VA - Collectus Interruptus (1978)

As the liner notes state, Collectus Interruptus contains plenty of “unequivocable party music,” and nearly 25 minutes of music per side. But this little known entry in the series also boasts its fair share of rock, pop and future troublemakers, most notably, the 1978 Loss Leaders debut of the freshly disintegrated Sex Pistols (“God Save The Queen”) and the Ramones (“Rockaway Beach”)… not to mention Prince (“Soft And Wet”). Ahhh, the times they were a-changin’. No rarities or singles here, but a great cross-section of material, including The Band, with Emmylou Harris, performing “Evangeline,” from The Last Waltz, Allen Toussaint’s “Night People,” Van Halen’s “Runnin’ With The Devil,” from their debut, and contributions from Renaissance, Deodato, Bootsy’s Rubber Band and Shaun Cassidy. With added support from the label’s old guard – Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, Gordon Lightfoot and Seals & Crofts – so the 30-something, newly-corporatized, ex-hippies wouldn’t be frightened away by the sudden influx of disco and punk. The liners, by Steven X. Rea, go on to point out that Prince was the youngest artist (at 18) to ever produce an album for Warner Brother Records; Mo Austin and Ted Templeman signed Van Halen a day after seeing them perform at LA’s Starwood club; Mannfred Mann’s “Davey’s On The Road Again” was penned by Robbie Robertson & producer John Simon; and the Ramones “kinda look like hoods.” It was a new day.