Oi! The Albums (Clamshell)

Long awaited 6 CD, 68 artists, 121 track clam shell box covering the first six volumes in the seminal Oi! Compilation series. Initially launched in 1980 by 'Sounds' journalist Garry Bushell, "Oi! The Album" contained tracks from the likes of Cockney Rejects, Angelic Upstarts, The Exploited, The 4 Skins, Cock Sparrer, Slaughter & The Dogs and Peter & The Test Tube Babies. 1981's "Strength Thru Oi!" featured the likes of Toy Dolls, Infa Riot, Cock Sparrer, Last Resort and 'newer' bands like The Strike and Criminal Class as well as the Oi! poet Garry Johnson. "Carry On Oi!!" hit No.4 in the Independent Chart and 'introduced' the likes of The Business, The Partisans, Blitz, Red Alert and The Ejected alongside 'veterans' such as The 4 Skins and Infa Riot. Disc 4 is 1982's "Oi! Oi! That's Yer Lot". Reggae legend Judge Dread along with 'one man Chas 'N' Dave' Frankie Flame and established Oi! acts such as The Business and The Oppressed. Added to the disc are five tracks originally recorded at the session for the LP but later released on the 'Back On The Streets' EP. "Son Of Oi!" is what you will find on Disc 5. An Indie Chart No.11, it featured stalwarts like The 4 Skins, Angelic Upstarts, Cock Sparrer, The Business and The Gonads as well as introducing 'newer' acts such as Vicious Rumours, Prole and Maniac Youth. The final disc is 1984's "Oi! Of Sex" which reached No.11 in the Indie Chart. Again a mixture of the established - Cock Sparrer, Gonads - and the new - The Burial, ABH and Rat Patrol. Original series compiler Garry Bushell has provided in-depth newly commissioned sleeve notes on the era.