub rock scene of the mid-seventies typified by bands like Dr. Feelgood and the early punk scene". [cite book |title= "Up Yours! A Guide to UK Punk, New Wave & Early Post Punk"|last= Joynson|first= Vernon|year= 2001|publisher= Borderline Publications|location= Wolverhampton|pages= p.99;] The Radio Stars were punk one-hit wonders.

Critic and author Dave Thompson describes "Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold" as a "driving" collection, rating it "eight out of ten". [cite book |title= "Alternative Rock"|last= Thompson|first= Dave|year= 2000|publisher= Miller Freeman Books|location= San Francisco|pages= p.749;] The album also receives a good review on the Allmusic website. [ cite web |url= http://wc06.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gifyxz8gldfe |first=Mark |last= Deming |title= Review of "Submarine Tracks & Fool's Gold" on Allmusic |quote= collects 12 great tunes from the short-lived era when it looked like Dr. Feelgood could be the band to save British rock. Along with the fine A-side of that 101'ers single, Fool's Gold offers up three righteous selections from short-lived R&B mavens the Count Bishops, an equal number from the goofy but energetic Gorillas, two sides from surprisingly powerful French rockers Little Bob Story, the engagingly sleazy "Dirty Pictures" by the Radio Stars, and some passionate neo-rockabilly courtesy Rocky Sharpe & the Razors. Everything here is in the pub rock tradition of no-frills roots rock, the more American the better, but there's plenty here that grooves hard, and it offers a potent reminder that the punks weren't the only ones who thought rock & roll needed a swift kick in the butt in the mid-'70s. Good fun throughout.]

The album was followed up with the "Long Shots, Dead Certs And Odds On Favourites (Chiswick Chartbusters Volume Two)" Compilation album (1978).

Original Track listing

ide one

# "The Keys To Your Heart" (3:36) by The 101ers
# "The Teenage Letter" (2:20) by The Count Bishops
# "The She's My Gal" (2:45) by The Gorillas
# "I'm Crying" (3:08) by Little Bob Story
# "The Train Train" (3:15) by The Count Bishops
# "The Gorilla Got Me" (3:07) by The Gorillas

ide two

# "Dirty Pictures" (2:50) by The Radio Stars
# "The Gatecrasher" (2:55) by The Gorillas
# "Drip Drop" (2:14) by Rocky Sharpe & The Razors
# "Baby Don't Cry" (3:20) by Little Bob Story
# "The Route 66" (2:52) by The Count Bishops,
# "So Hard To Laugh" (2:24) by Rocky Sharpe & The Razors

References