''Brand New Age'' is the second studio album released by English punk band the

U.K. Subs U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the f ...

. It was released in 1980 on RCA/GEM Records. It is the U.K. Subs' most successful studio recording, reaching number 18 in the UK album charts and staying in the chart for nine weeks. The album saw the band expand both musically and lyrically, taking on subjects such as government intrusion, violence and religious fundamentalism, terrorism, as well as established Subs themes of alcohol, drugs, motorbikes, girls and youth subcultures. Brand New Age included two hit singles; "Warhead", warning of the danger of the

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and the growing threat of Islamic

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Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, and which reached number 30 in the UK singles charts in March 1980; and "Teenage", which reached 32 in the UK charts in May 1980.

Critical reception

The album was awarded five stars by ''

Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

'' magazine writer

Garry Bushell Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York C ...

, and four stars in ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...

'', though as Alex Ogg wrote later, "the band might as well have not existed for all the attention trendier publications like the ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' would afford them". The mixed reception did not trouble band leader Charlie Harper. Speaking to ''Rising Free Fanzine'', Harper said he was pleased with the album's critical reception; "I really like the second album, more than the first one. I thought it was a good one. So I was more than happy with the reviews". More recently,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer Victor W. Valdivia praised Brand New Age for its ambition and lyrical depth; "The UK Subs came of age on this album, and proved they were one of the best, most promising acts of their era," he wrote.Valdivia, Victor W.

Track list

*All songs written by Charlie Harper and

Nicky Garratt U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the f ...

, except where noted.

Personnel

UK Subs * Charlie Harper – vocals. *

– guitar. *

Paul Slack Paul Alexander Slack FBA (born 23 January 1943) is a British historian. He is a former principal of Linacre College, Oxford, pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, and professor of early modern social history in the University of Ox ...

– bass guitar. *

Pete Davies Pete Davies is an English author of history and sports. Career He wrote ''American Road: The Story of an Epic Transcontinental Journey at the Dawn of the Motor Age'' about the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy, for which Davies visited sites al ...

– drums. Additional personnel *Laurie Dipple – engineer *Tim Smith – design *Paul Slattery – photography

References

External links

UK Subs official archive
* {{Authority control 1980 albums U.K. Subs albums RCA Records albums