The Inmates — First Offence (Full Album, Remastered)

Описание: 00:00 Dirty Water
03:05 Love Got Me
06:43 Mr. Unreliable
09:38 The Walk
12:25 I Can't Sleep
15:27 Jealousy
18:30 Three Time Loser
21:10 You're The One That Done It
23:43 Midnight To Six Man
26:01 Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie
29:23 If Time Could Turn Backwards
33:36 Back In History
35:57 I Can't Stop

The Inmates were a North London R&B and pub rock outfit who showed up in the late 70s with sweat on their collars, mud on their boots, and a bone deep love for raw American rhythm and blues. At a time when punk was exploding and new wave was getting arty, The Inmates dug straight into the gutter lineage of Dr. Feelgood, early Stones, and 60s garage rock, delivering fast, no nonsense songs built for sticky pub floors and packed dance rooms.

The band originally took shape around guitarists Peter Staines and Tony Oliver, bassist Ben Donnelly, and drummer Jim Russell, locking into a tough, driving groove that felt live even on record. Their early breakthrough came with a snarling cover of Dirty Water, which turned heads across Europe and underground scenes even if it barely grazed the UK charts. When The Walk followed and cracked the UK Top 40, the band suddenly found themselves on Top Of The Pops, looking slightly dangerous and very out of place, which only added to their appeal.

A key turning point came when Barrie Masters, the unmistakable frontman of Eddie and the Hot Rods, joined the band. Masters brought star power, street level charisma, and a voice already etched into British rock history. His arrival sharpened The Inmates’ identity, connecting pub rock grit with the urgency and aggression that punk audiences understood instinctively. It was a perfect cultural overlap, not a sellout, but a reinforcement.

Their debut album First Offence remains the definitive Inmates statement. Produced by Vic Maile, the same man behind Dr. Feelgood and Motörhead, the record sounds like it was cut in one take with the amps on the brink of collapse. First Offence fused classic R&B structures with punk speed and attitude, influencing the underground rock and roll circuit where pub rock survivors, early punks, and garage revivalists all drank from the same well. It became a blueprint for bands who wanted authenticity over polish and sweat over studio tricks.

While mainstream success was brief and inconsistent, The Inmates carved out a lasting reputation as a band that mattered where it counted. They never chased trends, and when fashions moved on, they kept playing, recording, and resurfacing for new generations who discovered them through worn vinyl and word of mouth. Today, The Inmates stand as one of those crucial British bands who bridged eras, linking 60s R&B, 70s pub rock, and punk’s raw nerve into a single, loud, stubborn heartbeat.