REVIEWS:
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: Wake Up and Make Love with Me, Sweet Gene Vincent, Plaistow Patricia, Clever Trevor, Blockheads, My Old Man. LOW POINTS: Billericay Dickey
Ian Dury, like the Stranglers, rose up out of the anything goes ideals that the Punk era brought to the UK market place. Dury has been described as one of the most unlikely rock stars of all time and this statement is (unlike a lot of rock journalist quotes) pretty bang on. Dury, crippled with polio from an early age, and a former art student of Peter Blake no less, built his trade on London’s growing pub rock circuit of the 70’s as front man for Kilburn and the High Roads. The band did record in the mid 70’s, but not to any critical acclaim or commercial success. Dury would eventually be introduced to his musical collaborator on this album who joined the Kilburn's until their demise in 1976, by this stage a songwriting partnership had blossomed, one which would form a large part of the New Boots And Panties album.
Chaz Jankel was to Dury, what Marr was to Morrissey, Jankel creating the perfect soundscape for Dury to weave his incredible lyrics which ranged from sensitive odes, to "in your face" rants about characters from everyday life. Dury, officially now solo, signed with his new collaborator, and their new material, to the newly formed Stiff Records, and whilst the eventual release of New Boots And Panties was simply credited to Ian Dury, the musicians that backed him were the nucleus of the band that would become The Blockheads. The band were renowned as being one of the tightest bands of the period, and together with Dury’s distinctive vocals they created a sound that is truly unique to this day. Jankel's contribution was critical to Dury’s breakthrough and indeed his career, and I've never believed Jankel has received all the acclaim he is due. Only six of the tracks contained are actually Dury/Jankel compositions (the remainder are Dury/Nugent) but range of styles and the level of arrangements on New Boots are incredible, from rolling ballads to Rock n Roll pastiches, from funky, semi-disco tracks to full on, in your face, powerhouse pop, and for this Jankel must take an enormous amount of credit.
Ian Dury truly was the Pearly King of 1977, whilst Morrissey would later sing of life in a grey northern town, Dury was delivering tales from the world he new, Essex towns and suburbs of East London are littered throughout the New Boots tracks all dressed with humorous cockney slang references. The album kicks off with the delicate piano led “Wake up and Make Love with Me”, a trademark Dury number that was regularly a feature of his live set (as were many tracks on this album) right up until his recent death. “Sweet Gene Vincent” starts as sentimental ballad in honour of one of Dury’s idols, but breaks after the first verse and re-invents itself as a throbbing 50’s workout. 1977 Rock n Roll sure, but don’t think, Darts, Rocky Sharpe, Showaddywaddy or any of the other 50’s revivalists from this period, Jankel and Dury create a high octane, full energy track that is a lesson on how to take a style and make it your own.
The bouncy “I’m partial to your Abracadabra” is followed by Dury’s tribute to his father, the touching and infectious “My Old Man” which floats along on Norman Watt-Roy’s superb rolling bass line. “Billericay Dickey” is isolated as a low point from New Boots as despite being full of humour, it simply doesn’t possess the style and originality of the rest of the set. “Billericay Dickey” is a Music Hall style comedy telling the tale of a Jack the Lad and his conquests around the fair county of Essex. A much better version can be found on the Live Stiffs album released around the same period, which contains live recordings made by the artists who performed on the promotional Stiff Records Package Tour, Ian Dury, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric and Larry Wallis, no less. The live version has more energy and attitude, with expletives thrown in for extra effect, which if left in the studio version would have made the track more akin to the rest of the set. Strange then that Dury chose to tone down the language on the studio version, considering what was to follow on the second side of New Boots!!!.
The infectious “Clever Trevor” kicks off the second side pursued by the darker “If I was with a Woman” with its hypnotic chanting coda. But it’s the final three high energy tracks on the album that pick you up and shake you down for a variety of reasons. The first of the tracks “Blockheads” is a throbbing tale of a particular kind of UK citizen. Biting lyrics throughout refer to wearers of “hire purchase signet rings”, “catalogue trousers", "a mouth that never closes” and owners of “black an orange cars”, come on, there everywhere.
“Plaistow Patricia” to me is arguably one of the reasons that New Boots sold as many units it did and helped break Dury to the UK market. At school myself during this period, word went round like wildfire that there was this album, by this strange guy, who blatantly reeled off a line of expletives as an intro to one of his tracks. This tirade of abusive language included a word I’ve still not heard on any other "mainstream" recording. John Lydon (bless him) managed it recently, Live on UK TV and outranged the nation, as generally this word is still regarded as a taboo area. Hence dozens of kids at my school went out and invested in New Boots just to get hold of “Plaistow Patricia” and assuming that this happened elsewhere, that’s a lot of units. It was outrageous to say the least, but the kids really bought into Dury's version of “pushing the boundaries” in this highly rebellious Punk era. The Pistols had been worshiped for using the F word on live TV (Johnny's involved again) but even they hadn't gone this far. The track itself is another absolute stormer, featuring a blistering Davey Payne Sax, and some incredible tongue in check lyrics throughout, "she got into a mess on the nhs" never fails to raise a smile, but then neither does that classic intro!!!!.
New Boots closes with the frantic and manic "Blackmail Man", an adrenalin pumping climax to the album, performed at breakneck speed with all the menace and attitude that Dury can muster into that frenzied vocal. Essentially the lyrics are just blistering tirades of rhyming slang, it's totally un-PC, as a lot of the album might be viewed in this day and age, but whether it's PC or not, more than anything else this album is just great fun. It's diverse, it's got music hall, ballads, funk, rock n roll and powerhouse pop, rock, new wave, whatever you want to call it, importantly whatever style Jankel arranges, Dury truly makes it his own. It's a totally unique album, even in Dury's catalogue, he came close, but never repeated it. It's an absolute classic of it's era and regularly creeps into the lower reaches of the many "all time top 100" lists. I suggest it should be a lot higher in those countdowns, and personally wouldn't be without it, and nor should you.
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: Mischief, Dance Of The Screamers, Inbetweenies, Don’t Ask Me, Sink My Boats. LOW POINTS: Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy.
The period between the release of New Boots And Panties and Do It Yourself had seen Ian Dury’s popularity reach fever pitch, the peak period being Christmas 1978 as the classic “Hit me with your Rhythm Stick” single topped the UK charts. Do it Yourself was a hugely anticipated project, but on its release, for many it appeared a disappointment. It was different in style and approach to New Boots, the front cover motto “Tommy the Talking Tool Box” claimed it was family entertainment, and compared to its predecessor I guess it probably was. The bad language was toned right down, and the lyrics were still balanced between light and dark subject matter, amusing in places but not quite to the level of New Boots, and not quite as diverse with most of the album developing the Funkier, Jazzier approach, Jankel had displayed in snatches on the debut. I used to rate Do It Yourself higher than I do now, but unfortunately nearly 25 years on, it doesn’t appear to have aged quite as well as New Boots, nevertheless it was an admirable follow up at the time, and is by far the second best offering from the entire Dury catalogue.
The key tracks from the album include “Mischief”, another of Dury’s takes on everyday life. This time selecting vandalism as his subject, “lets go and kill some kiosks, start a few more fires, could this be mischief”, and on the more humorous side “take a pigeon to the pictures”, inspired!!!!. “Dance of the Screamers” is an effective dance workout as is “Inbetweenies” which opens the album on bright and positive vibe. “Don’t Ask Me” is another little gem, which shows one side of the Dury coin as inventive bouncy pop, whilst “Sink my Boats” is a much darker, meandering track with some enjoyable vocal shapes featured at the tail end.
The remaining tracks on the set are all consistently, cleverly arranged backdrops for Dury's for ever imaginative lyrics, the plodding and stumbling, yet addictive “Waiting for your Taxi”, the lighter amusing pop of “Quiet”, the hilarious singalong “This is What We Find” and the playout, Reggae tinged ballad “Lullaby for Francies”. The only track that does tend to grate a little is “Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy”, still even this would have been a standout track on the album that followed.
Do It Yourself has some fine moments, and what it lacks in both the fire and adrenaline than drove the debut, and the diversity and shock tactics that pushed Dury to the frontline through 1977/1978, it makes up for in sheer consistency and quality of Jankel’s clever funk inspired arrangements. Jankel jumped ship after Do It Yourself, legend has it feeling unappreciated, and looked for a solo career which was as misguided as his decision to leave The Blockheads in the first place.
There was still time however for one last hurrah in the form of the disco drenched, but excellent “Reasons to be Cheerful” single, which followed the release of Do It Yourself. The album and single both made the UK top three in their respective charts, but sadly without Jankel it would be all downhill from here. The misguided son would soon return to the fold, but by then with the passing of time, the damage for the master of the ship, was already done.
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: None. LOW POINTS: Delusions Of Grandeur, Dance Of The Crackpots, Over The Points.
Laughter may be the title of Ian Dury’s third album, but there’s distinctly nothing funny about this dire collection of tired loose ends. Laughter represents the sad demise of one of the brightest talents of the late 70’s, and highlights just how important Chaz Jankel was to the fibre of Ian Dury & The Blockheads. Jankel had departed following the previous Do It Yourself album and gone on to try to further his jazz funk tendencies by going solo. This was however a relatively unsuccessful period for Jankel, with the only highlight being credited as composer of the Quincy Jones hit “Ai No Corrida”. Jankel's replacement was former Dr Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, a different kettle of fish totally. Johnson works as composer with Dury on just two tracks here, and too his credit they are two of the more palatable moments. The remainder of the tracks are Dury composing with various members of the band, John Turnbull, Mickey Gallagher & Davey Payne, importantly all composers who generally didn’t get a look in prior to Jankel's departure. What you are left with is a mostly tepid, directionless, uninspired collection of material, poorly arranged and produced, and an overall feeling that left afloat on a Jankeless ocean, Dury and the band were simply clutching at straws.
The first post Chaz venture was the fetching “I want to be Straight” single, which as a rough guide would be, without doubt, the sole high point if included on this album, sadly however it's not. Laughter opens with the follow up single, the pleasant Dury/Johnson composed “Suepermans Big Sister” which showcases another post Jankel idea, a string accompaniment. It doesn't work too badly to be fair and is distinctive against the previous material, but ultimately in places ends up sounding like a Ian Dury / Jeff Lynne hybrid. The quirky “Pardon” sounds a weak track on first listen, but by the time you reach the unbelievably bland “Delusions of Grandeur”, the dire country spiced “Dance of the Crackpots”, and the narrated verses of “Over the Points” you begin too realise that “Pardon” is actually going to be one of the more acceptable moments.
“Uncoolohol” is another slighter stronger track, but Dury’s vocals are buried so deep in the mix that it sounds as though he was singing in the next room. “Yes & No (Paula)” threatens to deliver something but never quite gets there, “Take Your Elbow out of the Soup” is kind of the same, there’s the makings of a track there somewhere, but its never quite realised. “Hey Hey Take me Away” is lyrically intriguing, but little else, “Manic Depression (Jimi)” is a complete mystery, and “Oh, Mr Peanut” I guess does have some amusing moments, but sadly none of these tracks offers anything anywhere near the quality of tracks contained on the previous two albums. “Fucking Ada” nearly promises to be a saving moment, but quickly disintegrates into a juvenile schoolboy chant to close the album.
Laughter is simply a dull, tired and uninspired collection of tracks devoid of any craft or originality. The expletives that were washed away for Do It Yourself return and are scattered everywhere throughout the set, but rather than punctuating the themes as they did on New Boots, they appear to be simply thrown in for the sake of amusement. A truly diabolical album then after the two previous incredible ventures. Laughter basically killed off Dury’s hit making potential in an instant, and whilst there would be occasional brief and lowly chart returns, he would never, artistically return to the same high profile that he had achieved through 77/78.
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(reviewed by Rob Eustace)
HIGH POINTS: Sweet Gene Vincent, If I Was With A Woman, Inbetweenies, My Old Man. LOW POINTS: Blockheads, Reasons To Be Cheerful.
Ian Dury, together with The Blockheads, reformed for live performances during 1990, this live set being recorded in the December following a series of fund raisers earlier in the year for ex Blockheads drummer Charley Charles who had sadly been diagnosed with cancer. The track list acts as a sad reflection of the state of Dury’s career during the 1980’s as the entire set is drawn from the New Boots And Panties and Do It Yourself albums together with singles from the period, with one exception being "Spasticus Autisticus” drawn from the Lord Upminster (1981) album. There is nothing here too represent Laughter (1980), 4000 Weeks Holiday (1984) or Apples (1989). A sad fact for Dury himself, but inevitably for the audience, and in the interest of putting on a vibrant show, this had to be the right move.
Unfortunately however strong as the tracks were in their studio format, the live renditions (on this set at least) don’t quite live up to expectations. The normal plus of a live album is the opportunity to here raw, loud, exciting and often expanded versions of studio takes, but in this case largely the opposite appears to have occurred. Ferocious studio offerings such as “Plaistow Patricia” and “Blockheads” appear positively lightweight here, with exception of Dury’s rough and ready vocals. Indeed there does appear to be a tendency throughout to try lighten up many the tracks and blanket a Music Hall feel to the entire performance.
On the positive side, it can be viewed as a reasonable run through of Dury’s classic material from his prime years. On the negative side, many of the tracks don't feel as sharp as their studio counterparts, there isn't any real urgency about Dury's performance, and there’s simply way too many occasions when Dury totally forgets the words to crowd favourites. It happens frustratingly on “Clever Trevor”, disastrously on “Blockheads” where ad-libbing is called upon to plug the gaps (perhaps this is why it appears to have been left off various pressings) and Dury simply rambles his way through the whole of “Reasons too be Cheerful” mixing up the lyrics and slotting them in wherever they might fit, disappointing to say the least.
So what can you take from this album, well “If I was with a Woman” is well arranged, drenched in Davey Payne's sax, and jazzed up a little more by Jankel on this occasion to the point that at times it feels like a George Benson interpretation. "What a Waste" is always a gem, as is "My Old Man" even if Watt-Roy's bass doesn’t feel quite as exquisite as it did on New Boots. There are good throaty workouts of “Spasticus” & “Sweet Gene Vincent”, and “Inbetweenies” (also missing on various pressings) is also worthy of some attention.
A bit of a patchy experience though, even down to the sleeve notes. The rear cover on my copy states the show was recorded at the Town and Country Club, the inner sleeve notes state the Brixton Academy (Dury throughout the disc though clearly confirms that it was recorded at the later venue). It’s not Dury in his prime to be fair, the 70’s gigs were reputed to be blistering affairs, but illness, coupled with a lack of commercial success had forced him to reduce his live performances over the years between. Warts 'N' Audience is entertaining enough I guess, but the bottom line is, don’t expect too much, and you won’t be disappointed.
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