The Best of Steve Diggle and Flag of Convenience – The Secret Public Years 1981–1989 is a CD compilation of Buzzcocks' Steve Diggle's first solo days and his subsequent band, Flag of Convenience, which compiles his post-Buzzcocks songs from 1981 to 1989, during the years Buzzcocks remained disbanded. It was released in 1994 in the UK on Anagram Records.

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Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

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AllMusic wrote, "It's not that the first 13 tracks, from '81-'86, aren't of good quality -- they are. But it's the final eight songs that should have led-off here, in establishing Diggle as one of the most important and overlooked artists in all of Britain during the '80s."^[2]

All tracks are written by Steve Diggle and credited to Flag of Convenience; except where indicated.

1. "Shut Out the Light" – 2:54 (Steve Diggle)
2. "50 Years of Comparative Wealth" – 3:45 (Steve Diggle)
3. "Here Comes the Fire Brigade" – 3:56 (Steve Diggle)
4. "Life on the Telephone" – 5:24
5. "Picking Up on Audio Sound" – 3:24
6. "Other Mans Sin" – 4:48 ^{[n 1]}
7. "Men from the City" – 4:54
8. "Who Is Innocent" – 3:54
9. "Drift Away" – 3:49
10. "Change" – 2:49
11. "Longest Life" – 3:26
12. "The Arrow Has Come" – 3:27
13. "Keep on Pushing" (live) – 4:10
14. "Pictures in My Mind" – 2:42
15. "Last Train to Safety" – 4:20
16. "Exiles" – 3:04
17. "Can't Stop the World" – 2:06
18. "Shot Down with a Gun" – 4:16 ^{[n 2]}
19. "Tragedy in Market Street" – 4:14
20. "Tomorrow's Sunset" – 4:06 ^{[n 3]} (Buzzcocks F.O.C.)
21. "Life with the Lions" – 3:35 (Buzzcocks F.O.C.)

Origin

• Tracks 1–3 from 50 Years of Comparative Wealth EP, 1981.
• Tracks 4–6 from "Life on the Telephone" single, 1982
• Tracks 7–12 from The Big Secret, 1984
• Track 13 from "New House" single, 1986
• Track 14 from Northwest Skyline, 1987
• Track 15 from "Last Train to Safety" EP, 1987
• Tracks 16–19 from Exiles EP, 1988
• Tracks 20–21 from "Tomorrow's Sunset" single, 1989

Credits adapted from the album liner notes, except where noted.

Musicians

• Steve Diggle – vocals, guitar, keyboards
• John Maher – drums (1-12)
• Steve Garvey – bass (1-3)
• Mark Burke – guitar (7-12)
• Steve Mac – guitar (13)^[6]
• Gaz Connor – guitar (16-19)
• Andy Couzens – guitar (20-21)
• David Farrow – bass (4-6)
• Gary Hamer – bass (7-21)
• John Caine – drums (13-15)
• Chris Godwin – drums (16-21)
• Dave "D.P." Prescott – keyboards (4–6)^[7]
• Dean Sumner – keyboards (13)^[6]

Technical

• Steve Diggle – producer (1–3,^[8] 7-19)
• Flag of Convenience – producer (4-6)^[3]
• Hugh Murphy – producer (4-6)^[3]
• Gary Hamer – producer (13-19)
• Martin Hannett – producer (20-21)