The jewel in the crown of
Captain Oi
's
4-Skins
reissue program,
Singles & Rarities
scoops up no less than 23 tracks drawn from throughout the band's brutally brief career, including a handful that rank among
the 4-Skins
' most incendiary offerings. The set opens with
"Wonderful World"
and
"Chaos,"
the two songs they contributed to the
Oi! The Album
compilation shortly after they formed, and just before the
Decca
major offered them a deal on the condition that they changed their name to
Skins 4
.
"1984"
"Sorry,"
later in the set, first appeared on another comp,
Strength Thru Oi!
, while the
"One Law for Them"
single still burns your ears like a sonic forest fire. On and on, then, through the backwaters of
' career, including a jolly romp through
Slade
"Merry Xmas Everybody"
(from the
Bollocks to Christmas
collection) and
Son of Oi!
"On the Streets"
and, from start to finish,
the Skins
don't put a boot out of place. All anthologies should be this astonishing. ~ Dave Thompson