Through the '80's the band became increasingly involved in the agit-pop scene, regularly playing benefit concerts and festival for Anti-Apartheid, GLC, the miners and Red Wedge, often with their friend and colleague Attila The Stockbroker. Travelling together with Billy Bragg in 1987 they became one of the first western rock bands to visit (the then Eastern Bloc) East Germany, and returned there twice on their own to headline huge televised 'cultural festivals'. Abbreviated to The Neurotics in 1985, they signed to Jungle and released the 'Repercussions' album and the following year the live 'Kickstarting A Backfiring Nation' from which the 'Living With Unemployment' single, a re-working of The Members 'Solitary Confinement' made a well deserved N.M.E. Single Of The Week. In 1988 their final album 'Is Your Washroom Breeding Bolshevics' spawned the 'Never Thought' single. Always appreciated by music commentators, they've been described as: 'Britain's best poonk band' (Mat Snow, N.M.E); 'Spirited fire 'n' spunk socialism' (Adrian Thrills, N.M.E.); 'Realistic and radical, but mercifully free of callous dogmatism' (Dave Jennings, N.M.E.); 'Probably amongst the best Punk/Rock/Soul bands in the country' (Mr Spencer, Sounds); 'Nurmero uno, joyously triumphant, they played like heroes' (Gary Bushell, Sounds); 'Great players stirring up an enjoyable riot' (Richard Cook, N.M.E); 'The Neurotics have a stunning track record, but this is their finest hour-almost the perfect pop song' (Steven Wells, N.M.E). But as the Neurotics sang in their still so relevant 1982 single: 'don't believe everything that you read in the press'; so listen and make up your own mind.
The CD is released at mid-price, comes re-packaged in dayglow colours, and includes lyrics in English, French and German!. Following the dissolution of The Neurotics in 1988, Steve Drewett now performs in the Afro-punk band, The Indestructible Beat.
(.....ok, it's an almost complete singles collection!)
NEWTOWN NEUROTICS '45 Revolutions Per Minute'. Cat. No.: FREUD CD 031