THE ONLY ONES

...I'm on another planet with you. Some of you may well be questioning why I have chosen to dedicate an entire page of reviews to the Only Ones. Why not cover any of the one-hit-wonders that floated around the punk/new wave scene for a few years like the Knack, Vapors, Vibrators and so on? Well, in addition to being responsible for what is unarguably one of the greatest songs ever the Only Ones also put together a body of work, during their brief incarnation, that rivals pretty much any of their more popular and more famous peers. The junk-ridden Peter Perrett, who subsequently hid himself away in a reclusive isolation to match even Syd Barrett, was one of the best songwriters of his generation with a sense for great melodies (as, of course, exhibited by "Another Girl, Another Planet") backed up with a transcendent lyrical majesty, documenting his heroin-fuelled swings from naive romanticism to unremitting darkness and despair with a poetic beauty and harrowing honesty. As with most of the bands kicking around at the time Perrett was not a natural vocalist although his Lou Reed drawl combines perfectly with the aforementioned Syd Barrett's English accent to frame his unique lyricism in a suitably unique singing voice. Although Perrett was the main-man as far as songwriting was concerned (which was part of the reason the band split up) the other three members should not be ignored. In a rather untypical - although far from stupid - move Perrett recruited relatively senior musicians to back him up with the drummer, Mike Kellie, even being in successful bands from the previous generation (including Spooky Tooth, whoever they are). The group undoubtedly benefit from such an approach as it means the musicianship is far superior to their punk contemporaries and therefore adds extra depth to Perrett's excellent writing skills. On the other hand, although they are "proper" musicians, they aren't musos, as such, and therefore the music rarely strays into the pretentious pseudo-jazz arrangements of, say, the Police.

At this stage of the introduction I was planning to launch into a rant about how shocking it is that the majority of the Only Ones' catalogue has slipped out of print but this very year Columbia finally did the (very) decent thing and re-released all their official CBS recordings on one neat, cheap package - Why Don't You Kill Yourself (although I can't for the life of me work out why that was a relevant song title to name it after). The three albums recorded during their brief existence are bound together over two CDs, supported by all the non-album singles and b-sides, thereby generously granting you all three albums for the price of one and completely obliterating the need to get The Immortal Story compilation. For once, the record company have made an extremely generous offer and I sincerely advise you to take them up on it. Of course, it is too late for me as months of trawling through eBay to obtain my collection has just been rendered a waste of time by the recent compilation (Remains apart, which still needs to be purchased separately). My would-be rant would have focused particularly on the fact second album Even Serpents Shine used to be so hard to get hold of, given it is one of the lost classics of the era (along with the Heartbreakers' LAMF, of course). Although their impressive debut does deservedly draw some plaudits it is utterly shocking that its follow-up should be somehow airbrushed out of the picture. Of course, the album with "Another Girl" on is always going to be the one to get the most attention but Even Serpents Shine is stacked from start to finish with shoulda-been hit singles and must rank as one of the most underrated and unjustly forgotten albums in music history. Never mind the fact it never makes any greatest album lists, how many people have even heard of it? It is an interesting point, I suppose, to speculate as to whether great bands underrated at the time will ever get their due. I guess the influence of the Only Ones on other bands should eventually increase their exposure with the Replacements and, more recently, the Libertines paying their dues. Certainly, to write them off as one-hit-wonders is both stupid and unproductive. If you think "Another Girl" is the Only One worth hearing then, my friend, you are sadly mistaken.

From: Evan Thomas

The Why Don't You Kill Yourself CD has a mistake on it where "Oh Lucinda" (Martin Hannett Remix) is not actually on the disc despite being listed as the final song. The final song is actually the same version of "The Big Sleep" that has already appeared. Not sure if this will be corrected on subsequent editions - Edsel Records told me they were 'aware' of the error (?)
Secondly, Perrett released a fairly astonishing comeback album in the 90s that you might want to review called Woke Up Sticky (under his new band moniker Peter Perrett in The One). I think this stands almost with the first 2 Only Ones records both in sound and quality.
Of course Perrett has since disappeared again, but I think this comeback album would be of great interest to you and people who visit the site curious to seek out some further listening. It has some of the best songs he ever wrote on it, and that's saying something!
There are also a couple live records that came out of his touring behind this effort, of good quality also, the best released under the title Hearts on Fire with Only Ones and solo material tracks comprising the tracklist.

[Thanks for the info. I was aware of his solo album but I will perhaps make more effort to actually get it - JF]

Peter Perrett had actually been striving to achieve music stardom before punk had even broke and, like many of his peers (the Police, Stranglers, Jam, etc.), one gets the feeling the emerging new scene was just a way for him to sneak through the door by hiding himself in the middle of the crowd. In any case, he initially struggled to get signed and, after forming the Only Ones, actually took it upon himself to release his records through his own record label. Ironically, just as he thought he'd found a way to get past the disappointment of not getting a deal Columbia came a-knockin', impressed by preliminary single "Lovers of Today" (included on The Immortal Story), and his own record label was abruptly wrapped up. Columbia clearly saw the pound signs behind the catchy, melodic buzz of his rock'n'roll writing skills and, of course, were not disappointed when Perrett produced "Another Girl, Another Planet" which, as I am sure you're all perfectly aware by now, is arguably the greatest pop song of all-time. Everything about it is pure pop perfection - the hooks, the stream-lined arrangement, the appropriately melodic guitar solos from Perry, the charming lyrics - and the fact that it failed to become one of the biggest hits of the era will always remain an anomaly. I guess sometimes songs are just too good to achieve the success they properly deserve. In any case, pop fans who did buy the resulting album, and Columbia as well no doubt, were probably unimpressed with the company "Another Girl" was keeping. Not that the material is that much worse (and it has to be, to be honest) but Perrett was not the sort of artist to pen an album that he could spend time promoting on Top of the Pops. Instead, Perrett's melodicism breaks out from the constrains of normal pop songs into darker, more complicated affairs, detailing his junkie nightmares and the paranoid grittiness of his debauched life-style. The album briefly flirts with punk with the breakneck, unhinged rushes of "City of Fun" and "Language Problem" but Perrett's obvious love of the classic rock icons actually sees most of songs drift into the slightly artier approach that the New York bands the other side of the pond were producing. Of course, like breeds like and given Perrett's love of Bob Dylan and the Velvet Underground it is hardly surprising that the resulting music shares more in common with the likes of Television than the Sex Pistols or Buzzcocks. I suppose the seniority of the rest of the musicians and their traditionalist up-bringing supports such a style and that was, of course, partly the reason Perrett recruited them. The delusional fantasies of "The Beast" are played out with an extended guitar solo and the spacey jazz piano of "Breaking Down" recalls the atmospherics of late-sixties art-rock. The album as a whole is far more laidback than "Another Girl" suggests with "The Whole of the Law" (arguably the second best song of their career), "It's the Truth" and "No Peace for the Wicked" languidly drifting by, intoxicating the listener with their brilliant melody-on-downers approach. Perrett croons his way through them as if he is too out-of-it to even lift his head and his lyrics brilliantly reflect his drug-addled lethargy with their images of a romance somehow obscured and devalued by a greater love of heroin-fuelled irresponsibility. Despite most of the better numbers conjuring up images of dark and sordid basements, rather than care-free space-travel, the album lifts off one last time with the closing "The Immortal Story" being one last blast of Perrett's pop sensibilities framed within an up-beat, up-tempo arrangement. It is not as tight as "Another Girl", of course, but the latter number feels like such an anomaly compared to the rest of the material on here you would think it was by another band if Perrett's distinctive vocals and superb melodicism didn't give the game away. As it happens, it was combining the tightness of "Another Girl" with the darker, more dangerous poetic alienation of the rest of the numbers that resulted in granting the band their finest hour (well, 36 minutes) with the following album. This one is still great, of course, but it can't help but be somewhat dominated by a certain little ditty. With a clearer direction outlined for them it was the next release by the band that should have seen them up punching their weight with the main contenders. Sadly, music so rarely works out like that.

It should be remembered that the punk scene was a pretty transient affair and most bands survived or fell by their debut album. Indeed, many icons of the era did not even get beyond their opening call to arms (The Sex Pistols, famously). When the Only Ones' debut only met with a lukewarm (although not quite insignificant) response the pressure was piled on Perrett to strike it rich second time around and particularly to produce a set of songs that replicate the commercial viability of "Another Girl, Another Planet". The shock of this album is not that he failed to do so but the fact that he actually succeeded in such a Herculean task and yet STILL popular success lay out of reach. Statistically, the band's popularity did actually increase with successive releases but when you're talking about climbing a few places in the lower echelons of the charts such progress is rather nominal. In any case, as I have already bitterly ejaculated, it is a crime that this album is not regarded as one of the classics of its era. You can say what you like about the relentless whirlwind of hype that surrounds every new semi-decent rock album these days but at least it ensures everyone gets a chance to hear a band before dismissing them. If an album of this quality came out today I'd have little doubt that it would at least get a fair crack, before being ironically dismissed as a Libertines rip-off. Stylistically, there is little diversity from the previous release but in terms of consolidating an appropriate approach this album proves to be a flawless exercise. The lyrical genius of Perrett is still in evidence, with him flitting from up-beat romanticist, sympathetic friend, to out-right manic depressive as only a true drug addict can. Such ramblings of the mind are also reflected musically with the album flawlessly flowing from the perfect pop of "Flaming Torch" to the hypnotic majesty of the harrowing epic "Inbetweens". The latter represents perhaps Perrett's finest five minutes as a lyricist as he dwells on the hollowness of cheap love ("trying to fix up an hour in the back-seat/getting to know each other/can't you wait till the evening/when the stars are shining bright?") and the emptiness of existence ("oh to be free/just like sailors at sea"). Amazingly, the album reaches high-point after high-point as sandwiched between the two aforementioned classics on the nearly-perfect first-half (only "You've Got to Pay" is less than monumental, which was also strangely one of the only singles released from this album) is the caustic violence of "No Solution" - a biting burst of nihilistic rock'n'roll. Opening with the cynical denouncement "love is just destruction disguised under another name" Perrett spits out his bitter criticism of romance before the song climaxes with the desperate cry "that ain't the way to treat your fucking wife". The almost schizophrenic switch in attitude is something that grants this album extra poignancy, though, as the unbridled negativity of the likes of "Inbetweens" and "No Solution" is at odds with the sympathetic paeans to lost loves like the weary-but-optimistic opener "From Here to Eternity" and the charming "Out There in the Night". Throughout the album the ambiguity is raised as to whether it is Perrett himself or his loved one that is the real sufferer - as he puts it in "Flaming Torch" "I don't know which one of us is worse/is it the one who lies or the one who hurts?". As you would expect with such a strong album the consistency is near-flawless and the album ends as strongly as it began with the beautifully affectionate "Someone Who Cares" (although, lyrically, it is an "It Ain't Me Babe" style kiss-off), the caustic rock of "Miles From Nowhere" (perhaps the quintessential Only Ones track), and the dreamy closer "Instrumental" which drifts along similarly to the Stones' "Moonlight Mile" before Perrett ghosts into the speakers at the end to finish the album with the perfect denouement - "baby, you're just instrumental". It is not just that as an album it represents the perfect artistic statement of the Only Ones but it also, simply, contains roughly about eight out of eleven songs that most of their contemporaries would have killed to have written. The fact that it is one of THE great albums of its time and yet familiar to so few merely begs the question as to how long we must wait before it finally receives its due. Bloody stupid album cover, though. Perhaps that's why no-one bought it.

By the time the eighties came into view the Only Ones were fighting battles on all fronts, most importantly between themselves. Perrett's self-appointed dictatorship, although hardly unreasonable, still fuelled a growing friction between the rest of the band. Given so little money was coming in, to see most of it go towards just one member, and then disappear into his vein in the form of soluble white powder, was inevitably going to harbour disillusionment. Particularly amongst men, dare I say it, who were getting a little too old and responsible to continue living out the rock'n'roll fantasies of a dilapidated smack-head with little bread to bring home to their families' table. Maybe if the band were going to finally hit the big time and start reaping the benefits (as original peers like the Jam and Police had started to) then they could put up with Perrett's increasingly erratic behaviour but, inevitably, it was this very irresponsibility that meant the big time was frustratingly out of reach. At the end of the day, Paul Weller and Sting were professional musicians in both the literal and metaphorical sense of the word, Peter Perrett was barely either. In a last ditch attempt to salvage a career out of such a compelling mess the band had forced upon them an independent producer, Colin Thurston, to smooth out the rough edges of the band. Typically, such a move has been painted as the final stumble in their downfall as exactly what the Only Ones were not about was polished eighties pop music, produced by a man who would later go on to work with Duran Duran. Such accusations seem ill-founded, however. Although a case can be made for some tracks (compare "Oh Lucinda" on here to the blistering live version on Darkness and Light, for instance) the production does not sound drastically different from Perrett's work on the previous two albums. There is a slight gloss, perhaps, and the guitars sound marginally less raw but it seems to me that the reason this album sounds different from the other two is simply because Perrett did not write quite so many great tunes. That said, apart from the unimpressive stab at traditional blues "Me and My Shadow" and the admittedly inappropriate eighties synth-pop of "Deadly Nightshade", this album still appears to be up to a commendably high standard. True, the best tracks are those that do best recreate the highlights on the previous albums. "The Big Sleep" is an even bleaker and drugged-up re-run of "Inbetweens" with Perrett sounding barely alive. "The Happy Pilgrim" is more up-beat pop punk in the vein of "Flaming Torch", "Oh Lucinda" nods to "From Here to Eternity", whilst the greatest culmination of their original style is evidenced in the cynical wit of the superb "Why Don't You Kill Yourself?". You would hope, quite frankly, that diversity at least made an appearance third time around and, to compensate for the disappointment of "Me and My Shadow" and "Deadly Nightshade", we are treated to a rare window of opportunity for Alan Mair to show his songwriting ability and the resulting "My Way Out of Here" certainly sounds different from Perrett's bleak rock'n'roll and has a reassuringly inventive chorus. The band also tackle a cover, with Perrett performing a duet - Johnny Thunders style - with Pauline Murray on the surprisingly sincere "Fools". Certainly it would appear that any change in direction was more at the band's behest then poor old Colin Thurston. It would have been interesting to see how the inherently traditionalist Only Ones would have approached the challenge of facing the eighties but, unfortunately yet inevitably, it was not to be. This did end up being their most commercially successful album but nowhere near to the extent that would have justified the disillusioned band continuing to support Perrett's erratic behaviour and drug dependency. A year after this release the band went their separate ways under a cloud of acrimony and the brilliantly talented Peter Perrett disappeared into the shadows like the red-eyed junk-ridden vampire he resembled, never to be seen again.

The one thing that can be said for bands with short careers, from the record collector's point of view, is that it is usually pretty easy to gather together everything the band ever recorded. A few years after the Only Ones called it a night, a French independent record label got hold of some remaining studio outtakes and rarities and were able to add the finishing touches to the whole picture with this compilation. Most of the songs recorded or rehearsed for the three albums but left off the final track-listing find their way onto here and the majority of them, whilst not quite challenging their position as nearly-rans, still show the band to have been remarkably consistent songwriters. Due to the archival nature of the compilation the sound quality is not always at its best and the tape hisses noticeably on a few of the tracks (and unfortunately prominently on the weary closer "Don't Feel Too Good"). Of course we do not know whether that is the best quality sound that could be rescued from the original master tapes or whether this rather old CD issue would benefit from a sparkly new remaster. Still, there is hardly a massive demand for Only Ones remasters at present so it is no surprise that such a version has yet to surface. As well as the muted sound quality it is clear that some of the performances are a little muted to boot. Maybe because the tapes are only taken from rehearsals or maybe because they were recorded when Perrett's mental state was not at its sharpest. In any case, bar a few exceptions, it is not altogether surprising that most of this material was not deemed fit enough to make the official grade. Still, there are some semi-classics putting in an appearance that often formed part of the band's live set. The opening "Prisoners" is yet another fine burst of melodic rock'n'roll with Perrett again narrating the tale of a romance gone awry. "Flowers Die" is another maudlin ballad, typically elevated by Perry's proficient soloing, and "Oh No" a chirpy rock'n'roller (although the version on Darkness and Light is superior). It might seem a little contrary to launch into a list of niggling negatives about this compilation and then slap a commendable 8* award on it but, believe it or not, despite the slightly lax attitude towards sound quality and performance (as you might expect from a rarities compilation) the vast majority of this material simply reinforces what a talented songwriter Perrett was. Every song on here warrants its public exposure (although the oblique cover of "Silent Night" is a curiosity) and there are some varieties to their approach that deserve to see the light of day, such as the gospel backing of "My Rejection" and "Don't Hold Your Breath". As well as the more famous tracks, further highlights appear in the form of the quirky would-be title track from Baby's Got a Gun ("I found love in Atlanta, Georgia/I said 'baby, I don't think I can afford ya'/she said just for me she'd do it for free"), the blistering guitar solo that climaxes the ominous "Counterfeit Woman" (supplied by Squeeze's Glenn Tilbrook) and the charming pop of "I Only Wanna Be Your Friend" (the line any romantic hopeful dreads hearing). Whilst it is clear that this album does not, and was never intended to, form part of the top tier of their output it still succeeds in reinforcing the extent to which their quality as a band was overlooked. Given the brilliance of their first two albums it should come as little surprise that their second-rate material is still essentially first-rate in comparison to what most other bands put their name to. It is a shame the sound quality could not be a little bit better but one should just be grateful for having the opportunity to hear this stuff in the first place. Obviously it ain't a suitable starting point but once one has acquainted oneself with the majesty of their official output this compilation remains (forgive me...) an excellent companion that offers up a few more gems to be gratefully treasured.

Not long ago, despite my general opposition to Greatest Hits packages, I would have recommended this as the Only Ones CD to get first. Given the official albums were hard to get hold of and this contains all of their best songs (bar the inexplicable exclusion of the brilliant "Flaming Torch") and is available on super-duper low-budget price (or whatever they call it) one could do a lot worse than snap up a copy and indulge in the delights of one of rock'n'roll's most underrated bands. Nowadays, however, as I outlined in the introduction, things are different. Not that this has ceased to be a comprehensive collection filled with great songs, of course, but its relevancy has been stripped away and may well force this compilation into early retirement. The complete CBS recordings on Why Don't You Kill Yourself means, pure and simple, that every song contained on here is also contained on there - plus all the albums AND some extra b-sides that were not even included on this one. Furthermore, if you do just desire a Greatest Hits overview then you would be better served heading to the much celebrated Peel Sessions which are now documented in their entirety on Darkness and Light. I shall go into more detail with the next review, of course, but, in simple terms, the majority of the Only Ones' songs sound better with their radio renditions than they do in their studio-produced form on here. Of course, if you do have the three albums then this compilation is worth owning to supplement the album tracks with some extra singles and b-sides. The excellent introductory single "Lovers of Today" kicks things off with a bang and we are also treated to the single release of "Baby's Got a Gun". In terms of b-sides there is the all-new "Peter and the Pets", the quirky "Special View" and "Your Chosen Life" as well as remixes of "No Solution" (not as good as the original), and "Oh Lucinda" by Joy Division's main-man Martin Hannett (which sounds more like the band wanted it to sound, as opposed to Thurston's flaccid approach). The problem is, of course, that Why Don't You Kill Yourself includes all those a- and b-sides plus some more that The Immortal Story deemed insignificant enough to omit. Clearly, in this context, suicide is preferable to immortality. Still, as a pure Greatest Hits you can not really complain too much. The majority of the best album tracks have been selected, along with a few more suspicious inclusions ("Curtains for You" was hardly a stand-out on Even Serpents Shine), and, as I said, only "Flaming Torch" and perhaps "The Happy Pilgrim" are conspicuous by their absence. Furthermore, it is important to have the likes of "Lovers of Today" and "Special View (aka Telescopic Love)" thrown in to present a fuller picture. You would hardly be disappointed upon listening to this album, of course, and I'd wager probably pleasantly surprised at the number of great tracks the band knocked out on top of the pop perfection of "Another Girl". The story may not be immortal but it is certainly one that needs to be told. However, there are now CDs that do a better job. I am sure you all realise that this is a great CD but if I had to sum it up in one word it would probably "defunct".

Due to the ever-fluctuating situation of which Only Ones albums are available and which are not, for a while the most lauded was in fact the Peel Sessions compilation that served both as a quasi-Greatest Hits but also showed their material in the most flattering light, with an added vigour and energy supplied by the raw bones of the live sound. After a few years the compilation fell out of print and the previously reviewed The Immortal Story took its place. Eventually, though, independent label Hux got hold of the BBC rights and compiled everything the band did for the BBC - the Peel Sessions plus some TV appearances on the much-revered Old Grey Whistle Test and a radio mini-concert - onto a double CD compilation. Essentially what stood out for the Peel Sessions still holds true here (the increased power of the performances) although the comprehensive nature of it really only means we get to hear the same material twice over. Indeed, even more so than the other BBC Session compilations, the repetition on here is unavoidable. There is simply no point in listening to the full two CDs, back to back, as the second just runs through most of the material on the first in much the same manner. Of course, it would be ungrateful to complain about getting this bonus material, especially for a budding completist, but, in truth, it is the first CD of the material that made up the original Peel Sessions that is the one that brings home the bacon. A few new tracks make an appearance on CD2, the best being "The Immortal Story" and "No Solution" (the first version titled as "She Says"), but a further two more versions of "The Beast" is not exactly what makes me jump out of bed in the morning. Long story short, the second CD is pretty much expendable and should not be listened to in conjunction with the first, even if I still appreciate the fact that it was included. Anyhow, it would be positively miserly of me to criticise this compilation, particularly for being generous, when it shows so excellently the Only Ones in such a positive light. Over-zealous as it might sound, almost every song on the first CD improves on its studio counterpart and therefore provides practically the definitive version of all of their songs. "Oh No" and "Lovers of Today" are blasted out with an infectious melodicism, while the unsettling epics "In Betweens" and "The Big Sleep" are accentuated with other-worldly intensity, making already-powerful songs even more overwhelming. The classic "Miles from Nowhere" is also taken up a gear with the raw crunch of the guitars and Perrett's vocals on "Why Don't You Kill Yourself?" bristle with bitter cynicism and seething contempt. Only the overtly poppy songs fail to benefit from the raw approach with "Flaming Torch", "Prisoners", and "The Happy Pilgrim" all relying on melody above the tight musicianship of the band. That said, what the immortal "Another Girl, Another Planet" loses in terms of sleekness it makes up for with added energy. This album even contains the finally definitive version of "Oh Lucinda", played with such a joyous verve that you really come to realise what a mistake the Baby's Got a Gun version was. Although the majority of rock bands prefer playing live to recording in a studio it is clear that with the superior professionalism of the band their material would always sound in a good light, even when stripped down to the bare bones. The fact that it sounds even better is merely the icing on the cake. It is not as if they would have been a worse band judged purely on the strength of their studio recordings (a 10* album should never be sniffed at) but it is still beneficial to hear an added dimension to the band's output. One listen to the first CD on here and the very concept of deeming the band to be a one hit wonder seems ludicrous. There are bands with scores of top selling singles and albums that fail to match the majesty the Only Ones conjure up with these recordings. In the end, one is left to wonder how much longer one of the punk era's greatest bands has to lurk in the shadows before stepping out of the darkness and into the light.

From: Vernon Topp

Your view about the quality of the Peel Sessions is spot on. John Perry is, to me anyway, the real key to the band, although I didn't really notice this until relatively recently. Yes, Perretts lyrics and music are great, but Perry's riffing and soloing take the songs into the stratosphere ( in my humble opinion anway :) Just wish I could have seen them live.

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