Charged GBH, commonly known as GBH, is an English street punk band which was formed in 1978. 1982 saw the release of GBH’s first LP, City Baby Attacked By Rats which reached number 17 in the UK charts as well as Number 2 in the respected UK Indie charts where the bands singles had also taken up residence, leading to a memorable appearance on legendary UK TV programme The Tube doing “Give Me Fire” (UK Indie chart no 2). This 64 track 4 CD clamshell box set captures the most successful and influential years of the band and has an amazing booklet as well.
I first was aware of G.B.H. back in 1983 and first got an album of theirs in 1985, the classic City Baby Attacked By Rats. I put it on the turntable and was hooked right away with the power and intensity of the album. After all these years, the album still has that effect on me. The raw force of the band comes at you like a freight train and never lets up, a change from the more ’77 punk that I was listening to at the time. I then got City Baby’s Revenge and was happy to hear that they had lost none of the power that I loved from the first album, they had actually become tighter and stronger players. I later got Leather, Bristles, Studs, And Acne and loved the pure fire of the early songs. Disc 1 contains the band’s first release, the Leather, Bristles, Studs And Acne 12” which reached the Indie Chart Top Ten in 1981 and now comes with the addition of the “Sick Boy” and “No Survivors” singles. This is a great jumping off point to hear just how intense the band was at the time and how they still can make your hair stand on end after all these years. CD 2 is debut LP City Baby Attacked By Rats, which now comes with the addition of the UK National hit single “Give Me Fire.” This is one of the best albums I have ever heard and fills me with energy and thrills me to this very day. Continuing on with the speed and devastation of their first album, CD 3 is City Babies Revenge, the band’s second studio album, and an Independent Chart Top Ten smash, and it now comes with the bonus of the “Catch 23” and “Do What You Do” singles. The final disc is a 14 track live in concert from 1983 that gives the listener a taste of what this incredible band was like on a hot night.
The band is still going to this day and will continue to blow the punters away with their in your face performance. This is a dream come true, the best of the best and sounding great after all these years.
https://www.facebook.com/GBH.official/
Altered Frequencies 