The Greatest Cowboy Movie Never Made

Punk rock had one heck of a magical year in 1977. After all, that was the year listeners received landmark albums by some of the genre's finest (the Sex Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks, the Clash's self-titled debut, and two fine releases by the Ramones). And it was also the year Australia's top punk export, the Saints, released another killer punk set, (I'm) Stranded. All the punkers of the era had to prove they could cut it on the concert stage, and the Saints could certainly hold their own, as evidenced by Cabaret at the Roundhouse: Live 1977. Despite stinky sonics (it sounds as if recorded on a cassette recorder by an audience member), the group hands in high-energy renditions of most of its early classics, including "One Way Street," "Demolition Girl," and, of course, the debut album's title track. Sadly, the Saints are often overlooked when discussions of "top first-wave punk rockers" come up, which only makes an archival live recording like Cabaret at the Roundhouse: Live 1977 even more valuable. The proof is certainly in the pudding. ~ Greg Prato