Shock Troops Cock Sparrer Artist

{|Cock Sparrer|}'s second album, but their first to actually see the light of day, was released in 1983, following their revitalization as progenitors of the Oi! movement. It's a brittle and, in places, brutal offering, although it's tragic that its ... Read more

{|Cock Sparrer|}'s second album, but their first to actually see the light of day, was released in 1983, following their revitalization as progenitors of the Oi! movement. It's a brittle and, in places, brutal offering, although it's tragic that its best-known cut, {|England Belongs to Me,|} was co-opted by the right wing, at a time when rock journalism was seriously beginning to examine the links between Oi! and the Fascist movement. {|Cock Sparrer|} were tarred and feathered accordingly, and the band's reputation still bears the unjust scars. But, away from that controversy, {|Shock Troops|} leaves you in no doubt as to where its allegiances lie, politically and musically -- this is Oi! par excellence, with at least half its contents standing proud among the band's finest moments, while the {|Captain Oi|} reissue adds a string of equally crucial bonus tracks. Welcome back! ~ Dave Thompson Less