The second volume in CMJ magazine's series documenting the roots of alternative rock examines the dawn of the 1980s, a time at which college radio playlists began enjoying nearly unprecedented eclecticism -- suddenly the underground airwaves were ruled not only by post-punk heroes like the Jam ("Start!") and Gang of Four ("I Found That Essence Rare") but also by revivalist ska (the Specials' "Gangsters," Madness' "One Step Beyond"), robotic pop (Gary Numan's "Cars," Devo's "Whip It") and neo-psychedelic confections (the Teardrop Explodes' "When I Dream") as well. Much of the music now sounds more than a little dated, of course, but the best of these dozen tracks (which also include the B-52's' "Private Idaho" and Marianne Faithfull's "Broken English") still stir the imagination. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide