The best of the Paul Collins Beat and The Nerves European tour

Fifty years after the release of their self-titled debut EP, influential power pop trio The Nerves are getting a definitive anthology treatment. The Nerves – Best Collection, released by Third Man Records on October 23, brings together 66 minutes of studio recordings, live performances and demos, newly mastered or remastered from original source recordings.

Formed in 1974 by Paul Collins, Peter Case and Jack Lee, The Nerves left a lasting mark on power pop, combining jangly melodies with the raw energy of punk. Their four-track 1976 EP featured “Hanging on the Telephone,” later made famous by Blondie, while the band’s independently organised US tour saw them share stages with the likes of The Ramones, Devo and Pere Ubu.

Following the band’s split, Collins went on to front The Beat, later known as Paul Collins Beat, while Case formed The Plimsouls and pursued a solo career. Featuring exclusive liner notes by Case, the new anthology revisits a brief but influential chapter in rock history, celebrating the songwriting and DIY spirit that helped shape power pop for generations to come.

In celebration the band will do a European tour including two Dutch shows: