Album Review by EDF
The Gang Of Four came out of the Punk / New Wave scene in 1979 and based their lyrics on the political situation that was developing around them at that time. While seen as a challenging band who did not shy away from experimenting with different sounds, their loosely funk driven bass was enough to cover up what their lyrics were really about. Unfortunately their experimentive nature covered up any chance of a melody breaking out and unlike The Clash, they did not enjoy the level of success that should have being heading their way.
SOLID GOLD, the group’s second album was released in 1981 and shows them in full experimenting flow. The self explanatory OUTSIDE THE TRAINS DON’T RUN ON TIME and the anti-American CHEESEBURGER are just a couple of examples of the group’s political statement. Most of the songs sound like a couple of ideas happening at the same time, making this an acquired taste.
Attached onto this reissue is the 1982 5 track EP, ANOTHER DAY/ANOTHER DOLLAR. The opening track TO HELL WITH POVERTY shows a more coherent sound, progressing to a more recognisable song structure while still embracing some experimental elements. The rest of the EP features two new tracks and two live tracks. This will be aimed at fans familiar with the band’s five-year output.
