Whilst this collection is a fairly good place to start if you want a comprehensive over view of The 4- Skins’ career, and features an entire live set along with some blinding demos, it is in part ruined by the fact that the live recording features vocalist Roi Pearce and not the mighty Skinhead powerhouse that was Gary Hodges. Yes, this is by definition better than most of the shit Pearce peddled with The Last Resort, but it’s still not quite up to scratch. The band sound somehow slower, looser and of course we have to tolerate Millwall’s finest giving it the big ‘un in between songs and singing with what is essentially substandard, shoddy delivery. This really could have been a great addition to this collection but blending the genius of The 4- Skins with the worst elements of The Last Resort could only ever end badly and serve to render Hoxton Tom and co. sounding like a pit bull that’s lost his bite.
However, all is not lost, as we are treated to some Hodges- era demos that boast both eloquence and brutality. “Clockwork Skinhead” is a brilliant criticism of trendy dress- up Skinheads of every kind and really kicks the mindlessness of certain Skinhead factions into touch. “Evil” is brilliantly violent, and “ACAB” sounds just as low- budget antagonism should. Another highlight of this collection is “Bread Or Blood” featuring vocalist Panther (who is incredibly underrated and over shadowed in the band’s history), and before the close we are offered the hilarious experience of a The 4- Skins cover of Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody” which is both ridiculous and touching.
Due to the inferiority of the live section, this can’t be credited as a collection of The 4- Skins finest work, but it’s a nice place to start and some of the demos on here shit on the final cuts featured on Oi! compilations of later years from a great height.
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