Cherry Red's three-disc compilation
Where Were You? documents the Leeds, England independent music scene from the tail end of the original punk wave to the early years of dream pop. Like a lot of the label's comprehensive anthologies of various scenes or eras, the set includes a few hits and early tracks by major artists, as well as plenty of lesser-known key acts and outright obscurities. It kicks off with
the Mekons' signature anthem "Where Were You?," and the first disc additionally includes
Gang of Four's classic "Damaged Goods" (albeit the
Entertainment! re-recording rather than the original 1978 single) and early tracks by
Scritti Politti (from a 1979 Peel Session) and new wave heroes
Soft Cell. Short-lived yet highly influential groups like dance-punk pioneers
Delta 5 and early indie pop icons
Girls at Our Best! are equally important to the story. Lo-fi punk and synth pop are just as prominent as straightforward rock & roll and power pop, with the retro nostalgia of
the Squares' "Buddy Holly" sharing space with anarcho-punks
Abrasive Wheels and
the Expelled.
The City Limits' "Morse-Code Messages" and
Knife Edge's "Favourite Girl," major earworms that are simply far too catchy to languish in obscurity, are some of the set's most exciting discoveries. The second disc touches on Leeds' status as one of the epicenters of the goth movement, with
the Sisters of Mercy,
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry,
the Mission, and
Salvation all making appearances. The liner notes stress that there's far more to the city than its goth scene, as acts like the avant-jazz-funk ensemble
Xero Slingsby and the Works or rockabilly combo
Pink Peg Slax can attest. Still, various forms of dark, rebellious post-punk make up much of the track listing, as well as more electronic selections like
Vicious Pink's club hit "Cccan't You See" and
Tom Fazzini's pirate-themed minimal synth oddity "16 Vessels." Cuts by
the Cassandra Complex and
Age of Chance point to the city's industrial and alternative dance scenes that would develop later in the '80s, as further explored on disc three, with bands like
WMTID,
Bazooka Joe, and grebo act
Drug Free America. A few groups, including
the Cassandra Complex and
MDMA, featured future members of sample-happy rave act
Utah Saints, who struck chart gold in the early '90s. Other acts are linked to the C-86 indie pop scene, such as
the Snapdragons,
the Wedding Present, and the
Huesker Due-esque noise pop of
the Edsel Auctioneer. The latter group shared members with
4AD shoegaze legends
Pale Saints, represented here by the oft-compiled "Sight of You." They're easily the most well-known act on disc three, which features strange artifacts by abstract folk-pop duo
the Rhythm Sisters, raucous skiffle-punks
Ritzun Ratzun Rotzer, and a drum machine-driven faux-rap by
Len Liggins, later of
the Ukrainians. It's fascinating to read about the history of the scene and hear how it progressed. ~ Paul Simpson
![The The Clash [US]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0074646388327_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "The The Clash [US]")
