Today's record of the day hearkens back to the "tween" years of New Wave music, and the cutting edge record label IRS Records (even though this was released properly on A&M Records, the distributor for the classic label founded by Miles Copeland, brother of The Police's Stewart Copeland), The Police were, in fact, the first group featured on this 2LP soundtrack to the 1981 British film, "URGH! A Music War!", a concert film featuring unique live performances by a full roster of up and coming, as well as fully established New Wave, Punk, Ska and Reggae acts..
Included in the amazing line-up on this record is Oingo Boingo (the band brought to life by now legendary film score composer, Danny Elfman), XTC, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Steel Pulse, Klaus Nomi, Gary Numan, X, Echo & The Bunnymen, Devo, The Cramps, among others.
To this day, I have still never actually seen the film that accompanies this soundtrack, but the songs (and groups) featured on these 2 solid LPs are the soundtrack of my adolescence. One would be hard pressed to find a better collection of old New Wave, especially if one is looking for sounds off the beaten path.
This album isn't all that common, but well worth the price if you ever happen to stumble across it in your record digging adventures.
The following is a trailer for the "classic" film...
And for you more adventurous folks... the entire film...
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