On the Guest List

Old punks don't die—or burn out or fade away. They write new sets of songs and call everyone in their little black books to make their comebacks extra-special. Here, guests for the old U.K. punks The Vibrators include Walter Lure of The Heartbreakers, Chris Spedding, Brian James of The Damned, Wayne Kramer of MC5, Ross the Boss of The Dictators, and Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers—just for starters. The Vibrators themselves include founding members Knox and John "Eddie" Edwards, with original bassist Pat Collier engineering the sessions. The Vibrators break out their classic "Baby Baby," with Campino from Die Toten Hosen joining them. "One More," with Mest's Tony Lovato, churns with the mix of punk energy and pop melodicism that made The Vibrators a cut above the hurried fray. Eddie Spaghetti and Dan "Thunder" Bolton of The Supersuckers beef up the killer "My Stalker." The playing is simply incredible throughout.