US vs. UK Punk

The timeless, exhaustive argument of which side of the pond had more influence in punk's infancy may never be something that is resolved. But with US vs. UK Punk, Sanctuary Records adds more fuel to the fire by compiling a hit-for-hit match-up featuring some of the finest songs in the U.S. and U.K. punk canons. The match-ups are close: the Ramones with "Beat on the Brat" against a demo version of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the UK," the Undertones "Teenage Kicks" versus the New York Dolls' "Personality Crisis," Generation X versus Black Flag and so on. True, there could have been hundreds of punk classics included here, and some of the 16 tracks contained here are up for debate on just how important they are when compared to some of the omissions. But overall, this is a fine introduction to the sound that shocked the world and redefined music for a generation, and a great springboard to discover many of the other hits the sound has to offer.