Another gem from the past has resurfaced on CD – Punishment of Luxury’s Laughing Academy.  Though out on CD before it’s been long deleted and now it has risen from the ashes thanks to Cherry Red and Lemon Recordings to once again invade our homes and take our minds!

Well, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but let me be clear from the onset – this is one mind-blowing, heavy, crazy album that should not be missed, especially if you are a fan of the more obscure side of the Punk/New Wave movement.  Ah, you’re not, you say?  Well before you turn away, hear me out.  Laughing Academy has the crunchy power chords of heavy rock (The Kinks’ You really Got Me comes to mind) , the syncopation of XTC, the vocal attack and arrangements of City Boy and 10cc (in places) and the sarcastic view of Zappa all in the mix!  Not quite pure punk and not the gloomy New Wave aesthetic, these guys were stylistically unlike most of their contemporaries and created a unique brand of blazing social commentary to boot – the true Punk protocol.

Punilux (as they were later called) consisted of: Steve Sekrit – drums and percussion; Jimi Giro – basses; Nevilluxury – guitars and synths; and Brian Bond – keyboards.  Now how about that for Punk names?  Together, they forged their way through 11 tracks ranging from manic power attacks to subtle but no less powerful statements.  The guitar solos tend to be angular and in minor keys, contrasting with the major structures of the chords, pushing against pop convention.  The twist and turns, coupled with vocals that range from practically talking narrative to vocal walls, keep surprising.  Each song rails against everything from the political machine to societal control of the masses.  One of the best, and creepiest, songs on the disc, is “Obsession”, which is a first person narrative from the point of view of a serial killer – chilling and way too realistic.  By the time the record ends, you have been through a ringer of delights – heavy, crazy rock anthems mixed with barb-wired comments.

Though the CD has not been remastered (or at least not credited as such), the sound is even and clean with balanced bass and separation.  The CD also comes with 5 bonus tracks consisting of singles and B-sides and I am pleased to report that each track is worthy to have been included with the original album – a pleasant and welcome surprise.
The original LP was a gatefold, and this inside jacket is duplicated within the CD booklet.  You’ll need a magnifying glass to read the lyrics, and though this is a pain, I highly recommend that you do so to get the full impact of Punilux’s songs.  Their website shows that they have been gigging again – check out their MySpace site too for song samples and pics of these angry (now older men) are a hoot!

1979 was a groundbreaking year for new music – Japan, Simple Minds, XTC, Doll By Doll, Joy Division and a host of others were all expanding the boundaries of music.  Though record labels were finding and signing every band that could carry a note (or not) if they looked the part, some really great music slipped under the public radar and shouldn’t have.  Now is your (second) chance to enter the world of Punishment of Luxury – but be warned – you may not leave the same!