I now see 1979 as one of my favorite years in Rock and Roll history. by ’79 British punk was mutating into all sort of weird yet very interesting forms. All of a sudden there were numerous groups such as Doll by Doll, The Pop Group, Gang Of Four, The Comsat Angels, This Heat and of course the new Liverpool groups Echo and the Bunnymen and Teardrop Explodes releasing inspiring records that combined the energy of punk with all sorts of other elements.

Alternative TV were there at the UK punk scene almost from the start forming in 1977, before that ATV lead singer Mark Perry founded the influential punk magazine “Sniffin’ Glue”.By 1979 ATV were tiring of the 3 minute pogo punk sound and were stretching out in all kinds of strange ways check out their bizarre second album “Vibing Up The Senile Man” for evidence.

“The Force Is Blind” was issued as a single in 1979 and it is surely one of the strangest 45’s of all time it’s right there with Amon Duul’s “Eternal Flow” as one of the most uncommercial 45 A‑sides in pop history. “Force” is not really a song at all, it’s more a sound collage which sounds like X‑Ray Spex singer Poly Styrene being backed by Throbbing Gristle. This track is so strange I really can’t even begin to descibe it properly but I really admire ATV for releasing it on a single.

The flipside “Lost In A Room” is also great and far more conventional in that it’s an actual song. In fact I would swear Joy Division ripped this song off completely for their song “Dead Souls”. If you’re feeling a bit adventuresome you might want to track this one down you’ll either love it or hate it. I happen to LOVE IT!!