The new album by The Streets album is called 'The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living' and is out on April 11th

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It's out in April, apparently.

The Streets have revealed that their new album will be called 'The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living'.

The album, due for release on April 11, is also loosely based on Mike Skinner's life after the success of 2004's 'A Grand Don't Come For Free'.

"It isn't a narrative," Skinner told NME. "But to be honest I don't think I could write an album without feeling like there are plots going on. Actually this album is a true story. After 'A Grand Don't Come For Free' I was like, 'What am I going to write about?' I can't moan I've got no money any more, but then it gradually dawned on me that my life is so crazy! You'd never believe some of the stuff that's happened to me along the way in countries far away."

Skinner spent the summer recording his third album at home and then he went to New York in October to finish the tracks. He worked with an engineer who would email over the sounds Skinner requested and The Streets frontman would put the pieces of the record together.

Skinner revealed that he wanted Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani to appear on the new album. He said: "I've spoken to loads of people - it could prove difficult. Maybe on the next album we'll do it, but it's definitely an idea I'd like to pursue."

He also revealed some unlikely influences. "I love The Smiths, but to me it all sounds quite similar - I want to be more like The Who. Every album I make I want to move the sound on. The first one was grungey garage, the second was really slow and dark. This album is going to be a bit more polished and bit faster, hopefully exciting."

http://www.nme.com/news/streets/21864

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

It's going to be shit, isn't it?

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

Also: ALBUM ALBUM ALBUM. I'm an idiot. Someone change the thread title, please.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

the streets are so over...like new laddism

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:54 (nineteen years ago)

saying "[artist] is so over" is so over

― marc h. (marc h.), Saturday, 7 January 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

True - but there was something of the zeitgeist about The Streets. Like Blur and Oasis in 1995.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 7 January 2006 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

"but then it gradually dawned on me that my life is so crazy!"

This is the precise moment that Skinner lost it. I'm not expecting much. But if there's one track as good as FBYKI then it'll all be ok.

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 7 January 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

I have faith.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 7 January 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

True - but there was something of the zeitgeist about The Streets. Like Blur and Oasis in 1995.

But Blur were still good after that! Or are you just saying now is the moment the Streets won't be trendy anymore? I'd buy that.

Come to think of it, though, that Gladwell quote on another thread ("for the second time in 30 years, the British have taken something black and done it better" or whatever) was probably the Streets' shark-jump

― marc h. (marc h.), Saturday, 7 January 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

I'll second the "I have faith" - two good albums in a row, no good reason to think the third won't also be good: there'll never be that "hey, what a good new artist" moment but I think he's a very good writer & a smart businessman = he's not likely to make a record you don't like if you like the Streets

Marc madly OTM about declaring things over being way over

― Mr Straight Toxic (ghostface), Saturday, 7 January 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

Declaring that declaring that things are over is over is so over.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, two albums in and he's washed up. Nah, fuck that noise, put me in the "faith" camp.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:26 (nineteen years ago)

oh god the stardom album. well, considering i expected it to be the subject of the last one, i guess we got off lucky.

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

provided there's no moaning about how hard his life is, i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

I think it'll be more along the lines of "Whahey, look at the wacky situations I insist on getting myself into". See: "Soaked By The Ale", "Too Much Brandy".

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

THIS IS AWESOME NEWS!! I had NO IDEA he was recording a new album!! Will it be the album of the 21st century like the last one? Only time will tell.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner's too funny to do a "isn't stardom horrible?" album. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure the scenesters have already jumped ship.

― Excelsior Syndrum (noodle vague), Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

that the album's called the hardest way to make an easy living can't be a good sign.

― it gradually dawned on me that my life is so crazy (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

Oh come on! This is a guy that's written a grand total of one-and-a-half duff songs his entire career. Of course it's gonna kick ass.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner's too funny to do a "isn't stardom horrible?" album.

So was Jarvis Cocker. 'Till he made a "isn't stardom horrible?" album. But then a lot of people seemed to like This is Hardcore, so who knows? In any case, it doesn't seem as if Skinner is going to go "dark" ala Cocker, instead, according to him, it's going to be a "more polished and bit faster, hopefully exciting" take on the fame game.

Actually, thinking back, I thought A Grand Don't Come For Free would be 'ruined'/diluted by the effects of the success of his first album. So...

― Merryweather (scarlet), Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:58 (nineteen years ago)

Jarvis was always funny but always bleak. TIH is an exaggeration of the bleak, but it's still wonderful.

On a slightly separate note, the Sway album sounds great on a first listen.

― Excelsior Syndrum (noodle vague), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who can turn a Bloc Party record into a song about successfully stealing a Neumann microphone from the BBC studios isn't likely to moan about the pressures of stardom.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

If anyone gives this a positive review other than Nuts Magazine I'll be very surprised.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:23 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2004190509,00.jpg

― öROXYMUZAKö (roxymuzak), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who can turn a Bloc Party record into a song about successfully stealing a Neumann microphone from the BBC studios

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 8 January 2006 04:46 (nineteen years ago)

above-the-line bonafide genius. so rare. faith for me but i never was a scenester.

― john clarkson, Sunday, 8 January 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who can turn a Bloc Party record into a song about successfully stealing a Neumann microphone from the BBC studios
??

Streets remix of the Bloc Party song Banquet where Skinner admits nicking one of Jo Whiley's microphones after they did their Live Lounge session on Radio 1.

― David Merryweather Goes To Far (scarlet), Sunday, 8 January 2006 18:56 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner's too funny to do a "isn't stardom horrible?" album.

even so it's hard to escape the conundrum of being known for writing about your everyday life, then your everyday life turns out to be the everyday life of a famous adulated person. eminem has only dealt with this intermittently well.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 8 January 2006 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

Oh man, I can't wait.

Seriously though, what's with the skepticism? He's barely made a wrong move yet. Besides, "The Hardest Way to Make An Easy Living" could refer to anything... "A Grand.. etc" actually sounded at first like the title to an "Isn't stardom crap?" album and look what it turned out to be.

― Roz (Roz), Sunday, 8 January 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

"the hardest way to make an easy living" is a common expression used by poker players to describe their work

― robin (robin), Monday, 9 January 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know if that has anything to do with it or not

― robin (robin), Monday, 9 January 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

I can't wait for this.

― Stephen C (ihope), Monday, 9 January 2006 02:54 (nineteen years ago)

HELLOOOO he's technically an MC, spitting about fame has, y'know, worked occasionally in the past...

― Lukas (lukas), Monday, 9 January 2006 03:33 (nineteen years ago)

i was wondering when he was going to put something new out.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Monday, 9 January 2006 03:43 (nineteen years ago)

"the hardest way to make an easy living" is a common expression used by poker players to describe their work

LOL TO BUY FR3SH V1@GRA AND TEX4S HOL''DEM POKER FROM TEH ST33TZ TURN THE P@G3!

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Monday, 9 January 2006 04:02 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2004190509,00.jpg

― öROXYMUZAKö (roxymuzak), Friday, 13 January 2006 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

April 11th = April 1 DOUBLED = The Feast of St. April Fool's

Mike Sinner rides a pale horse

― Lukas (lukas), Friday, 13 January 2006 22:23 (nineteen years ago)

When I said he wouldn't make an "isn't stardom horrible?" album I meant it wouldn't be a whiny "isn't stardom horrible?" album. More like a wry "isn't stardom bollocks?" kind of a thing.

― Flower King of Flies (noodle vague), Friday, 13 January 2006 22:26 (nineteen years ago)

I'm excited.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 13 January 2006 23:22 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe he'll become the George Best of gambling.

Streets remix of the Bloc Party song Banquet where Skinner admits nicking one of Jo Whiley's microphones after they did their Live Lounge session on Radio 1.

Would anyone be kind enough to post that here?

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Saturday, 14 January 2006 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

01 Pranging Out
02 War of the Sexes
03 The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
04 All Goes Out the Window
05 Memento Mori
06 Can't Con an Honest John
07 When You Wasn't Famous
08 Never Went to Church
09 Hotel Expressionism
10 Two Nations
11 Fake Streets Hat

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:06 (nineteen years ago)

guess this one won't be ending on a philosophical note, then

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:09 (nineteen years ago)

New Single is garbage

― Erock LAzron, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:16 (nineteen years ago)

Where can I hear it??? I'LL be the judge of that!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:52 (nineteen years ago)

YSI thread.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:53 (nineteen years ago)

the new single's great! i say this tentatively.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

Jesus the new single is horrendous! Only listened to it once, but even so...ugh.

― Hat (Hat), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:34 (nineteen years ago)

i'm with "hat"

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:36 (nineteen years ago)

It's great. Not tentative.

― Abu Hamster (noodle vague), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 02:00 (nineteen years ago)

If you like "Fit but you know it", this is probably your thing.

― chrisco (chrisco), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 04:09 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah but who likes that? I consider myself a Streets fan and christ that song is irritating - tolerable in the context of the album perhaps, but as a single it's pretty hard to take. And this new single is worse!

― Hat (Hat), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 04:24 (nineteen years ago)

"Fit" was my unfavorite track off 'Grand' except for "get out of my house", but I was just comparing the sound. Though I did like that Futureheads mix.

― chrisco (chrisco), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 05:16 (nineteen years ago)

I agree with chrisco, those are my two least favourite tracks off "Grand". Theres just something really basic / childlike about "Fit" that really irked me. Basically just the lyrcis to the chorus, I think I could handle the instrumental alright.

And yes, the new single is much, much worse.

I couldn't even listen to the last minute of it. Though, his 2nd and 3rd single are usually much better than his first, oddly enough. Here's hoping.

― Erock LAzron, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 06:26 (nineteen years ago)

It's nothing like "Fit"?!?! The beats on this are great, all the 80s video game synth and the fake steel drum backing. Better than most of A Grand other than "Blinded by the Lights" I reckon. A lot better.

― Abu Hamster (noodle vague), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 09:37 (nineteen years ago)

Abu is exactly OTM.

― snowballing (snowballing), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

Is this calypso? Only thing missing seem to be the steel drums...

― JoB (JoB), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 10:39 (nineteen years ago)

surely he can't get any worse than 'dry your eyes'. surely not.

i think the inescapable conclusion that original pirate material was a fluke genius album by an utter cockfarmer is looming.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 13:27 (nineteen years ago)

Oh my God, I love the new singles, you're all nuts.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 13:32 (nineteen years ago)

crikey that's some 50/50 split between pro and anti there.

i bet if we dug out the '04 '...Grand..' thread its starts much the same way, and we all now how it ended. album of 2004 wasnt it in the polls? i mean our polls?

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 13:35 (nineteen years ago)

The beats on this are great, all the 80s video game synth

Dizzee Rascal did this much better in Stand Up Tall.

Also, what is he saying at the end?

― chrisco (chrisco), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

the song at fluxblog is not good.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

it's not just 'not good', it's ABYSMAL. this is 'ass like that' bad, if not worse. this is what nuts magazine sounds like in aural form.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 18:49 (nineteen years ago)

this is fantastic! and i didn't like "fit but..." the first few times i heard it, either, but this sounds great first time around.

― toby (tsg20), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:53 (nineteen years ago)

I'm really not clear on what is not to love in that song.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:56 (nineteen years ago)

It works - I really like it. Seriously, now - was another album of unfamous, sad-sack Mike Skinner really going to cut it?

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 19:58 (nineteen years ago)

It's fucking horrible. An embarrassment.

― paulhw (paulhw), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

it's ok.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

I like it.

― Barnet's greatest ever pimp (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:21 (nineteen years ago)

It's everything that's good about British music in the last 20 years.

― Barnet's greatest ever pimp (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:23 (nineteen years ago)

You know, I can tell you exactly why I think "When You Wasn't Famous" is so great - it's all in the melodic turn in the chorus when he says "it's all so easy you get awfully spoiled" and "it feels just like when you wasn't famous." It just totally kills me every time, I love it.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:25 (nineteen years ago)

Sounds like Scritti

― Barnet's greatest ever pimp (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:26 (nineteen years ago)

Or the new Black Grape

― Barnet's greatest ever pimp (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

It's Too Gay For America.

― Barnet's greatest ever pimp (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:27 (nineteen years ago)

Bad single.
First album was his best and that one's pretty up-and-down.

― deej.. (deej..), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:33 (nineteen years ago)

Sounds like Scritti

otm!

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

I love it - it sounded a mess first time, and it took a couple of plays before it seemed to all pull together. There are awkward moments, but that works, I think. He says some obvious things (like about believing tabloid gossip, and the central statement) that I haven't heard other people say. I'm quite excited about the album now.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:15 (nineteen years ago)

I also totally love the "I know!" at the end.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 22:17 (nineteen years ago)

I also totally love the "I know!" at the end.

OTM.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 23:23 (nineteen years ago)

Awesome song. And I have NO idea what he says at the end. I even played it in reverse and all I got out of it was a bunch of gibberish and a few "fuck"s.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 23:58 (nineteen years ago)

Oh I get it now. This is a radio edit, so every time he says "fuck", it plays "fuck" played backwards.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:00 (nineteen years ago)

meh.

― worst iPod case scenario (fandango), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:12 (nineteen years ago)

It's everything that's good about British music in the last 20 years.

-- Barnet's greatest ever pimp (adamr...), February 15th, 2006. (nordicskilla) (later)

Or the new Black Grape

-- Barnet's greatest ever pimp (adamr...), February 15th, 2006. (nordicskilla) (later)

Now I'm confused.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:14 (nineteen years ago)

It sounds like a parody of the Streets to me.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Thursday, 16 February 2006 00:17 (nineteen years ago)

Holy cats does that single suck.

― subgenius (subgenius), Thursday, 16 February 2006 01:32 (nineteen years ago)

I like the way it's divided opinion so strongly though.

Maybe the single is a diversionary tactic and the album will sound completely different.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Thursday, 16 February 2006 08:12 (nineteen years ago)

It's weird, I was always kinda sorta okay with The Streets, but suddenly both of the records and this new single are totally ruling me.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 10:46 (nineteen years ago)

I think the key to loving most Streets stuff is to fall head-over-heels for his delivery, which then makes almost anything sound fantastic.

It's quite possible that it's the backward-playing "fucks" that are muddling me with this single. But the subjectmatter/character is also really not to my taste.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 16 February 2006 10:50 (nineteen years ago)

Sounds like Scritti

I have to here this right now.

Unfortunately I'm at work and the MOTHERFUCKS have banned me from listening to my headphones (or speakers for that matter).

...Regarding 'Fit...' I heard it on the radio for the first time the other day (thought it was a bit so-so at the time) and was surprised by how much energy and excitement it had compared to everthing else being played on Radio 1 at the moment.

― Chewshabadoo (Chewshabadoo), Thursday, 16 February 2006 11:14 (nineteen years ago)

still every bit as great as Madness

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Thursday, 16 February 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

sean, it's the same subject matter, the same character, just new jokes, fresh beats. streets fans will mostly like this-- grand was poised to be a disappointment, too, remember? anti-streets crit-type persons probably won't have their minds changed, but i'm guessing the opm-unfamiliar masses who overhear this at bars will down another drink and like dance or whatever kids do these days.

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 16 February 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

marc otm - I really think Skinner's an all-or-nothing type, for me anyhow: I like his schpiel, he'd have to pretty much change up his whole game for me not not like something he did

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Thursday, 16 February 2006 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

i should add -- this track hits differently for the better on the album. also in case i came off arrogant there: when i say fans "will" like this i obviously mean "i personally think they are likely to". and when i say like i mean love!

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 16 February 2006 14:40 (nineteen years ago)

And in other news -- making me dislike this song even more -- Pitchfork reports Bloke's still got it

― subgenius (subgenius), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:14 (nineteen years ago)

AWSOME

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

sean, it's the same subject matter, the same character

disagree

I really think Skinner's an all-or-nothing type

disagree vehemently.

Uh, I guess I should clarify. I'm a really big Streets fan, and my comment about "it all depending on if you take to Mike" was directed at Matthew P... I was suggesting that perhaps in his head the Streets flow had finally clicked, and things suddenly sounded rosy.

Mike on this new single feels like an irritating person to me; he's inflating that part of his personality and it puts me off. That and the "man, pickin' up chix is so easy cos i am FAMOUS" thing isn't nearly as interesting to me as the mundane narrative subject-matter of most of his earlier stuff.

and i've not heard anything but the single.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

surely it's the craft, not the subject-matter, that makes Skinner exciting? dude could write about sliciing tomatos as far as I'm concerned, I just like the way he tells a story

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:37 (nineteen years ago)

agreed, but subject matter (and hooks!) can make individual tracks irritating and un-good, no matter how amusing it is to hear his delivery of the stuff, once-through.

like, i'd be happy hear Tom Waits sing the phone-book, but that doesn't mean he couldn't record shitty songs!

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:39 (nineteen years ago)

"man, pickin' up chix is so easy cos i am FAMOUS"

But that's the opposite of what the song's really about! Sean, I really feel like you might come around on this one. I hope so, anyway.

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 16 February 2006 15:44 (nineteen years ago)

I will apply myself to the task when I get home. :) If anyone has a copy without backwardsed vocals, this might help substantially.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

Is this song really about Rachel Stevens? Did Mike Skinner say so in an interview or something?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:11 (nineteen years ago)

I've met Rachel. She's nice.

― Too Gay for America (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

(but very boring)

― Too Gay for America (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:20 (nineteen years ago)

i like the music but his singing is terrible and as usual he is trying to shoehorn too much into the lines. a stronger voice and tidier lyrics on this would make it great.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:26 (nineteen years ago)

ok the "I know" right at the end very nearly saves the whole damn thing.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:27 (nineteen years ago)

with that constant bassdrum i wonder if he wasn't inspired a little by Fannypack's '718' for this one at least.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

Mike on this new single feels like an irritating person to me; he's inflating that part of his personality and it puts me off

i'd put it in much stronger terms (using 'repulsive' instead of ;irritating' for one) but yes, the streets persona has somehow metamorphosed from someone very sympathetic on opm, to someone just pathetic on a grand, to someone who appears to be the epitome of everyone i despise in britain today.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

i mean i loathe this for much the same reasons as i loathe oasis! who are the worst band ever! except bizarrely i give a shit about mike skinner because opm was so great, a fact which seems less and less plausible with each passing day.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:39 (nineteen years ago)

it's a song about an average guy who happens to be infatuated with a pop star (and due to his newfound fame happens to be in a position to follow up on said infatuation). zaniness ensues. what's repulsive? it's the same old mike!

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

This song sounds a lot like MC Pitman's "Waiting" (off his It Takes a Nation of Tossers LP).

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

opm wasn't 'zany' at all! words like 'wacky', 'crazy' and 'zany' are like the biggest warning signs ever that something will be utter shit.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 16 February 2006 16:53 (nineteen years ago)

opm was hilarious. maybe it's an american thing.

― marc h. (marc h.), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:07 (nineteen years ago)

noes

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:09 (nineteen years ago)

oddly i heard this new single and figured it would alienate Skinner from American audience(s) further but then I've always been surprised that Skinner is popular at all outside the UK.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:10 (nineteen years ago)

this guy's whole thing has been rapping about his life

why would he change his style now?

this song has an awesome beat and it's got a strong chorus. it's very pop. i have no problem with it.

i'm curious about the song 'fake streets hat'.

― Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

annoyingly I can't stop thinking about Rachel Stevens digging her fingers into Skinner's back now. ergh.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:16 (nineteen years ago)

why would he change his style now?

yeah but he HAS changed his style (between opm and a grand, anyway) - the production used to be sparse but unobtrusive and never clumsy, but now it just sounds amateur and all over the place; he used to use his crap flow in a pretty good way, more like spoken word than anything else, on opm, but along the line he switched to deliberately retarded 'comedy' rapping.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:27 (nineteen years ago)

he's just rapping about different things these days because different things are happening to him. if he just kept rapping about going to the bar for three albums, you'd probably still complain.

the beats are a natural extension of what he was making before. if anything, the production's gotten way more professional in the last two albums.

the chorus to 'don't mug yourself' isn't far off from the melodic vocal parts on this single, you know what i mean? in my opinion, it's a natural evolution. it's admittedly a bit more pop, but i always saw that as a good look for him.

― Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:45 (nineteen years ago)

i'm not really complaining about what he's rapping about, but how he's doing it - playing up certain aspects of the presentation which were always present but in a more muted form (or counter-balanced by other stuff) before a grand.

i thought 'don't mug yourself' was easily the weakest opm track!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:55 (nineteen years ago)

(ok not weakest, 'most annoying')

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 16 February 2006 17:55 (nineteen years ago)

I respect your opinion but this time I cannot agree with you.

― Too Gay for America (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:00 (nineteen years ago)

I don't have the same virulent annoyance that Lex does, to me its just kinda boring. Like, we've heard this trick before. At least as far as production.

― deej.. (deej..), Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

It's not as though I didn't like the Streets before - I'd been into some of the songs here and there, and really love "Fit But You Know It." I think I kinda prefer Skinner in obnoxious cad mode, really!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:18 (nineteen years ago)

Pitchfork just gave the single 4 stars. Yet another time that I'm reminded of Pitchfork's increasing shittiness.

Seriously, if an album is remotely popular or accessable - 1.7 to 6.3

If an album is incoherent white noise that the masses would shun, or incredibly indie without being on a major label - 8.7 to 9.3

It's fucking horseshit and I'm getting really sick of it

― Erock LAzron, Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:34 (nineteen years ago)

I don't like the single. Sorry, chappies.

― jaymc (jaymc), Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:40 (nineteen years ago)

I would think that the more obvious sign of Pfork dropping the ball would be their negative review of the Johnny Boy, which is most likely going to end up being the best indiepop record of the year by a massive distance.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 18:44 (nineteen years ago)

That Johnny Boy record is massively disappointing.

― alex in montreal (alex in montreal), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

Wrong!

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

You know, I guess it's massively disappointing if you expect it to be something other than what it actually is. That's certainly what I got from Rob Mitchum's review.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:06 (nineteen years ago)

I expected the rest of the album to at least be in the same ballpark as "You Are The Generation" (though "15 Minutes" is). But let's not derail this thread, shall we not?

― alex in montreal (alex in montreal), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:21 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, that's more or less exactly what I meant.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:23 (nineteen years ago)

Even still, I'd say that the aesthetic of that song is on all but one of the tracks, but yes, let's not derail.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

Scritti

― Too Gay for America (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

And of course, something of Terry Hall about this. that's the key.

― Too Gay for America (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:28 (nineteen years ago)

Actually, this, Black Sweat and the Matt John EP are the only things I've got excited about yet this year.

― Too Gay for America (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 19:32 (nineteen years ago)

I like the single.
Perhaps because "Don't Mug Yourself" was my favourite track from OPM.

― zeus (zeus), Thursday, 16 February 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

total genius. i'm really, really excited about the album now...

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 16 February 2006 21:40 (nineteen years ago)

The smart people know!

― Codename: Paul Scholes (nordicskilla), Thursday, 16 February 2006 22:04 (nineteen years ago)

'don't mug yourself' is the song that got me into the streets initially and it's probably my favorite overall

― Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Thursday, 16 February 2006 22:42 (nineteen years ago)

The bit at the end goes something like 'you can't keep fucking pop stars you gotta be a fucking businessman. There are industry repercussions, Michael'

― Seth Powell (Sef), Thursday, 16 February 2006 23:20 (nineteen years ago)

That'll be Eric "Monstah!" Hall at the end of the track.

Yeah, this is fun. I much prefer the "Don't Mug Yourself"/"Fit But You Know It"/"When You Wasn't Famous" jolly-boy knees-ups to "Dry Your Eyes" and all that.

Rachel Stevens!!? Fucking hell.

― Merryweather (scarlet), Friday, 17 February 2006 00:06 (nineteen years ago)

I think this is appallingly awful and makes me want to rip my ears off and eat them, or choke Mike Skinner with them. And I liked "Don't Mug Yourself" and "Fit But You Know It", too.

― fuckface bunnykins (edwardo), Friday, 17 February 2006 00:09 (nineteen years ago)

I have faith in the man he's a create geez.

― Don Rowlando (Sam Rowlands), Friday, 17 February 2006 13:10 (nineteen years ago)

ysi?

― nervous (cochere), Friday, 17 February 2006 13:14 (nineteen years ago)

I think it's quite poor (except as a comedy/'skit') - but that he's doing exactly the right thing...

It's a good thing for him to distance himself from the male self-identified 'geezer' audience who think he's speaking for them, saying something really profound about the male condition

With the Streets, for a while there it was getting like that moment when Pulp errupted with 'Common People' or Oasis with 'What's the Story...' - when the average drunk pub sang along to it and thought it was expressing 'how it is'.

Nothing good comes out of a mob, mostly.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Friday, 17 February 2006 13:25 (nineteen years ago)

self xp nm i got it

― nervous (cochere), Friday, 17 February 2006 13:45 (nineteen years ago)

'Pranging Out'
'War of the Sexes'
'The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living'
'All Goes Out the Window'
'Memento Mori'
'Can't Con an Honest John'
'When You Wasn't Famous'
'Never Went to Church'
'Hotel Expressionism'
'Two Nations'
'Fake Streets Hats'

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 01:34 (nineteen years ago)

I'm really surprised at the number of people who are Skinner fans who don't like the single. It (and the album)feel like a natural progression to me, and I expect critical opinion on the disc will be split along pretty much the same lines as for Grand.

― JC-L (JC-L), Monday, 27 February 2006 02:49 (nineteen years ago)

a much.... cokier record.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 22:13 (nineteen years ago)

trully a brill single cant w8 4 the album

― G....DD, Thursday, 2 March 2006 22:39 (nineteen years ago)

So he's on myspace and this is what the photo on the front page of the site looked like:

http://lads.myspace.com/promotions/06_03/MS-60303-11-STRE-IW/streets_120x98.jpg

What *is* he wearing?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 15:22 (nineteen years ago)

looks like boxfresh.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

has anyone read the exclusive NME interview that is on the shelves today?

― piscesboy, Wednesday, 15 March 2006 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

MC Professor Green sounds alright:

http://www.ezarchive.com/mickey/BlogSpace/default/2QN0IZTGAY/02-the_streets-when_you_wasnt_famous_*28prof_green_remix*29-uf.mp3/_file-/02-the_streets-when_you_wasnt_famous_%28prof_green_remix%29-uf.mp3;file=/02-the_streets-when_you_wasnt_famous_%28prof_green_remix%29-uf.mp3

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Thursday, 23 March 2006 20:19 (nineteen years ago)

half those song titles could be Boxcar Willie...

― hank (hank s), Thursday, 23 March 2006 20:51 (nineteen years ago)

Just heard the single for the first time. Yuk and double yuk. To me it is fascinating how heinous it is and I cannot imagine who would ever want to hear something this bad for a second time.

― everything, Thursday, 23 March 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

Whoda thunk Rachel Stevens was a crackhead?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 23 March 2006 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

Haters don't deserve this track.

― snowballing (snowballing), Friday, 24 March 2006 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

~~Haters~~Convincted child molestors don't deserve this track.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 24 March 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

Fixed.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 24 March 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

we saw this sort of shark-jump-predicting last album, too, when "Fit But You Know It" hit the P2Ps, tons of "oh noes! well let me be the first to say IT'S ALL OVER FOR THE STREETS" and so forth & then the album of course was really good. Same'll be true here, same the rest of his career I'd guess, shark-jump-predicting being a sort of pasttime for lots of people

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Friday, 24 March 2006 13:15 (nineteen years ago)

As long as Zoo magazine exists Mike Skinner will always have a career.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Friday, 24 March 2006 13:20 (nineteen years ago)

I thought it was Myleene Klass, not Rachel Stevens?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 24 March 2006 13:35 (nineteen years ago)

I heard this playing in a club in Hamburg. I guess it leaked? I dunno. Anyway, it was bad. :(

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:03 (nineteen years ago)

i like it.

― Real Goths Don't Wear Black (Enrique), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:05 (nineteen years ago)

we saw this sort of shark-jump-predicting last album, too, when "Fit But You Know It" hit the P2Ps, tons of "oh noes! well let me be the first to say IT'S ALL OVER FOR THE STREETS" and so forth & then the album of course was really ~~good~~ disgustingly terrible and the shark-jump-predictors were COMPLETELY RIGHT because this shit is now EVEN WORSE though obviously not as bad as 'dry your eyes' because no song ever recorded could possibly be as dreadful as that.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

wvs

― Real Goths Don't Wear Black (Enrique), Friday, 24 March 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

I don't see much "shark-jump-predicting" upthread. Just a bunch of people correctly observing that the song in question is fucking laughably shite.

― everything, Friday, 24 March 2006 17:29 (nineteen years ago)

Heard the whole thing leaked, anyone hear it?

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Saturday, 25 March 2006 23:41 (nineteen years ago)

'pranging out' has a real dope beat

this all sounds very polished

― Rollie Pemberton (Rollie Pemberton), Sunday, 26 March 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

its on o1nk apparently

― nervous (cochere), Sunday, 26 March 2006 01:05 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah I found it, immeadite reaction is it's not as good as the first two but I wouldn't rule out it being a bit of grower. The single, "Never Went To Church", "Two Nations" (Sounds like a Radiohead B-side music wise.) and the title track seem like the best of the songs. The rest seem a little light-weight. I do like the icyness that the beats have in places.

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Sunday, 26 March 2006 02:18 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner is making podcasts: http://media.libsyn.com/media/jessjess/The_Beats_-_Casting_Down_Your_Pod_Vol._1.mp3

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:17 (nineteen years ago)

Three songs in, and it sounds like Mikey was doing wayyyy too much coke when he made this.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 02:58 (nineteen years ago)

I like the single! Setting your first "post-celebrity" song to a bouncy soca backing is totally bizarre and inspired.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:08 (nineteen years ago)

The whoile album is totally bizarre and inspired.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:45 (nineteen years ago)

I mean "whole."

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:45 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone see him dedicate the single to Cheryl Tweedy and Ashley Cole on TOTP?

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

is this on slsk?

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

wots soca?

― Real Goths Don't Wear Black (Enrique), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

It celebrates the female bottom. Or something. (That's the only part I remembered.)

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 15:10 (nineteen years ago)

BOOOO! this is really bad

― team jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

this be all over the seeker of souls, bro. i haven't listened to it yet.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Thursday, 30 March 2006 21:11 (nineteen years ago)

I've heard the entire album. And in my opinion, it's absolutely brilliant. Typical Streets, you need to let it fester and grow in your mind before you can truly appreciate it, but once you do, you'll be hooked. On a par with AGDCFF in my opinion, which is to say that it's ever so slightly below OPM. Picks would have to be the smacked-out paranoia of Pranging Out, the Neil Strauss-inspired War Of The Sexes, the ills of spread-betting contained in the title track, the Could Well Be In descendant All Goes out The Window, and the sadder than Dry Your Eyes and just as poignant Never Went To Church. A simply sublime effort, and proof positive that Mike Skinner hasn't lost his touch.

― Alan 12345, Saturday, 1 April 2006 23:21 (nineteen years ago)

i listened to half of it yesterday. it's a bit of a suckfest, in my opinion. i liked first track and the title track a little, but not as much as i like anything off the first 2 albums.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Sunday, 2 April 2006 05:01 (nineteen years ago)

'Hotel Expressionism' is really fun. How does no one like this?

― chrisco (chrisco), Sunday, 2 April 2006 06:02 (nineteen years ago)

Because some people is joyless churls, innit?

― Mystic Handyman (noodle vague), Sunday, 2 April 2006 09:20 (nineteen years ago)

Dude, I agree about Hotel Expressionism. It's great!

― blubberbutt, Sunday, 2 April 2006 16:15 (nineteen years ago)

"Never Went to Church" is unbelievably tear-jerky. I completely lost my shit.

― Mystic Handyman (noodle vague), Sunday, 2 April 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

Q absolutely slashed on it this month; called it lazy what-i-did-today songs now I'm famous. Don;t agree that it's 4/10 bad but it's not in the department it's in the same league as the other two are the beats and the production. Melody and lyricly it's lacking.

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Sunday, 2 April 2006 17:49 (nineteen years ago)

i've found it seriously disappointing so far. but then after 2 five-star albums we can let him off this one. i'll give it one more listen :-/

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Sunday, 2 April 2006 17:54 (nineteen years ago)

greatness!!!!

― cheshire, Sunday, 2 April 2006 22:32 (nineteen years ago)

and if your gonna bash on me for downloading, then you might as well go suck on an ice pop, cause im not gonna check here again and im sure mike doesnt mind, seeing as how he's getting paid now

SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY

― george stefanapolis, Monday, 3 April 2006 07:11 (nineteen years ago)

i've found it seriously disappointing so far. but then after 2 five-star albums we can let him off this one

Why?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 3 April 2006 07:12 (nineteen years ago)

The single only got to #8! The dumpster awaits.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 3 April 2006 08:41 (nineteen years ago)

There's a lot of this "but" type of criticism doing the rounds now and I find it extremely irritating, i.e. it's not a classic Morrissey album BUT, it's not the greatest Flaming Lips record BUT, the Streets are below par BUT. But nothing! It's either worth spending your time and money on or it isn't! Straight talking should be the new "capsule review."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 3 April 2006 08:49 (nineteen years ago)

i don't think it is worth much time and money, no buts. i am saying he's still potentially a great artist who's gone somewhere i don't particularly like, and hope he won't do so again. i'm not sorry for upping your irritation levels.

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Monday, 3 April 2006 09:48 (nineteen years ago)

not quite feeling it.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Saturday, 8 April 2006 14:25 (nineteen years ago)

will be a grower though. i quite like the final three tracks already.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Saturday, 8 April 2006 15:09 (nineteen years ago)

I've heard 5 tracks so far, and they're all really good. People are bitching about the "Oi, this celebrity business is a funny thing, innit?" factor, but it would've been hypocritical of him to do another "Sad Mike dumped by girlfriend, is late for tea with Mum" album. (And I loved "A Grand Don't Come For Free".) He was going to have to shed the sad-sack-isms eventually, and he's done so here without sacrificing his trademark hooks & one-liners.

I'll be putting my money down for the disc this coming week.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 8 April 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

i got the cd two weeks ago. yeah e-pirated. anyways, it's a good cd. half the songs are good the other half(what i call fillers in between good music) sucked. : / . again mike released a new album with a whole new concept. i recommend:hardest way to make an easy living, never went to church, two nations, pranging out, and my favorite 'all goes out the window'
and if your gonna bash on me for downloading, then you might as well go suck on an ice pop, cause im not gonna check here again and im sure mike doesnt mind, seeing as how he's getting paid now

SMOKE WEED EVERY DAY

best post ever

― Thomas Tallis (Tommy), Saturday, 8 April 2006 19:26 (nineteen years ago)

why no collaborations or cameos on this album? Kano, Sway, Lady Sov, Plan B, Roots, even Dizzee...could've been cool to hear them chipping in on some tracks, US rap album style.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Saturday, 8 April 2006 21:18 (nineteen years ago)

He'll likely save the guest spots for the remixes and b-sides, just like he did on all the singles for "A Grand Don't Come For Free".

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 8 April 2006 22:29 (nineteen years ago)

He says "WELL WEAPON" at one point, sarcastically...

C/D?

I really like the concept behind 'Fake Street Hats' - the meta and the inter-weaving of the gig recording with the rest of the track. little ideas like this really keeps Skinner's appeal up there despite losing so many points in other areas on this album.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 10 April 2006 16:00 (nineteen years ago)

He'll likely save the guest spots for the remixes and b-sides, just like he did on all the singles for "A Grand Don't Come For Free".

but why save it? esp. as the remixes tend to beat the originals. there was an opportunity to feature people on this in the same way countless hip-hop albums do, but it was not taken. it might've helped counter this sense of self-indulgence that pervades throughout the album. of course it's meant to be introspective and centred around where Skinner is at now - perhaps he feels more isolated than ever from other artists. the disappointing thing is that there was probably more chance of a collab. with Pete Doherty or Chris Martin than any grimists or MCs. a lucky escape in that respect at least.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Monday, 10 April 2006 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

I don't like the new album at all, but I don't see why Skinner should use his records as a charity for people who can't carry records on their own.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 06:55 (nineteen years ago)

heard "ranging out" on the radio yesterday - as a "tune" it was not bad...but as a lyric - hilarious...and an escellent portrayal of that nasty time of a large weekend ( usually Sunday 11am ish) when everything starts to go pear shaped and you keep drinking and whatever to keep teh wolves at bay

― grapple (grapple), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 07:09 (nineteen years ago)

This has started to grow on me a lot more. There are a lot of little moments in it that I failed to notice on the first few listens that add to it's charms. It's still nothing spectacular, but it far from being a bad album.

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 12:26 (nineteen years ago)

Bought the album off iTunes this afternoon. Well worth it. "Never Went To Church" actually made me totally weepy - I had to stop into a coffee shop to wipe my eyes & nose, and just generally regain my composure.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Tuesday, 11 April 2006 23:19 (nineteen years ago)

Will somebody please tell me why, even though this album is thirty-seven minutes long, it's being released as a two-record set? That's like nine minutes per side!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 00:20 (nineteen years ago)

Cos it needs to be played LOUD.

I'm liking it more and more.

― Dogfight Giggle (noodle vague), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 10:04 (nineteen years ago)

Whenever anyone says a Streets song has made them cry, I never believe them!

I'm surprised that there isn't more talk about this album, considering the huge discussion the last two prompted and how other third albums considered a letdown (e.g. Human After All) also got several hundred posts.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

Daft Punk have a core following on ILM; I don't think you can say as much about the Streets; as I recall not everyone here was exactly knocked out by the last one either.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

Whenever anyone says a Streets song has made them cry, I never believe them!

Well, it took me many months before I could listen to "Weak Become Heroes" without experiencing at least a slight ocular pricking. And yet now I find I have zero interest in giving THWTMAEL so much as a cursory first listen. Strange, that.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

I think the Streets following on ILM is only slightly lesser than the Daft Punk fanbase. Basing this on their respective performances in the 00-04 ILM poll if nothing else.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Whenever anyone says a Streets song has made them cry, I never believe them!

Well, "Never Went To Church" reduced me to a blubbering mess, so there ya go. (I must have looked like a total idiot, drying my eyes in the Starbucks lineup.) If you've ever lost a loved one, or come close to losing a loved one, this song will speak to you on some level.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 16:02 (nineteen years ago)

Not completely sure what I make of the album. Didn't really dig the first one, was blown out of the water by the second one, but I really don't know about this. The single is obviously completely misunderstood (and also great), and I don't seem to be turned off by some of the tracks that other people are.

The Johnny Cash/Biggie/Stevie Wonder line in "Two Nations" is great; people should talk about it more (I think).

― PB, Wednesday, 12 April 2006 18:09 (nineteen years ago)

"but we love Biggie, Johnny Cash and stevie wonder, its no biggie we got no cash and its no wonder, cos im proud we gave you people like John Lennon even though you shot him as well"

― PB, Wednesday, 12 April 2006 18:12 (nineteen years ago)

Definitely one of the better lines on the record. I'm actually very surprised by the range of lyrical content on this album - there are way fewer "I'm a celebrity - what the fuck?" songs than I anticipated.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 12 April 2006 18:25 (nineteen years ago)

Just got back from a 40 minute showcase at the studios of the Belgian national radio station and I don't think I've ever witnessed this much fun in 40 minutes ever. Brilliant improvisational skills, joking around with the crowd and the rest of the band, fantastic surprise cover snippets, jumping off the balcony into the crowd (hadn't been done before, it's much too high for normal people), Skinner and his band are smokin' hot onstage.

― StanM (StanM), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

The Streets following isn't quite as bit as the Daft Punk following was a couple of years ago, but at the same time there are a million more things to say about a Streets album than a Daft Punk record.

I'm two tracks into the new one and I'm wondering what the point of The Streets is now that Skinner's let the listener identification angle go.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 14 April 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe its my fault for skipping straight to Never Went To Church without listening to it in the context of the album, but did he deliberately aim for the exact mawkish mid-point between No Woman No Cry and Let It Be? And I can't work out whether the Skinner gospel choir impression is audaciously brilliant or the worst idea ever.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 14 April 2006 15:34 (nineteen years ago)

Hotel Expression = Not Addicted.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 14 April 2006 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

Much better tho

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Friday, 14 April 2006 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

I'm loving the new album! :)

― Pat, Tuesday, 18 April 2006 23:02 (nineteen years ago)

As long as Zoo magazine exists Mike Skinner will always have a career.

This kind of comment annoys me a lot. Nuts and Zoo readers are not prime Streets target audiences, ILM is.

Well I'm a big fan of Skinner. He's a very smart, intelligent and unique songwriter who managed to detonate the UK Garage concept with his first album and proceeded to create the slickest, cleverest conceptual hiphop album ever to come out of Britain. For me AGDCFF is the noughties equivalent of Blur's Parklife (an album I've always enjoyed and respected).

So sad that his third album is a bit weak on the ground. Cocaine, a drug famous for stifling creativity and encouraging artists to revel in their own backsides, is almost certainly a factor here. Using 'Pranging Out', an ode to the horrors of the post-C comedown, as a first track feels almost like an apologetic sicknote of sorts.

'When You Wasn't Famous', the first single teeters between past successes and a horrible mess. The Club Med production comes off awkward and is hampered by Skinner's over-ambitious rhyming and discordant chorus. Indeed, one thing he should avoid in future is trying to sing, especially higher notes which sound like someone pulling the edges of a balloon.

'We Never Went To Church' is admittedly rather touching. Skinner works a requiem to his father over Bach's Aire on A G-String and while it's not the most original idea in the world, the Streets spirit shines through. Not as affecting as 'Dry Your Eyes' but it would make a good third single after the title track.

One thing I have noticed is a change in Skinner's delivery. Often he'll abandon rhyme and reason to fit as many ideas into a line and it can sound really clunky and 'orrible, much in the same way Anti-Pop Consortium come off too clever clever, the Streets just sounds wrong. The choruses to "Two Nations" and "Hotel Expressionism" let down perfectly good tracks in this way.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 09:45 (nineteen years ago)

For me AGDCFF is the noughties equivalent of Blur's Parklife (an album I've always enjoyed and respected)

Skinner has been quoted as v annoyed by Parklife comparisons tho (to Fit But You Know It at least)...even tho you may well be right.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 09:48 (nineteen years ago)

really? surprising. at the end of the day Skinner's always been an indie kid disguised as a chav.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 09:58 (nineteen years ago)

but did he deliberately aim for the exact mawkish mid-point between No Woman No Cry and Let It Be?

If he did he should be taken out and summarily executed

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:00 (nineteen years ago)

"Never Went To Church" is Liberty X's "A Song for Lovers", and I claim my five pounds.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:05 (nineteen years ago)

Parklife is a totally, totally different beast to AGDCFF.

The new Streets is lacklustre at best.

Skinner is NOT an indie kid disguised as a chav.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:05 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner _is_ an indie kid, nobody looks more at home on the NME cover right now than he.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:09 (nineteen years ago)

NME isn't an indie magazine though, now.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

nme =! indie

xpost!

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:12 (nineteen years ago)

Kerrang doesn't cover rock music, rock music is what is covered by Kerrang.

Apply the same logic to the NME....

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:13 (nineteen years ago)

shan't.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:15 (nineteen years ago)

skinner is neither indie kid nor chav, he's...the awful mid-point. he's a 'lad'.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:20 (nineteen years ago)

clever wording, cheers.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:21 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner would've totally been a ska/soul boy if he'd been 22 in 1981.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:22 (nineteen years ago)

Which proves what exactly?

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:23 (nineteen years ago)

trudat, re. soul boy/ska-ness.

no-one knows what 'chav' means. skinner isn't one. he definitely isn't indie, eivver.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

It proves that this idea of Skinner as 'indie-kid' is largely nonsense, to me.

But what if THWTMAEL is closer to The Great Escape than AGDCFF is to Parklife. Meaning after this we'll get his 'Song 2'!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

What I mean is, I don't know what that means. My sister was 21/22 in 1980 and she was into ska/soul.

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:25 (nineteen years ago)

I still think of NME as indie, or rather indie-rock. Discovering the 'exciting' new indie bands and lauding them to the extent where they become pop rock titans is after all still very much their bag. I suppose if nothing else this means they aspire to being indie, rather than actually being indie, which is just as bad!

I don't think The Streets is 'at home' on the cover necessarily, he's the token 'non-indie-rock' artist, sticking out by some distance as a result (see also Reading line-up).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 10:33 (nineteen years ago)

He's just Preston with less success with the laydeez and no shit tribal tattoos.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:15 (nineteen years ago)

Rachel Stevens or Chantelle? I know who I'd rather have success with!

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:18 (nineteen years ago)

skinner is neither indie kid nor chav, he's...the awful mid-point. he's a 'lad'.

I don't believe he is who he portrays himself to be though.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:34 (nineteen years ago)

yeah but all i care about is what he portrays himself as, because that's who's narrating his songs.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:37 (nineteen years ago)

What about keeping it real? :(

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:38 (nineteen years ago)

yeah but all i care about is what he portrays himself as, because that's who's narrating his songs.
-- The Lex (alex.macpherso...), April 19th, 2006.

this is quite indie isn't it? you can 'magine morrissey fans doing the same...

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:40 (nineteen years ago)

i don't like to imagine what morrissey fans do.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:41 (nineteen years ago)

Self-harm? In other words, keep buying Morrissey albums?

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:44 (nineteen years ago)

Can we talk about the album instead of letting this deteriorate into another lame brand positioning type thread?

This is the first Streets album where I've found it largely impossible to empathise with the Skinner character. It's not even the coke or the pressures of fame, it's the sense of humility's gone. Is there any worse bit on any Streets record that the end of War Of The Sexes when he shouts "people that get hammered DON'T GET TO NAIL!" On the past couple of hours, it'd be all about the time when he got so drunk he missed out on pulling the cute girl from the video shop, now we get a leery "let me show how how the world works, my son" type mess.

The moments when the album WORKS is when that humility comes back - It All Goes Out The Window and Never Went To Church in particular.

(I've just realised that I really want from the new Streets album is 12 variants on the failed pulling thread from ILE.)

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:46 (nineteen years ago)

The whole point of Skinner, frustrating tho it may be for critics, is that he is all and none of these things. Not an 'everyman' as such (how crass) but still a dilution of subcultures and influences resulting in average modern young bloke on street transported to stage by virtue of his pop music abilities and ideas (itself not so uncommon, loads of 'ordinary blokes' involved in music, whether it be in a rock band, DJ/dance duo or whatever).

In a way this makes him quite 'boring' as that is truly the reality and he willingly reflects that in his work, even now when professing either nonchalance at fame (keeping it ~~real~~boring) or expressing the absurdity and difficulty of it all (humility and gratitude show through but not quite in the contrived way they tend to with most rappers - tho to be fair most rappers come from much harder, poorer backgrounds than the likes of Skinner, this much being obvious).

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:54 (nineteen years ago)

(I've just realised that I really want from the new Streets album is 12 variants on the failed pulling thread from ILE.)

BRITAIN LOVES A LOSER!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:55 (nineteen years ago)

he's not an average modern young bloke!!! that's what i hate most about the skinner myth. most average modern young blokes aren't massive cunts!!!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:56 (nineteen years ago)

Neither is he, silly.

Also like the last one this album is still lacking anything as dramatic or urgent as 'Same Old Thing' or anything as emotionally rousing as 'It's Too Late' or 'Weak Become Heroes'. Ah well.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:58 (nineteen years ago)

most average modern young blokes aren't massive cunts!!!

Alternate answer: Of course they bloody are!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 11:59 (nineteen years ago)

actually i think skinner's most indie moments, the most mawkish ones - 'dry your eyes' for example - have more in common with coldplay and james blunt than other indie

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:00 (nineteen years ago)

coldplay and blunt != indie
skinner != indie
'dry your eyes' != indie

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:03 (nineteen years ago)

whatever you want to call that bad music, i am not one to quibble over semantics

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:05 (nineteen years ago)

I agree with the Ska/Soulboy comparison. Specials/Great Escape/AGDCFF.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:08 (nineteen years ago)

please lex talk some more about how much you hate "dry your eyes".

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:13 (nineteen years ago)

yeah but all i care about is what he portrays himself as, because that's who's narrating his songs.

I like how this stops being an issue with you when it comes to grime MCs talking about shooting one another in the face.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:15 (nineteen years ago)

if anything skinner was less of an identifiable-with-persona on 'opm' than on 'agdcff' cos on the former he was quite often, or often enough, chatting about being a performer, so he was kind of half-immersed in the (very britpop) world of formica, lager, and shit drugs that he spent the rest of the time talking about.

there's something quite mod/soulboy about making music as a kind of tribute to the music you like but without finally being that music.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:21 (nineteen years ago)

there's something quite mod/soulboy about making music as a kind of tribute to the music you like but without having sufficient talent to do any justice to that music

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:24 (nineteen years ago)

there's something quite mod/soulboy about making music as a kind of tribute to the music you like but without finally being that music.

Entire history of rock music to thread

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

so he was kind of half-immersed in the (very britpop) world of formica, lager, and shit drugs that he spent the rest of the time talking about.

that world also articulated in Britpop yes but hardly the sole domain of.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:26 (nineteen years ago)

I like how this stops being an issue with you when it comes to grime MCs talking about shooting one another in the face.

yeah but that's kind of cute? like the kids on the bus trying to be grown-up and hard.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:28 (nineteen years ago)

well, compared with the world you had in actual uk garage circa 'opm', it was quite distinctively non-glam.

xpost

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:29 (nineteen years ago)

yeah but that's kind of cute? like the kids on the bus trying to be grown-up and hard.

Yeah, poverty and violence are cute.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:34 (nineteen years ago)

but Skinner(s) also occupied that UK garage world too. This is where I identify with him really, that sense of having a foot in both camps, plus US hip-hop affinity. If you go back to that DJ set of his that was floating around between the first two albums - loads of great 2 step, crunk, Wu-Tang.

The indie thing seems much more recent. Like he only really got into mod/punk stuff after OPM and partly because of emergence of Bloc Party etc. - or he shrewdly saw co-opting that side of things more as the way forward (commercially) for his own material.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:36 (nineteen years ago)

He's with the same management company as Bloc Party, btw.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:38 (nineteen years ago)

It's obvious that Lads, chavs, tru Garageheads and Grime MCs, as well as proper-Hiphop fans don't generally listen to the Streets that much so Skinner's been shrewd enough to keep them close but at arms length.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

Why is it obvious? Who is buying his stuff then? Apart from ILMers?

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:49 (nineteen years ago)

Streets is pure pop music for this era, not part of an underground, so therefore it's anyone and everyone.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:51 (nineteen years ago)

"Lads" and "chavs" are hardly underground are they!?!?

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:52 (nineteen years ago)

lads and chavs don't listen to streets in the same way that zombies don't watch zombie movies.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

can someone ysi, plz!

Chavs don't listen to pop music?

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

it's not a YSI but you can listen to it here - http://3voor12.vpro.nl/3voor12/luisterpaal/luisterpaalalbum.shtml?10617791+27323071

― fandango (fandango), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:01 (nineteen years ago)

Looking back I'm kind of amazed at how high 'Has It Come To This?' charted. This tune was reasonably popular with garage fans I think, in that it had more cred than DJ Pied Piper, but the capacity to irritate purists just as much.

'Let's Push Things Forward' ran with that but tried to pull in fans of Madness (and maybe in addition, highlighted the soulboy thing)...and let's face it what a safe bet that is. Only it didn't do at all as well as it should've done. Surely it was meant to improve on the first single and propel Skinner into the top ten? That's always how I've seen it at least. Bad timing somehow? Still hard to tell.

From that point on it seemed clear that Skinner was reasonably chameleonic and keen to hybridise as one really ought to expect from a young British artist willing to play the pop game in this way. Presumably this ended up turning a lot of people more concerned with specific genres off. Ties with what got called Grime have remained (after the FBYKI remix, gig support from More Fire etc.) but after Dry Your Eyes seem as distant as the prospects of Grime actually crossing over to any real satisfactory level.

'Dry Your Eyes' always felt very much like an exercise in The Manual at successful work. From then on, as DL says, he was anyone's and everyone's, in terms of who might be listening/caring. Continuing to write pop songs about that great national pastime drugtaking also boosted that.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

lots of otmness there

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Do you think if "Do You Really Like It?" had actually been publicised as being by Kamanchi Sly and all these other, cough, "credible" rappers from the early 90s it would a) have been better critically regarded b) sold less copies?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

Also: "Dry Your Eyes" to me seems like the "The Drugs Don't Work" of the 00s, and I'm wondering if there's an argument to be made for The Streets fitting in the same place in the landscape as The Verve did. And I can't help but think that Chris Moyles is the kind of elephant in the room (lol fat) when it comes to talking about The Streets.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

not sure about a but definitely b

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

'dry your eyes' is as bad (worse! even) than 'the drugs don't work' but different emotional territory - girls vs vague existential angst.

=> it's the 'angels' of the 00s. sick and wrong!

who is kamanchi sly?!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

'the drugs don't work' is also about a girl!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

to continue the blur comparisons it's "no distance left to run", innit?

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

but really the streets is kindof incomparable to any other pop act because even though he is channeling Britpop and Two-Tone ideas through a hip-hop medium, no one really sounds like this. It's very satisfying in this way to think that in a time where mainstream pop is arguably taking a nosedive, we can still say "look, here's something original, intelligent and accessible that succesfully works on a number of levels and that everyone can enjoy".

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

haha i didn't know that, i thought it was about drugz being bad? yes v probably over-literal interpretation oh god please don't tell me the drugz are a metaphor for the girl :ooooooooo

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

It's very satisfying in this way to think that in a time where mainstream pop is arguably taking a nosedive

it is not! ciara, three 6 mafia, nelly, beyoncé, amerie, ll cool j, 50 cent, girls aloud - they've all had massive and amazing and high-charting pop singles in the past year!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

... and they're all miles better than The Streets into the bargain

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

haha i didn't know that, i thought it was about drugz being bad? yes v probably over-literal interpretation oh god please don't tell me the drugz are a metaphor for the girl :ooooooooo

i don't think it's about a girl, it's just that el rich has to add 'mah love' after each line. it's about someone dying? a girl maybe! but on reflection it could be about a drug-maintained relationship breaking up. better song than 'dye'.

xpost

please to be ysiing an amazing 50 cent song from the past year.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

would you like 'candy shop', 'outta control' or 'just a lil bit'?

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

no thanks!

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

well you should!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, Three6Mafia got to the same fucking chart position as Mogwai.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

please to be ysiing an amazing 50 cent song from the past year.

and for that matter, all those bands you mention ;-)

and also get one dictionary and look up "arguably".

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

er it got to no 3 i thought?

also gwen stefani, sean paul and the new nelly furtado singles for the chart-pop-not-in-decline side.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

lex, they haven't scrubbed the top twenty. there'll always be chart pop, i think.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

They got to #33

Other songs to get to 33 in the past year:

The Duke Spirit- Love Is An Unfamiliar Name
The Departure- All Mapped Out
LemonJelly- Make Things Right
InMe- So You Know

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

X-Press2 featuring the dude from Lambchop, and... Lady Sovereign!

lol pop.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

yes. it is about a girl who is dying.

it was #1 but then Elton had to 'ruin' things by writing that even worse song about some other girl who had died.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think The Drugs Don't Work is about anything more than taking spliff with a chick and being a cockfarmer.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

I thought the Drugs Don't Work was about that one guy from the Verve that kept quitting the band?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

but i'm SURE 'stay fly' was a massive hit. i heard on the bus and everything. chart positions don't mean anything these days anyway!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

it's about a couple who've just realized all that's keeping them together is the e, and they're not getting any younger, and it's probably best to end it, 'like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown'.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

But I know I'll see your face again

'Cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, I'm coming, too
Just like you said, you leave my life, I'm better off dead

OK relationship (with a girl!) dying

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

McCabe? Possibly, but I doubt it. Ashcroft's not imaginitive enough. Did anyone hear him on Chris Moyles this morning? I didn't hear it but supposedly he was a total idiot, borderline racist, rude, and wannabe-profound. I can't think of anyone more odious than him right now.

Triple-X.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

haha i'd forgotten how bad the lyrics to that song were.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

It's Richard Ashcroft, it means fuck all

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

death = metaphor for drugs = metaphor for love

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

'dry your eyes' is almost too comprehensible, though, isn't it?

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

People need comprehensible.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ashcroft, though, didn’t take defeat lying down. Reassembling the group in late 1996 (albeit without ace guitarist Nick McCabe), he set about writing a batch of songs which were a long way from the psychedelic space jams of previous albums. Foremost among them was The Drugs Don’t Work, an aching acoustic ballad inspired by the death of Ashcroft’s father.

sez Radio 2

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

Ah, yeah. I seem to remember something about his father dying when Ashcroft was about 11 or so.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:35 (nineteen years ago)

xpost which leads us *gasp* back to the streets on "we never went to church"

psych!!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

I thought McCabe rejoined Verve during the recording of Urban Hymns, then left again about a year later?

Mike Skinner can't sing.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

Well he can, but it sounds shite.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

I thought McCabe rejoined Verve during the recording of Urban Hymns, then left again about a year later?

he did indeed -- i guess ashcroft wrote solo.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

He did write solo - most of the credits for UH are to Ashcroft alone. Two or three songs are band compositions, and one by McCabe alone, I think. BSS is a mess cos of the Loog Oldham thing.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

no he can't and oughtn't.

"fay---eee-mas"

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:54 (nineteen years ago)

ciara, three 6 mafia, nelly, beyoncé, amerie, ll cool j, 50 cent, girls aloud - they've all had massive and amazing and high-charting pop singles in the past year!

But those were all from at least six months ago!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

five of them are from this year.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 15:08 (nineteen years ago)

This thread is insane.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

I'm listening to all three albums on random play and I've gotta say that maybe the Streets are secretly one of my favourite bands out today. Still not sure about the new album. It seems to have taken the same third album step as Human After All, Talkie Walkie and a bunch of other bands where the artist follows up their big conceptual album with a sort of lacklustre knocked off version of their original vibe but somehow forgetting to add any soul to it.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 20 April 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Whenever anyone says a Streets song has made them cry, I never believe them!

I know I slagged it off upthread, but Never Went To Church is pretty much the only record ever purely to reduce me to tears on its own merits alone. I think most of the rest of the album is terrible but gave it another chance on the bus home tonight - my opinion was unchanged but this one track reduced me to a complete mess.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 14 May 2006 03:04 (nineteen years ago)

the haters are honestly mentally retarded

sorry rox but i'm still not sure about this. i like "never went to church" but skinner ruins it with his little spiel about hedging your bets. it is a very sad tune though.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 18 May 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

this album sure is boring.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Thursday, 18 May 2006 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

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