The Prefects‘ most poignant moment is 13 seconds long. It was caught at a 2001 reunion gig where frontman Robert Lloyd mutters about running to the VD clinic; the rhythm section stumbles after him and before anyone figures out what‘s happening, the song ends. “VD” could summarize the band‘s legacy. The Prefects were Manchester blokes who cranked out a slightly autistic case of The Buzzcocks, earned The Clash‘s contempt, made no money, got bored and quit. However, this compilation of singles and unreleased tapes shows that the band deftly mastered the jagged and obtuse sound later tagged “post-punk.” Thank goodness they were “amateur wankers.”