The late Ian Dury knew for sure that it was a question of the right moment at the right time in the right place, because tomorrow might never arrive. And one day, he was right; it didn't. But his work ethic and never-give-up attitude left the world with some truly memorable music that is as much naughty fun as one can reasonably bear. There are 36 tracks, and all of the faves are here, of course. Who would want an Ian Dury comp without "Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll," or "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," or "Sweet Gene Vincent?" So yeah, those are all here, and if those were the only singles the cat released, they would have assured his place in the pantheon of all that happened in the U.K. in the late '70s and early '80s. But what about the other stuff, like the James Brown meets Tom Tom Club meet Kurtis Blow mutation of the title track, with its sweet soul-jazz middle eight? Or, what about the driving piano funkiness of "Wake Up and Make Love With Love Me," with its hilarious dirty boasting and truly infectious greasy groove? And then there's the provocative ska meets reggae and R&B of "I Want to Be Straight," with its proclamation of wanting to get out of the dumps and into a place of stature in the welfare state. There is humor in this music in bushels. But all of that humor points to the heart of a cultural malaise, and at what crap it is to be lonely and brokenhearted and broke in an age of abundance while questioning what that abundance is. All of it backed by a band that never got credit for how tight and versatile it was, how it provoked Dury onto greater lyrical plateaus just to match those killer grooves. It's a shame the guy's gone, man, a real shame. What's worse is that he didn't get nearly the credit he was owed during his lifetime -- he had a better sense of humor and was more musically interesting that James White by a country mile, and had a better band than anybody. Hopefully, anybody who was remotely interested in Dury will pick this little slab of memory up and be astonished. Never has the sound of real rebellion been so friendly or so necessary.
After releasing several promising singles and scoring a British number one with 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick', Ian Dury and the Blockheads released their debut album to widespread critical acclaim. Why then, is the album so overlooked? Ian Dury had to overcome adversity his entire life. Diagnosed with Polio at the age of seven that left him crippled, it seemed that rockstar could be ticked off possible career paths for Dury. But become a star he did, against all odds developing a charismatic and powerful stage persona to complement his cheeky odes to sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. After his pub band split up, it seemed that Dury’s luck was finally up. However, Dury had already proved his tenacity, and having honed his trade on the pub circuit for many years, he emerged to the forefront with a new band - The Blockheads. The factor that will stand out to listeners first of all are the lyrics - they flow wonderfully, and their observational wit gives the album a unique sense of humour. Having said that, there is an equal amount of crude moments, such as the tirade of swearing that opens Plaistow Patricia, or the fart noises and disgusting imagery served up on Blockheads. The album also offers some social commentary, although this is few and far between. It's far too easy to forget about the Blockheads when talking about Dury. Although Dury's outlandish appearance and larger-than-life persona was inevitably going to garner the most attention, the Blockheads deserve credit for simply laying solid and often fantastic rhythmic foundations for Dury to build upon. Check out how the funky bassline and tinkling pianos on Wake Up and Make Love with Me accentuate the saucy lyrical content, or how the wailing brass band and chugging guitars on Plaistow Patricia allows the band push Dury to the forefront without compromising themselves. As all the best backing bands should do, they play to their frontman's strengths without limiting themselves in any way. However, the record is not without its flaws. The gratuitous swearing in places will be repellant to some, while many will be put off by Dury's vocal delivery - a thick London accent that ocassionaly slips into deadpan is inevitably not for everyone. He also has a tendency to slip into shouting on some of the rockier numbers, such as Blockheads. Others may be put off by the schmaltzy instrumentation, or the basic structure of the songs - you won't find many time signature changes or lead breaks here - it's straightforward and to the point. It's also fair to say that a portion of the lyrics will be lost on non-British people, and as such they will miss out on what I personally feel is one of the albums strengths. What we're left with is a record that will always have select appeal. It may have garnered platinum status with just over a million sales, but the record was destined to be a cult favourite, especially outside of Britian. What we're also left with is Dury's legacy - the one record, that above all others, is a testament to his musical achievements. For that reason alone, it deserves to be bought and listened to and then listened to again and forever cherished.
Recommended tracks Wake Up and Make Love with Me - an encapsulation of Ian Dury - funny lyrics, and fine funk from his band. Sweet Gene Vincent - Dury shows his softer side, and contrasts it with some terrace shouting and 'meat & potatoes' rock on this tribute to another overlooked star. Sex and Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll - if I was to tell you that this song is credited with inventing the phrase, how could you deny it's anything but essential? Luckily, the songs musical worth backs it up. What a Waste - this single packs in hooks and jazzy grooves, along with an off-kilter synthesiser interlude that marks it out.