Anti-Nowhere League - We Are...The League

Original Release Date

1982

Release Information

UK LP 1982 (WXYZ - LMWOP 1). Original version with 'child molester' version of Animal

1 We're The League 2:40
2 Animal 2:58
3 Woman 2:57
4 Can't Stand Rock'N'Roll 1:57
5 (We Will Not) Remember You 2:00
6 Snowman 3:00
7 Streets Of London 3:16
8 I Hate...People (Remix) 2:21
9 'Reck-A-Nowhere 2:27
10 World War III 2:41
11 Nowhere Man 2:27
12 Let's Break The Law (Remix) 3:06

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UK LP 1982 (WXYZ - LMNOP 1)
US LP 1982 (WXYZ/Faulty Products - COPE 4)
UK CD 2001 (Captain Oi! - AHOY DPX 604)

1 We're The League 2:40
2 Animal 2:40 [censored version]
3 Woman 2:57
4 Can't Stand Rock'N'Roll 1:57
5 (We Will Not) Remember You 2:00
6 Snowman 3:00
7 Streets Of London 3:16
8 I Hate...People (Remix) 2:21
9 'Reck-A-Nowhere 2:27
10 World War III 2:41
11 Nowhere Man 2:27
12 Let's Break The Law (Remix) 3:06
CD Bonus Tracks
13 So What 3:09
14 I Hate....People (Single Version) 2:22
15 Let's Break The Law (Single Version) 3:04
16 Woman (Single Version) 2:58
17 Rocker 2:30
18 For You 3:06
19 Ballad of J J Decay 5:17

Chart Placings

UK Indie Hit : 1, 23 wks
UK Chart Hit: 24, 11 wks

Credits

LP:

Animal - vocals
Magoo - guitar
Winston - bass
P.J. - drums

An Aurable Production

Additional Credits

Bonus Tracks on CD:

13: B-Side of Streets Of London 7", released November 1981
14-15: I Hate....People7", released March 1982
16-17: Woman 7", released June 1982
18-19: For You 7", released November 1982

Reviews & Opinions

PUNKY GIBBON: Twelve songs, ten of them as good as you could hope for, only two slightly lesser efforts ('Nowhere Man' and 'World War III' if you're wondering). Raging misogyny ('Woman', also issued in a self-censored version as a single), sexual perversity ('Animal'), wanton drug abuse ('Snowman'), masturbation ('Wreck-A-Nowhere') and general seething hatred (everything) prevail amid a barrage of growled four-letter-words and dirty guitars. Their version of 'Streets Of London' (issued as a 12” single in the States) is much more apt that Ralph McTell’s weedy original: "Let me take you by the hand/And drag you through your streets of London/I'll show you something that'll make you really sick".
The LP was initially issued with a version of 'Animal' (the song) where Animal (the singer) declares himself a child molester and your next door neighbour. The LP was immediately withdrawn and replaced with the more common version of 'Animal', which begins, "Hello Mrs Shaw, can I borrow your lawnmower...OR PARTS OF YOUR BODY!!!" and proceeds in a softer manner, albeit mentioning naked lades in thigh high boots and so on. The original "child molester" version can be found only on the withdrawn first pressing (LMWOP 1) and the 2009 double CD twofer reissue (here), and also the 2001 So What.
The 2009 reissue also lobs on a raft of bonuses. All tracks are remastered with great sound, and the excellent booklet has extensive liner notes and images. It is definitely the best ANL purchase on the market.

KAREN SCHLOSBERG, THE NEW MUSIC RECORD & TAPE GUIDE, 1987: It's hard to take this cartoonish punk quartet seriously. The song-writing team of Animal and Magoo pens irate diatribes aimed at what they called the "nowheres" of the world: straights, nine-to-fives, etc. Although you don't dare doubt them when they spit "I Hate . . . People," they do manage to inject a sense of humor which can soften even the most potentially offensive song, such as the ragingly misogynist "Woman." And anyone who doubts their ingenuity should listen to the blazing (but surprisingly appropriate) treatment of Ralph McTell's folkie chestnut, "Streets of London."

Additional Notes

The best way to hear this LP (on CD at any rate) is as part of We Are...The League / Live In Yugoslavia.

The 2014 release entitled We Are...The League ... Uncut is actually a brand new recording. According to the liner notes: 'Original lyrics of 1980 before Scotland Yard confiscated the album...and this is exactly how the album was written. All other versions were rehashed".

Images

UK LP 1982 (WXYZ - LMWOP 1). Click here for more

US LP 1982 (WXYZ/Faulty Products - COPE 4). Click here for more

UK CD 2001 (Captain Oi! - AHOY DPX 604). Digipak. Click here for more

 

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