Trade Test Transmissions
{{About|the Buzzcocks album|the test transmissions by the BBC|Trade test colour films}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Trade Test Transmissions
| type = studio
| artist = Buzzcocks
| cover = TradeTestTransmissions.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1993|6|14|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Albums|magazine=Music Week|page=12|date=12 June 1993}}
| recorded = March–April 1993{{sfn|McGartland|2017|p=196}}
| studio = Eastcote Studios, London
| venue =
| genre = Pop punk
| length = 47:58
| label = Essential (UK), Caroline (USA)
| producer = Ralph P. Ruppert
| prev_title = Operator's Manual: Buzzcocks Best
| prev_year = 1991
| next_title = All Set
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Trade Test Transmissions
| type = Studio
| single1 = Innocent
| single1date = May 1993
| single2 = Do It
| single2date = August 1993
| single3 = Isolation
| single3date = 1995{{sfn|McGartland|2017|p=307}}
}}
}}
Trade Test Transmissions is the fourth studio album by English pop punk band Buzzcocks. It was released on 14 June 1993 by record label Castle Communications{{cite web |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19931119&slug=1732651|title=Buzzcocks: Noisy Music To Hum|last=Kot |first=Greg |date=19 November 1993|website=The Seattle Times |accessdate=30 March 2023}} on their sub-label Essential Records{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|date= 2011|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Concise|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9780857125958|edition=5th}} and was the band's first release in fourteen years, following up 1979's A Different Kind of Tension. The music was quite different from their earlier material with nods to the power pop scene popular at the time.
Reception
{{music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/trade-test-transmissions-mw0000112055 |title=Trade Test Transmissions – Buzzcocks
| rev2 = Chicago Tribune
| rev2score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-11-14-9311140138-story.html |title=Joyful Noises|last=Kot |first=Greg |date=14 November 1993 |website=Chicago Tribune |accessdate=30 March 2023}}
| rev3 = Robert Christgau
| rev3score = {{Rating-Christgau|cut}}{{cite web |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=buzzcocks |title=Robert Christgau: CG: Buzzcocks |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |website=robertchristgau.com |accessdate=1 January 2015}}
| rev4 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev4score = A−{{cite journal |last=Brod |first=Doug |date=19 November 1993 |title=
| rev5 = Pitchfork
| rev5score = 6.9/10{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1052-trade-test-tramsmissions/ |title=Buzzcocks: Trade Test Transmissions
| rev6 = PopMatters
| rev6score = 6/10{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/buzzcocks-trade-test-transmissions-2646080206.html |title=Buzzcocks' 1993 Comeback 'Trade Test Transmissions' Showed Punk's Great Survivors' Consistency |last=Soulsby |first=Nick |date=27 May 2020 |website=PopMatters |accessdate=30 March 2023}}
}}
Trade Test Transmissions has been generally well received by critics.
Jason Crock of Pitchfork was generally favourable, though writing "the album remains a strictly diehards-only affair." CMJ later qualified it as "a superb record which oddly got lost in the shuffle".{{cite journal |last=Stegall |first=Tim |date=March 1996 |title=Reviews |journal=CMJ New Music Monthly |page=34 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5ywEAAAAMBAJ&q=buzzcocks+%22trade+test+transmissions%22+review&pg=RA1-PA34 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Pete Shelley, except as noted.
{{Track listing
| title1 = Do It
| length1 = 3:23
| title2 = Innocent
| length2 = 3:34
| title3 = TTT
| length3 = 3:18
| title4 = Isolation
| length4 = 3:58
| writer4 = Steve Diggle
| title5 = Smile
| length5 = 2:47
| title6 = Last to Know
| length6 = 2:52
| title7 = When Love Turns Around
| length7 = 2:25
| writer7 = Diggle
| title8 = Never Gonna Give It Up
| length8 = 2:47
| title9 = Energy
| length9 = 3:35
| writer9 = Diggle
| title10 = Palm of Your Hand
| length10 = 3:22
| title11 = Alive Tonight
| length11 = 3:48
| writer11 = Diggle
| title12 = Who'll Help Me to Forget?
| length12 = 2:57
| title13 = Unthinkable
| length13 = 2:52
| writer13 = Diggle
| title14 = Crystal Night
| length14 = 3:18
| title15 = 369
| length15 = 3:02
}}
{{Track listing
|headline= 2004 reissue bonus tracks
| title16 = Inside
| note16=B-side of "Innocent"
| length16 = 2:32
| title17 = Do It
| note17=single version
| length17 = 2:57
| title18 = Trash Away
| note18=live; B-side of "Do It"
| length18 = 4:44
| writer18 = Diggle
| title19 = All Over You
| note19=live; B-side of "Do It"
| length19 = 3:25
| title20 = Libertine Angel
| note20=non-album single, 1994
| length20 = 2:57
| title21 = Roll It Over
| note21=B-side of "Libertine Angel"
| length21 = 6:07
| writer21 = Diggle
| title22 = Excerpt from 'Prison Riot Hostage{{'-}}
| note22=B-side of "Libertine Angel"
| length22 = 1:59
}}
Personnel
Adapted from the album liner notes.{{cite AV media notes |title=Trade Test Transmissions |author=Buzzcocks |year=1993 |type=Album liner notes |publisher=Essential Records |id= ESSCD 195}}
;Buzzcocks
- Pete Shelley – guitar, vocals
- Steve Diggle – guitar, vocals
- Tony Barber – bass
- Philip Barker – drums
;Technical
- Ralph P. Ruppert – production
- Ingo Vauk, Philip Bagenal – mixing engineers
- Graeme Durham – mastering
- Malcolm Garrett – album design
- Pete Towndrow – photography
References
{{reflist|2}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book |last=McGartland |first=Tony |title=Buzzcocks: The Complete History |location=London |publisher=Music Press |year=2017 |isbn=978-1786062741}}
External links
- {{Discogs master|89019}}
{{Buzzcocks}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Caroline Records albums
{{1990s-punk-album-stub}}