Alternative TV - The Image Has Cracked - The First Album By Alternative TV
Original Release Date
1978Release Information
UK LP 1978 (Deptford Fun City - DLP 01)
A1 Alternatives 9:43
A2 Action Time Vision 2:32
A3 Why Don't You Do Me Right? 3:12
A4 Good Times 2:33
A5 Still-Life 5:21
B1 Viva La Rock N' Roll 4:19
B2 Nasty Little Lonely 6:21
B3 Red 2:03
B4 Splitting In 2 5:12
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UK CD 1994 & 2004 (Anagram - CD PUNK 24). The Image Has Cracked - The Alternative TV Collection
1 Alternatives 9:43
2 Action Time Vision 2:32
3 Why Don't You Do Me Right? 3:12
4 Good Times 2:33
5 Still-Life 5:21
6 Viva La Rock N' Roll 4:19
7 Nasty Little Lonely 6:21
8 Red 2:03
9 Splitting In 2 5:12
Bonus Tracks
10 Love Lies Limp 3:07
11 Life 2:08
12 How Much Longer? 2:38
13 You Bastard 1:22
14 Another Coke 5:28
15 Life After Life 2:11
16 Life After Dub 2:41
17 The Force Is Blind 3:47
18 Lost In Room 4:56
19 How Much Longer? (Diff. Version) 2:38
20 You Bastard (Diff. Version) 1:20
Chart Placings
NoneCredits
LP:
Mark Perry - [vocals]
Dennis Burns - [bass]
Chris Bennett - [drums]
Special Assistance from:
Kim Turner: Rhythm guitars (and piano on 'Nasty Little Lonely')
Jools Holland: moog on 'Alternatives', piano on 'Viva La Rock N' Roll'
The Other Cinema, Cover by ATV and Jill Furmonovsky
Photography by Harry T. Murlowski
Studio recordings made at Surrey Sound Studios
Engineers: Chris and Nigel Gray
Live recordings made at the 100 Club by Rolling Stone Mobile 7/2/78
Mixed and produced at Central Recorders, London, W1
Soapbox illustration hy Tony Stubbs
Produced by ATV and Chris Gray
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Additional Credits on CD:
Liner notes: Mark Paytress
Additional Credits
Bonus Tracks on CD:
10: Love Lies Limp 7" flexi, 1977
11: Life 7", 1979 (rec 1977)
12-13, 19-20: How Much Longer? 2x7", 1977
14: B-Side of Action Time Vision 7", 1978
15-16: Life After Life 7", 1978
17-18: The Force Is Blind 7", 1979
Reviews & Opinions
PUNKY GIBBON: An exotic mix of styles, Image veers between punkin' rockers ('Action Time Vision', 'Still Life') and brooding slow-burns ('Nasty Little Lonely', 'Splitting In Two'), stopping off for an avant-garde instrumental ('Red') and a Zappa cover ('Why Don't You Do Me Right'). With some of the album recorded live at the 100 Club, the project is hung together by Perry's artless Cockney shouting, biting no-nonsense lyrics and highly inventive music. One of the highlights is an audience participation number, 'Alternatives'. This descends into banality and violence when a bonehead grabs the Mic and points out that "if there were a bunch of fucking skinheads up here you'd shit yourselves and you know it". A drunken fool then introduces himself as Ivor Drumstick and advertises for a drummer in his band, and Perry starts tearfully haranguing the crowd. One of THE punk/post-punk LPs.
CHARLES P. LAMEY/JIM GREEN, THE TROUSER PRESS RECORD GUIDE, 1991: By The Image Has Cracked, Perry's urge to experiment was taking intriguing turns (e.g., a half-studio, half-live attempt at meaningful audience participation). Although the abstract stuff doesn't hold up so well, it's still an amazing document of a time and place. The straighter efforts are better: an early Buzzcocks/Clash sock is well-exercised on the band's rousing manifesto, "Action Time Vision." It's also why the compilation of the same name, including non-LP singles sides (through '79) on which Perry's righteously vented spleen is effectively displayed, works better than Image as entertainment if not artifact.
Additional Notes
The 2004 CD reissue is a digipak, but is not mastered any differently to the 1994 version. The LP was reissued on vinyl in 2009 by Get Back (GET705) with re-worked cover art and five extra tracks ('Love Lies Limp', 'Life', 'How Much Longer?', 'You Bastard' and 'Lost In Room'. A remastered version of the LP can be found on the box set Viva La Rock 'N' Roll.
Images
UK LP 1978 (Deptford Fun City - DLP 01). Click here for more
UK CD 1994 & 2004 (Anagram - CD PUNK 24). Click here for more
