U.K. Subs - Diminished Responsibility

Original Release Date

1981

Release Information

UK LP 1981 (Gem - GEMLP 112)
UK CD 2000 (Captain Oi! - AHOY CD 143)

1 You Don't Belong 3:02
2 So What 1:41
3 Confrontation 2:25
4 Fatal 2:43
5 Time And Matter 2:37
6 Violent City 2:36
7 Too Tired 2:19
8 Party In Paris 2:55
9 Gangster 1:45
10 Face The Machine 2:54
11 New Order 2:32
12 Just Another Jungle 2:26
13 Collision Cult 3:36
CD Bonus Tracks
14 Party In Paris (Single Version) 2:52
15 Fall Of The Empire 2:14
16 Keep On Running (Til You Burn) 2:32
17 Perfect Girl 2:01
18 Ice Age 2:50
19 Party In Paris (French Version) 2:41
20 Barmy London Army (Charlie Harper) 3:09
21 Talk Is Cheap (Charlie Harper) 3:38

Chart Placings

UK Chart Hit: 18, 5 wks

Credits

Produced by: Nicky Garratt and Mike Leander
Engineered by: The Duke of Montenegro

Alvin Gibbs - bass guitar
Charlie Harper - rhythm guitar, vocals
Nicky Garratt - lead guitar
Steve Roberts - drums

Mel Wesson - synthesiser
Captain Sensible - keyboards, oddball - as Chief Inspector Bad

Additional Credits

CD Bonus Tracks:
14-15: Party In Paris 7", released October 1980
16-19: Keep On Running (Til You Burn) 7", released April 1981
20-21: Barmy London Army 7" by Charlie Harper, released July 1980

Reviews & Opinions

PUNKY GIBBON: Blunted over-production is the least of this album's worries: asides from the amusing 'Party In Paris' and a few others, this has a deficit of really strong material. 'Fatal' is a good concept abysmally executed, while stuff like 'So what' and 'Too Tired' are pure filler. Worse than that, Harper's singing throughout is just rubbish. He was never the most refined of vocalists, but there's no excuse for this. It doesn't even help that he's been buried in the mix, because I HATE it when producers bury vocalists in the mix. The overall impression is that of a rush-job, and while a moderate hit in the UK, it is obvious why their fanbase rapidly diminished (hah!) hereafter.

ROBIN KATZ, SMASH HITS, FEBRUARY 1981: Diminished responsibility, eh? So that's their excuse for dishing up the time honoured coloured vinyl and punk cliches. 'Just Another Jungle', 'New Order' and 'So What' seem to imply that if you can't be part of the solution then it takes no effort to just reel off a list of the problems. Even the guiding hand of former Gary Glitter producer Mike Leander can't rescue this miserable effort. (2 out of 10).

Additional Notes

The black vinyl LP label scans are from Time And Matter here.

Images

UK LP 1981 (Gem - GEMLP 112). Red or black vinyl. Click here for more

UK CD 2000 (Captain Oi! - AHOY CD 143). Click here for more