Penetration - Race Against Time (1979)

Penetration is a punk rock band from County Durham, England formed in 1976. They re-formed in 2001 with several new members.
Their debut single, "Don't Dictate", is now acknowledged as a classic punk rock single and their debut album, Moving Targets (1978), is still widely admired.

The only summation one can make of the career of English punks Penetration is, what a disappointment. In 1977, Penetration released a classic chunk of punk rock defiance titled "Don't Dictate." With Pauline Murray's impassioned vocals (sounding a bit like X-Ray Spex's Poly Styrene) leading the way, this was a blazing piece of anti-authoritarian rant: loud, snotty, and proud. Sadly, it was to be the one song they remained best noted for (assuming there are people who still remember Penetration). The problem was that they traded in barely competent but energetic bashing and thrashing for a more "mature" new wave/"punk-ish" rock sound. As a result, their debut LP, "Moving Targets", although it has its moments, never lived up to the promise of "Don't Dictate." Still, Pauline Murray was a force to be reckoned with. Easily one of the best singers to come out of English punk rock, she made the band interesting even when the songs weren't there, the production was overwrought, and the whole enterprise was terribly uneven. It was to the surprise of no one that by 1980 she was fronting a new band, the Invisible Girls, who based on Murray's strengths became known as Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls. Still, major success eluded Murray, and she later moved into singing more elegant, mainstream pop/rock, remaining one of England's best unknown singers.

Although Penetration's debut, "Moving Targets", is smoother and better produced, it doesn't pack the raw wallop and bristling energy of this collection of demos and live recordings cut from 1977-79. The live side, recorded in the band's hometown of Newcastle, provides the greatest thrills per song, but ultimately the Penetration saga is one of missed opportunity and overinflated expectations. Most importantly, "Don't Dictate" is here in demo form, and it still sounds pretty great, although the version that shows up on the CD reissue of "Moving Targets" sounds better.

Tracklist:

Demos 1977-Jan 78
A1 Duty Free Technology
A2 Firing Squad
A3 Race Against Time
A4 In The Future
A5 Free Money
A6 Never Never
A7 V.I.P.
A8 Silent Community
A9 Don't Dictate

Live At Newcastle Dec 78-Oct 79
B1 Come Into The Open
B2 Movement
B3 Lovers Of Outrage
B4 She Is The Slave
B5 Too Many Friends
B6 Killed In The Rush
B7 Danger Signs (Unreleased Studio Version)


Penetration - Race Against Time (1979)
(192 kbps, cover art included)