Ian Lowery

"Born To Swing" (Album, 2026)

Spectacle Music Ltd

Possessed of a sharp and restless intelligence, Ian Lowery was the driving force behind one of the best original punk bands (The Wall), one of the best post-punk bands (Ski Patrol) and one of the LOUDEST bands I ever saw (Folk Devils), but his unwillingness to stick with one band (or indeed, genre, as this eclectic compilation covering recordings from 1977 to 2001 shows), and pretty public drug issues meant that he never managed to turn his mercurial talents into solid commercial success.

As this is designed as an overview of his whole recorded output, there will always be omissions of course, but for me it's the early material that holds the interest.

Early track Fear Eats The Soul (The PreFabs) is very much a first, stumbling, step; of historical interest only, but then we're into The Wall's deadpan anti-fascist classic New Way. Built on a slashing, circular riff, with bitter, cynical lyrics ("If this is freedom, give me chains I can see") it’s easily one of their (and early punk's) best tracks.

Next up is the demo version of Ghetto, a song released as a single with a different singer (and with the songwriting credited, somewhat dishonestly, to 'The Wall') after Lowery had quit the band. It's a great song, but I would have preferred either side (or both) of the fabulous second single Exchange/Kiss the Mirror (produced by Steve Jones, Pistols trivia fans), but that's just me.

The Wall in various line-ups went on to make interesting and sometimes fabulous records; while the nexus of band members that swirled into and out of The Wall, The Straps, The Passions and The Pack over the years is worth an article in itself, but Lowery had already moved on to Ski Patrol - another band who should have been much bigger than they were (singles on Malicious Damage with sleeves by Killing Joke's in-house designer, Mike Coles). Represented here by the rather diffident Electric Bell Girls and the absolutely classic Agent Orange, a slow brooding build-up of a song, dripping with menace, tension and a mordant humour that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Big Black's Atomizer.

Spook by F For Fake delves into No Wave Jazz/Funk territory to no great effect, followed by Ink Runs Dry by Phantom White Limb which is also very much in the 'OK, not great' file.

Things pick up with the Gun Club-ish Folk Devils songs, of which, sadly, there are only two, and then it's a long home straight via various styles, bands and solo recordings, which despite the often great lyrics, don't really grip me.

So, to sum up; a decent retrospective of a great talent sabotaged by an unquiet mind and a fickle public.

I would recommend seeking out the Captain Oi! CD of Wall singles, the recent Versions of a Life Ski Patrol comp, and the Folk Devils' Beautiful Monsters comp. 5/10

Nick Hydra (June 2026)