"Nasty Nasty" b/w "No Pity" (1977) Album Description:
This little green 7" is 999 catching 1977 England in the act: loud, impatient, and allergic to polite behavior. "Nasty Nasty" b/w "No Pity" isn’t here to decorate your room or impress your hi-fi friends; it’s here to rattle your shelves and remind you why punk singles were basically portable adrenaline.
1. Introduction on the band and the album
999 show up with a two-track gut-punch that feels like it was designed for cramped clubs, sticky floors, and zero tolerance for filler. The whole thing has that no-frills, no-compromise attitude that made late-’70s punk feel less like a genre and more like an escape plan.
2. Historical and cultural context
In 1977, England didn’t exactly feel like a cozy place to be optimistic, and punk was the perfect soundtrack for that mood. The scene was moving fast, leaning into sharp edges and short attention spans, and this single sits right in that moment where urgency mattered more than perfection.
3. How the band came to record this album
This one was cut in London at T.W. Studios, Fulham, with Andy Arthirs producing and Alan Winstanley handling engineering duties. Put that together with a 7" release on United Artists, and you can almost hear the mission statement: get in, hit hard, get out, leave the ringing to everyone else.
4. The sound, songs, and musical direction
The A-side, "Nasty Nasty", comes off like a sprint with boots on, the kind of track that doesn’t “build” so much as it arrives. Flip it to "No Pity" and the vibe tightens into something meaner and more pointed, like the aftertaste that proves the first hit wasn’t a fluke.
What I love here is the texture: it’s raw without being sloppy, direct without being dumb. It’s the sound of a band aiming for impact, not approval.
5. Comparison to other albums in the same genre/year
If you line this up next to the bigger 1977 punk landmarks, you can feel the shared electricity, but also the difference in format and intent. Albums like Never Mind the Bollocks, The Clash, and Damned Damned Damned were declarations; a single like this is more like a drive-by statement.
999’s edge is that they don’t over-perform the chaos. They just lean in, keep it tight, and let the punch land clean.
6. Controversies or public reactions
This single itself doesn’t need a scandal to do its job, but it’s impossible to ignore the cultural static around punk in ’77. Plenty of people saw this whole movement as noise and nuisance; fans heard a lifeline. Same sound, totally different survival story.
7. Band dynamics and creative tensions
The most telling “dynamic” here is the decision to go for two sharp tracks and zero padding, because that choice screams discipline. When a band commits to that kind of blunt delivery, it usually means they know exactly who they are trying to reach, and they’re not interested in negotiating with anyone else.
8. Critical reception and legacy
Singles like this age in a funny way: they don’t always get the grand historical speeches, but collectors and fans keep them alive because they’re the real bloodstream of a scene. The green vinyl doesn’t just look cool; it turns the record into an object you remember, not just a song you stream and forget.
9. Reflective closing paragraph
Decades later, I still love how this 7" feels like a small, defiant artifact from a loud year that didn’t ask permission. Drop the needle and it’s instantly 1977 again for two tracks—fast, sharp, and just nasty enough to make modern life feel briefly less ridiculous.
