So named because the CD version originally clocked in time-wise at 29 minutes and 29 seconds, 29:29 Split Vision was recorded in December 1985 just after the band had split up, and they wanted to bring some closure to that period by recording the new songs they were working on at the time alongside some of their older material that hadn’t yet been properly recorded. Whilst the B-side hints at the underlying reasons the band split up—the inevitable ‘musical differences,’ with the three newest songs on the release literally worlds apart (excuse the pun) from their classic material—the five songs on the A-side are veritable belters, and 29:29 Split Vision remains a frustratingly fascinating offering from this most unconventional of punk bands.
As a staple of the punk scene, ALL of the SUBHUMANS records are still in high demand, and this long-overdue repress of this album couldn’t be coming at a better time. SUBHUMANS are one of the most influential bands from the UK, anarcho-punk scene of the ’80s, filed right alongside CRASS and CONFLICT, and just as relevant today as they were during the darkest days of Thatcher’s Britain. Take your choice in how to label them—punk, UK82, crusty, etc.—therein lies the attraction and consequent reason for their popularity, the band epitomizes non-conformity and connects with people in many different scenes. This album is an essential piece of history in the world of punk that SUBHUMANS helped create.
Red Vinyl.
(Pirate Press Records)
