The Tom Robinson Band: Rising Free: The Very Best Of TRB

The Tom Robinson Band produced only two albums, a few singles and an EP but boy what a glorious debut album they gave us. Power In The Darkness was, for me, up there with The Clash, In The City and Ramones as one of punk/new wave's greatest first statements. 

What a manifesto the politically-motivated bunch of schoolboy-looking lads gave us too. There weren't many issues they didn't protest about and I, issue-driven, greedily lapped it all up at eighteen/nineteen. 

We kick things off, quite rightly, with the glorious rat-a-tat riffage of the groups big hit single at their first attempt in 2-4-6-8 Motorway. Sure, its fist-pumping chorus is pretty simplistic but I still love it. Just listening to the first notes gets me all nostalgic. 

The single's 'b' side, a cover of Bob Dylan/The Band's I Shall Be Released was actually the first time I had heard the song. Tom and the lads deliver a fine, atmospheric and chunky version that is, for me, one of the best Dylan covers around, but nobody else seems to agree with me, as it has been virtually forgotten. The rear cover had a picture of convicted criminal George Ince who was the subject of a "release this innocent man" campaign. The innocent Ince, was, I believe, released on appeal. 

Now we get the four tracks from the bands Rising Free EP, starting with the muscular, confrontational rock of Don't Take No For An Answer.

Glad To Be Gay was highly controversial at the time. In 1978, homosexuals were either mincing figures of fun or else they were hounded and often beaten by thugs when they were just trying to go about their business. If they wanted to avoid that they had to remain "in the closet", leading a secret life. Robinson, a stridently "out" gay man, wrote this protest song to inspire homosexuals to stand up, loud and proud. Now, you may think that in these days of regular Pride festivals that this was not necessary. In 1978 it totally was. This was a ground-breaking song and it helped heterosexual men such as myself think again. However, I still find camp, mincing homosexuals funny - such as the character of John Inman's Mr. Humphries in the seventies sitcom Are You Being Served? Sorry.

I have never had much time for the laddish, semi-spoken tale of Martin. I won't criticise it particularly, it's just not for me. Gig crowds loved singing along with it, though. Similarly, I have always found the pro-feminist rocker Right On Sister a tad clichéd. These two were rare TRB ones that didn't quite hit the spot with me. 

Alright Jack is a frantic, non-album 'b' side about class and the division between toffs and the downtrodden working man.

Now, we start truly cooking with the acerbic, punky, gloriously riffy Up Against The Wall, which is still one of my favourite "punk" singles". It bristles with teenage venom and ire. Every last second of it is absolutely glorious. I never tire of it, even after all those years, playing my imaginary drums lustily after that great opening riff. Robinson describes kids in the street as "sullen, unhealthy and mean". He is no Jimmy (Sham 69) Pursey, purposefully currying favour with the kids. He is telling it as he sees it, not afraid to be heard criticising his own peers. 

Then we get the quirky, tongue-in-cheek piano-driven jaunty rock of Grey Cortina, with its name check for Bruce Springsteen (who not everybody had heard of at the time, believe it or not), followed by the laid-back but cynical, slightly bluesy Too Good To Be True. Old Tom (or young Tom as he was) had his finger on the pulse of contemporary UK politics, for sure. There was always something comfortably atmospheric about the melody of this song, if the doesn't sound too oxymoronic. Maybe only I know what I mean. It just brings to mind nights coming home from the pub in 1978, for some reason. It had a tune that I was always singing to myself. I think they now call it an "earworm". 

Long Hot Summer was a fuzzy, atmospheric diatribe against racism with some excellent guitar from the enigmatic and now, unfortunately, late Danny Kustow and swirling organ from Mark Ambler. The rocking, anthemic Winter Of 79 was full of contemporary references and some more chunky riffing. Again, it is a real nostalgic listen for me. I absolutely loved it at the time. Hell, I still do. 

The groups debut album, 1978's Power In The Darkness, ends with the totemic title track, complete with its magnificent spoken word bit in the middle, parodying a bigoted Tory MP. Fucking marvellous stuff, especially if you're eighteen, as I was at the time. Angry young men couldn't have asked for more. They still shouldn't either, it is just as relevant today.

Waiting For My Man is a live punky cover of The Velvet Underground song and a bit of a rare TRB deep cut. Getting Tighter is a bleak semi-ballad outlining in hard-hitting terms, everyday life for Tom in 1979. Musically, it breaks out into a faster pace but it doesn't spare us the sombre vibe.

The poppy rock of All Right All Night should have been a single - I'm sure it would have been a big hit. Bully For You was a chunky, once more solidly riffy number co-written with Peter Gabriel. It was a single and it did ok. Never Gonna Fall In Love (Again) was an unusual love ballad but not without Robinson's trademark cynicism. 

After a couple of years it was all over for TRB, which was a shame. Personally, with regard to the tracks chose for this collection, I would have also included Why Should I Mind, Black Angel and Let My People Be from TRB and found space for the entirety of the Power In The Darkness album! Digitally, of course I can now do that, so no worries. 

We're up against the wall and we won't take no for an answer....