Subhumans "Time Flies + Rats" (RSD Essential)

s the title suggests, this 1986 album compiled the eight-track "Time Flies… But Aeroplanes Crash" 12”, originally recorded and released in 1983, and the four-track EP, Rats, that had been recorded during the summer of 1984 and released in early ’85. Rats’ might just be the band’s most powerful and compelling release, the title track inspired by the Stop The City protests of ’84 that sought to highlight the undeniable links between first-world capitalism and third-world poverty.

While it’s something of a mishmash, with several rowdy live tracks and a few, very enjoyable re-recordings of old Stupid Humans songs (Stupid Humans being guitarist Bruce’s pre-Subhumans band), it contains two of the Subhumans’ best-loved tracks, "Work Rest Play Die" and "Susan", the latter something of an oddity as it’s a stirring piano piece, with lyrics written by Steve Hamilton, an old friend of the band.