The Buzzcocks were one of the most valid outfits of British punk rock and would have prouven to be as
influential as the Sex Pistols on future generations. If the Sex Pistols opened the punk rock "hardcore"
movement, the buzzcocks opened the "punk pop" one. Both heirs of the Ramones, but of that visionary
group the Buzzcocks isolated two different elements: on one hand the violence, on the other the melody.
The Buzzcocks were formed in Manchester. Howard Devoto (singer, real name Howard Trafford), Pete
Shelley (guitar, real name Peter McNeish), Steve Diggle (bass) and John Maher (drums) took advantage
of the punk rock boom in order to release the nowadays historical single Orgasm Addict (October 1977)
and moreover the E.P. Spiral Scratch (New Hormones, 1977 - Mute, 1999), which would have been of
primary importance because it was the very first one "independent" release. The song Boredom had a
particular importance per se, being one of the most epic punk anthems. The songs the group wrote in
1976 would be released only a quarter of a century later on Time's Up (Mute, 1999).
When Devoto left (in order to form Magazine), Shelley took control at the helm and the Buzzcocks started
releasing songs much more melodic in compared to the average trend. If the lyrics still talked about the
kids' adolescent anguish, the music revealed instead the influence of bands like the Kinks and The Who,
from What Do I Get (February 1978) to I Don't Mind, with epic backing vocals … la Clash, and Ever Fallen
In Love (1978), their most famous hit and their pop epic par excellence.
The albums Another Music In A Different Kitchen (United Artists, 1978) and Love Bites (United Artists,
1978) were slightly undertone compared to their previous cornucopia of memorable melodies.
Easy and sentimental choruses were opposed to songs with a more complex structure like Everybody's
Happy Nowadays, vaguely psychedelic, or Harmony In My Head, pushed by a hard riff, or Something's
Gone Wrong Again, a decadent boogie. The first eight singles were gathered in a compilation called
Singles Going Steady (IRS, 1979).
Shelley had just reached artistic maturity and the intellectual songs of A Different Kind Of Tension (United
Artists, 1979), particularly You Say You Don't Love Me and I Believe, made him just one of the most
creative English singer-songwriters of the time.
Even the album Pete Shelley had composed in 1974, Sky Yen, was released on Groovy in 1979, an
experimental work of electronic music.
Kickstarters of the Manchester scene, the Buzzcocks fused Beatles and Stooges whose result was a
poetic "punk pop" (as opposed to polemic) and pathetic (as opposed to epic).
(Original text by Piero Scaruffi)
After the Buzzcocks broke up, Shelley and Diggle parted ways. Diggle formed
Flag Of Convenience, who recorded a few catchy tunes
(New House, Back Of My Mind, and the hit
Life On The Telephone) before dissolving and resurrecting as FOC
(Exiles, 1988).
Pete Shelley started a solo career in the realm of electronic dance-music with
Homosapien (Arista, 1982), that includes the minor hit
Homosapien, and with
XL1 (Arista, 1983), with Telephone Operator.
Heaven And The Sea (Mercury, 1986) was hardly noticed.
Trade Test Transmission (Essential, 1993), the first studio album in
14 years, is a collection of honest if a little outdated punk ditties
(Innocent,
Mever Gonna Give It Up,
Who'll Help Me Forget,
Palm Of Your Hand).
Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle are the only two surviving members from the original line up.
All Set (IRS, 1996) adds more pop tunes
(Totally From The Heart,
Give It To Me,
Hold Me Close,
Back With You), but by now this sounds like an 80-year old John Lennon
still playing his same old refrains.
Modern (Go Kart, 1999) is the end of the road: the composing duo has
run out of steam and can only churn out dejavus like Thunder of Hearts.
Buzzcocks (Merge, 2003) was even worse, but
Flat-Pack Philosophy (2006) was a diligent power-pop workout.
Pete Shelley died at the end of 2018.
