It’s 1997. Pop punk is dominating the airwaves, with Green Day and The Offspring still riding the wave of the early ‘90s revival, while Rancid’s ...And Out Come the Wolves is turning every suburban skater kid into a studded-jacket-wearing punk. Meanwhile, Britpop is peaking, and nu-metal is lurking just around the corner. But across the Atlantic, in the pubs of England and the underground record stores of Germany, there’s a different kind of punk rock—one that predates the CBGB scene, one that goes back to the heart of the working-class streets of London.
That’s where Cock Sparrer’s Two Monkeys enters the picture.
Cock Sparrer were never part of punk’s mainstream, nor did they ever really try to be. Formed in 1972, they predate even the Sex Pistols, yet spent most of their early years in obscurity. The band got dropped by their first label before they could release a proper album in the UK, but by the early ‘80s, their rough-and-ready sound had become a rallying cry for the burgeoning Oi! movement—a subgenre of punk that eschewed art-school pretense for a more blue-collar, beer-soaked, boots-and-braces ethos.
By the time Two Monkeys arrived in 1997, Cock Sparrer had already gone through multiple breakups, cult resurgences, and a few unsuccessful stabs at commercial recognition. This wasn’t a fresh-faced punk band—it was a group of grizzled veterans returning once again, armed with decades of experience, battle scars, and a working-class sense of humor that refused to fade.
The Album: More Than Just a Punk Record
If you came into Two Monkeys expecting a wall-to-wall blitz of three-chord punk fury, you’d be in for a surprise. Sure, the album has its share of anthemic gang vocals and barroom chants, but this is a record made by musicians who had outgrown the simple formulas of their youth while never losing touch with their roots.
Songs like Before the Flame Dies and Anthem carry the same rough-and-tumble energy that made their 1983 album Shock Troops one of the best UK punk records of the decade. But there’s also a surprising range of influences at play. Battersea Bardot has shades of pub rock swagger, complete with a honky-tonk piano that would make any old-school rock ‘n’ roller proud. Meanwhile, I Live in Marbella opens with a Spanish guitar intro—something you wouldn’t expect from a band associated with football hooligan anthems and street-level punk rebellion.
The production and songwriting on Two Monkeys is a mixed bag—it can feel either raw and immediate or strangely inconsistent. Some tracks hit like a brick to the face, while others sound noticeably thinner, almost as if they were recorded under different circumstances. This fluctuation can be a bit distracting, occasionally pulling the listener out of the experience. Yet, in a way, it aligns with Cock Sparrer’s ethos—rough around the edges, unapologetically imperfect, and fully committed to their street-level sound.
At its core, Two Monkeys is an album about resilience. By the time it was released, Cock Sparrer were no longer trying to “make it.” They had already made it—just not in the way that most bands dream of. They had become one of punk’s most beloved cult acts, influencing countless bands without ever needing mainstream validation.
And maybe that’s how the record still works today. It’s not a polished, radio-friendly punk album designed for mass consumption. It’s an album for the diehards—the ones who find their music through tape-trading, underground compilations, and word-of-mouth recommendations from friends. The ones who still pack out small clubs to sing along with their heroes, decades after the fact.
If you’re looking for a punk record that blends rowdy barroom singalongs with unexpected musical depth, Two Monkeys is worth revisiting. And if you want to dive even deeper into Cock Sparrer’s story, their place in the Oi! movement, and what makes this record stand out in their discography, check out the latest episode of Dig Me Out. Because punk history isn’t just about the big names—it’s about the ones who kept going, against all odds, and still managed to leave a mark.
Songs in this Episode
Intro - Bats Out
21:10 - Back Home
24:36 - A.U.
29:05 - Time To Be Me
32:52 - Battersea Bardot
37:00 - Goodbye
Outro - Lies
Share this post