God Save the Queen: A Punk Anthology (2005)

3 Stars (out of 4)

Your Generation

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

This twenty-song compilation DVD gathers a random collection of performances, videos and interviews shot on various video and film formats, during all different time periods, and with varying sound quality. Likewise, the title refers specifically to British punk, but this collection goes all over the map. Nevertheless, with punk music, a more polished package just wouldn't feel right. Highlights include the Buzzcocks with a vintage, live rendition of "Boredom" and Iggy Pop and the Stooges with a fairly recent taping of "I Wanna Be Your Dog." The late Johnny Thunders (wearing dark glasses) provides a somber interview for persistent journalists, and we see him performing "Born to Lose" (patched together from two different shows). Other interviews feature a young, giddy Billy Idol, still with Generation X (they perform "Your Generation") and the still-underrated Poly Styrene and X-Ray Spex (they perform "Identity"). Finally, the Toy Dolls are here with a video for an old favorite, "Nellie the Elephant."