Guillotine Theatre

One of the underrated classics of the late 1970s, as delivered by one of the most underrated bands. Guillotine Theatre was Cuddly Toys debut album, cut in the wake of the "Madman" single that first brought them to mainstream attention — which is what you'd expect to receive if you covered a cover of a previously unheard David Bowie/Marc Bolan co-composition. But there was so much more to the group than that, as they delved back into the most glorious days of British glam, and emerged with a punkish swagger that simply dared you to accuse them of revivalism. Half manic sci-fi, half brutish decadence, Guillotine Theatre still sparkles with its own in-built absurdity and pretension, with the title track, "Astral Joe" and the maddeningly glorious "The Fall and Decline of the Universe" stepping out to slash and burn their way into your consciousness. [But wait! That's not all you get. A 2007 epilogue to the original LP's two acts includes half-a-dozen bonus tracks, including a glorious retread of the Motown classic "You Keep Me Hanging On," while a bonus DVD adds half-a-dozen promo videos — brilliant one and all — a seven-song live performance, and a couple of slide shows as well.]