Complete Punk Singles Collection, The

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With no less than five Exploited albums currently on the CD shelves, the need for an all-encompassing summary of their activities has never been so pressing -- amid the wealth of U.K. Oi!-era reissues that are currently on the shelves, there was always a danger that the Exploited's often-superior output might be overlooked. But the moment that "Army Life" slashes into earshot, the summer of 1980's fireball that introduced the world to Wattie and co. is reaffirmed as one of the mere handful of period singles that truly encapsulate what Oi! was all about. Of course, the Exploited were to redefine that particular missive on several occasions in the future -- "Exploited Barmy Army" and "Dogs of War" both thrill with a visceral violence that could turn your CD machine to mulch, while "Dead Cities," the band's fourth single (and first national U.K. hit), was largely responsible for dragging Oi! into the British mainstream to begin with. Thereafter, the band settled down a little in terms of impact, if not energy and effort, but still this disc remains essential listening; arguably, 1983's "Rival Leaders" 45 (tracks 19-21) marked the end of the band's most incendiary phase; but both "Jesus Is Dead" and "War Now," cut in 1986 after the band had been so long out of the limelight, proved that the Exploited still meant something, even if the critics of the day weren't quite sure what. With a total of 28 tracks serving up both sides of every Exploited single, Complete Punk Singles Collection might not be the simple "best-of" that the uninitiated most deserve. But if you leave aside the occasional damp squib that made it onto a band B-side, there really isn't much difference between this set and any other finest hour you could compile. ~ Dave Thompson