"Long-running skinhead band that has been a favorite, compile some covers that run the gamut on this release. They pay homage to Jamaican legends Simarip, the 4 Skins, the Class, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Sham 69, Cockney Rejects, Slade, and others who came before them. I can't believe how many covers this band has recorded. Makes me want to break out the hair clippers and shave the head, followed by cleaning things up with a razor and dusting off the fourteen-hole Doc Martens, grabbing a wife-beater out of the dresser, pulling out the suspenders from the box of clothes I haven't worn in a couple of decades, and trying to squeeze into a pair of pegged jeans. There are so many classics covered with competency. Worthy of the price of purchase are the two versions of the oi classic, 'Skinhead Girl'." (Donofthedead)

Razorcake #27

"A double disc of covers throughout the years by this UK oi band. 35 tracks over two disks with the music of Sham 69, Cockney Rejects, Slade, Neurotics, and Eddie and the Hot Rods, just to scratch the surface. It's cool because they turn it up a notch from the originals - I'm digging it!" (RL)

Maximumrocknroll

WHAT'S THE STORY?

"Most bands start off playing a few covers, and like most bands we was the same. The first covers I sang was Chaos (The 4 Skins) and Skinhead Girl (Symarip), which gives you an idea of what The Oppressed is all about. We was influenced by the Oi! scene happening in the early 80s, all the hooligan bands singing about everyday reality. The New Punk had taken over and we wanted some.

When we got it back together in the 90s to record some some Anti-Fascist stuff we was offered a CD release. I had no new stuff so we recorded the 'We Can Do Anything' album of old Oi! music we loved. We was gonna call it 'Labour Of Love' but some Brummie Reggae band got there first.

It must be the old Skinhead in me coz I can't resist giving Jamaican classics an Oi! workout. Skinhead Girl, Boots For Stompin, Madness, Pressure Drop and Bartender are all memories from my youth. It was only natural to slip some into set.

The three Slade covers came from The Noise EP. Slade was the first band to adopt the Skinhead look back in 69 so we thought we'd borrow a few of their tunes as payback. Truth is they were only Skinheads for five minutes and soon jumped ship when they realised the Skinheads only wanted Reggae. Still a good excuse to rip 'em off though.

So that's it, all the covers we ever recorded. Some we recorded coz we just wanted to, some coz I had no songs and an album to fill. But all the covers we did influenced what the band is, and for that 'WE WON'T SAY SORRY'."

Roddy Moreno, Nov. 2004