Hung Like Hanratty's madcap frontman shares his favourite Punk albums of all time!
A youth very much influenced by early Punk bands; now better known as the unabashed and entertaining lead singer of Hung Like Hanratty, Al Sation re-lives his younger years in this prime selection of albums!
Back in 1978, Al was in a band called Anabolic Sterroids, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. He then went on to form Punk outfit Fork Nunts with Chris Charles. Following a bit of a hiatus, Al and Chris started Hung Like Hanratty with Adi Langdale back in 1992. Only Al remains as chief songwriter and orchestrator of chaos, numerous albums under his ever-widening belt, as HLH continue to delight fans with their catchy tunes about the everyday irks life throws our way.
10: UK Subs - Another Kind of Blues
I bought UK Subs ‘Another Kind of Blues‘ from Fleet High Street when it first came out. It blew me away. An absolute classic album. I can always remember mum at Christmas playing a Christmas hits album when all our relatives were there. Mum told me to turn it over, but I put the Subs on instead. The shock on everyone’s faces was comedy gold. Genius album.
9: Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
I heard a few tracks from Stiff Little Fingers ‘Inflammable Material‘ on the John Peel show, which I listened to on a regular basis. I was so excited when it came out. I ordered it from Syd Booth’s record shop in Idlewells Precinct in Sutton in Ashfield. It didn’t disappoint. It’s still played a lot in my house. ‘Suspect Device‘ is my favourite track, although every one is a cracker.
8: Slaughter and the Dogs - Do It Dog Style
It was the album cover of the rabid dog that drew me to Slaughter and the Dogs ‘Do It Dog Style‘ originally. So good I painted it on my leather jacket. When I got the album home I didn’t know what to expect. Wow – when I put it on it was outstanding. Very glam sleazy punk rock n roll. Fantastic album. My favourite track ‘I’m Mad‘ is pure punk – it’s what it’s all about.
7: Angelic Upstarts - Teenage Warning
I can remember getting Angelic Upstarts ‘Teenage Warning‘ when it came out from a record shop in Aldershot. That’s where my grandparents lived. I’d already heard a few tracks when I saw them at Sheffield Marples. Great live, and the album was exceptional.
6: Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
This album is incredible. The musicianship on Dead Kennedys ‘Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables‘ is to another level. Fantastic reverse twisted lyrics. I love it.
5: Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks
An iconic album, the Sex Pistols giving Punk the boost it needed to take off. It took me a while to get into ‘Never Mind The Bollocks‘ originally. We made our own shirts in the day and wrote ‘never mind the bollocks’ on them. We thought we looked cool! The more I listened to the album the more I liked it. Nowadays I absolutely love it. I was really happy I got to see the Pistols live with Frank Carter. I would love one day for John Lydon to rejoin, but Frank was exceptional.
4: The Ruts - The Crack
I played The Ruts debut album ‘The Crack‘ to death when I first bought it. I absolutely love it. Malcolm Owen was one of my heroes, I was very sad when he passed. Musically in every way this album was special. One of the best.
3: The Dickies - The Incredible Shrinking Dickies
The Dickies are my favourite band. I love everything they have ever done. I wanted to BE this band. Possibly the most influential band in my career. Absolutely love them. Fast, catchy, to the point fun Punk. Simply perfect. I have the album ‘The Incredible Shrinking Dickies‘ in every colour it was released in. Pure genius.
2: The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers got me into Punk. Listening to ‘Grip‘ on the John Peel show blew me away. I’d never heard anything like it. Next day I rushed to my local record shop in Mansfield and bought the single. I sat for hours playing my guitar and got it off to a T. I bought ‘Rattus Norvegicus‘ from a shop called Danes in Kirkby In Ashfield. It certainly didn’t disappoint. A masterpiece from start to finish. Several years later, we made friends with the band, and actually recorded with the keyboard wizard himself Dave Greenfield. That was one of the best days in my life.
1: The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette
I am a big fan of The Damned. I have everything by them. Even when they went poppy and gothic I loved their music! ‘Machine Gun Etiquette‘ is just pure class in every way. My favourite album of all time.
Main Photo Credit: RUTH RAE
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
