The Vibrators : London Girls
In the first week of June, 1977, The Vibrators released their debut album, Pure Mania, a U.K. Top 50 album. The album received a rare A rating from the dean of rock critics, Robert Christgau who wrote:
This has been raving without letup ever since it arrived at my house as an import in September of '77. Mixing raw vocals and relentless tempos with hooks that should strike familiar chords among over-twenties, it's a way into the punk style for seekers after pure musical rush. Those who listen to lyrics may regret, as I do, that they care so much about sex, since despite the distancing and pacing their S-and M interests are clearly more than a flirtation with the absolute--they're narsty. Then again, so were the Velvets'. And this remains good new-fashioned rock and roll at its wildest.
Trouser Press's Ira Robbins is also a fan:
With its soon-to-be-a-cliché color-Xerox artwork cover — is a treasure trove of memorable ditties that strip down pop in a parallel to the Ramones' streamlining of it. A brilliant record, cheerful in a loopy way and filled with great fragmentary tunes and innocuously threatening lyrics.
Veterans of the pub rock scene, the long-haired Vibrators weren't pure punks but they figured things out in time to release one of 1977's best --if most polished -punk albums.
Trivia : One of the songs provided the Belfast punk band Stiff Little Fingers with their name.
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