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My first hero. My first album (Friend Or Foe - a requested Christmas present). Adam Ant was and still is a hero of mine. A maverick, an innovator, someone who dares to try something and hopes the world follows. He is so much more than a '80's pop star'. He was a punk, he was a pop star and he was mad about sex. In fact my Mum wouldn't buy me the Strip album (I was "too young").

I had a life sized poster of Adam on my wall that scared my Mother when she came in the room. I loved the band's look - pirates, old military uniforms, American Indians, Highwayman - part of every young boys heroic fantasies.

Around the time I got Friend Or Foe, a neighbour gave me Kings Of The Wild Frontier (I guess he had grown out of it). These are still my two favourite Adam Ant albums.

Fortunately, one of my Brothers had recorded Peel Sessions and early singles off the radio. This was confusing stuff to hear, as to my young ears it sounded like a completely different beast! Songs like Deutcher Girls sounded so sparse and basic. But there were also exciting songs like Cartrouble.

I followed Adam's career, but was not a great fan of the later polished pop of Manners & Physique. As I got older and more into punk, I went back and got all the early stuff and B sides and discovered a wealth of riches. Also with older ears I heard his debt to The Clash and possibly Sandanista in particular.

Nine Inch Nails do a FANTASTIC version of Physical on their Broken EP (hidden away as track 98).

If ever there was a misunderstood and underrated genius in music, Adam Ant is he. But that's OK, as some of us know about him.

Adam Ant - Adam And The Ants

How do you categorise the music of Adam Ant?

Simple answer - you can't. He was a punk, but the early stuff was more Post Punk/New Wave in sound. Then he got a bit punky but with a pop twist. Then the Burrundi drums came in, he re-recorded some stuff, then he became a pop star and recorded the strangest variety of music. He even had a Number One doing a rap song that only seemed to feature drums and whistles! Unfortunately in the later 80's and ealy 90's he went all smooth pop and it was a bit disappointing. He disappeared for a bit then came back all mature (ish) and acoustic (ish) and weren't we glad of his return? then he disappeared again...... He does that, Adam.

But when he's here, we are very greatful.

Best Adam Ant Rarities:

The "B Side Babies" Cd is a great collection of hard to find and unreleased tracks from the period 1980 to 1985. Great to hear them on CD!

The 2CD limited edition version of "Antmusic: Very Best Of Adam Ant" contains a bonus Live CD from the Persuasion tour of America in 1993 with a great mix of material from right across his career. CD1 contains ALL his singles, right back to Young Parisians.

The BBC released a "Peel Sessions" CD (three sessions for John Peel from 1978 & 1979) which was later re-released as "Live At The BBC" with three added songs from late acoustic sessions for Simon Mayo (in 1995). Deutcher Girls has its original lyrics. And unreleased songs "Puerto-Rican", "Lou" and "Ligotage" (The latter two appeared later on Antbox). The acoustic version of Antmusic is interesting!

The Remasters series 2005, remastered the first six Adam Ant albums and filled the discs with bonus tracks (remixes, b sides, demos and unreleased tracks). They are an absolute joy for the completist, and they do not repeat the Antbox tracks but find brand new rarities! While each of these albums remasters were available seperately, if you bought the Box Set version - you got a bonus disc "Redux" with a further 15 bonus rare tracks. This bonus disc is available to download on Amazon. See the link opposite. (It is called "Disc 4)

The Antbox released in 2000 predates the remasters series and is a different collection altogether. It is run roughly chronologically across 3 discs. And it contains a very nice book with a good discography and lots of facts for the obsessives. The great thing about Antbox is that it contains rarities not later re-released on the remasters. So we get the very early punk demos, flexi disc only songs (the wonderfully fun A.N.T.S.), unreleased songs (not put on the remasters) and Single Versions of all the singles.

'Wonderful', to me, was a real return to form with a couple of really good singles in particular. There is a digital only release of all 22 associated B sides and remixes called Extra Wonderful. See link.

My favourite Adam And the Ants / Adam Ant tracks:

Xerox (79) (Dirk Wears White Socks remaster/7" version Do-It DUN 8)

Whip In My Valise (79) (Dirk Wears White Socks remaster/7" version Do-It Dun 8)

Cartrouble (80) (Dirk Wears White Socks remaster/Do-It DUN 10)

Kick (80) (Dirk Wears White Socks remaster/Do-It DUN 10)

Ant Invasion (80) (Kings Of the Wild Frontier)

Killer In The Home (80) (Kings Of the Wild Frontier)

Fall In (80) (B-Side Babies / B side of Antmusic 7")

Physical (You're So) (80) (B-Side Babies / B Side of Dog Eat Dog 7")

Press Darlings (80) (Super Hits/B side of KOTWF 7")

Christian D'Or (81) (B-Side Babies / B Side of Prince Charming 7")

Beat My Guest (81) (B-Side Babies / B Side of Stand And Deliver 7")