Let's talk about the new Streets album A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE.

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It's finally out today so I thought maybe we should have a separate thread about it. Have you bought YOUR copy yet???

"Album of the 21st century so far" says I. You?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

we'll miss you, "you're fit and you know you are"

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 10 May 2004 18:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Put "Soaked By the Ale" in between "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way" and "Get Out of My House," and replace the album version of "Fit But You Know It" with that one b-side version of it and you have the GREATEST ALBUM EVER.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 18:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Now that the album's been released, can I finally start raving about how incredibly awesome the story is? Please?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 18:43 (twenty-one years ago)

yes

― myke boomnoise (myke boomnoise), Monday, 10 May 2004 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

was the other thread not good enough?

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:05 (twenty-one years ago)

it was pretty long. what the hell is 'Soaked By The Ale'?

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:20 (twenty-one years ago)

It's the one about Mike sticking ice-cream down his pants.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I was loving the new album like everyone else until I relistened to OPM last night. I like the idea of the narrative and the complete painting of the story, but DAMN did I just want some good songs. Not that it doesn't have any, but it doesn't have as many.

Still a classic in my eyes, though.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

yeh i'm inclined to agree roxy, the story's impressive an' all and it's funny shit but the tunes aren't quite strong enough for me i think

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 10 May 2004 20:54 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah i think it will probably still be my fave album of this year, but i can't actually see my listening to it maybe more than 10 or 15 from now til december.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

what the hell is 'Soaked By The Ale'?

A "Fit But You Know It" B-Side. Mike steals 3 euros-worth of ice cream, and that's apparently why he's so angry with himself in "Such a Twat" ("Why'd I have to go and do a stupid thing like that?"). It should've been on the album!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 10 May 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

after i've had a few beers robbing ice cream is the last thing on my mind. but i guess if you need to cool yourself down.

― myke boomnoise (myke boomnoise), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 06:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I like this album a lot. I'm pretty sure I'm going to get sick of it real quick though, esp. with all the critical fawning. I mean, there are like 3-4 tracks I skip on every listen.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:34 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/streets/agranddontcomeforfree/

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:38 (twenty-one years ago)

89 = critical fawning.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:40 (twenty-one years ago)

wtf is Blender and why are they letting Dorian handle The Streets?

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:42 (twenty-one years ago)

please please please can we not start the endless "I don't get the critical fawning" comments.

it's been 2 years in a row already with Original Pirate Material and then Boy In Da Corner.

PLEASE, PLEASE, I'm actually begging.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Either way, your iPod’s random-play function will not be required.

DOWNLOAD THESE “Blinded by the Light,” “Fit but You Know It,” “Dry Your Eyes”

I mean, this nearly made me fall off my chair?! wtf

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:42 (twenty-one years ago)

it's a great album, extremely melodic, minimalistic and very brave. skinner does the right thing: he embraces the grime sound but doesn't try to be a white dizzee. luv it.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:43 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't hear the grime at all!

Ronan, if it continues to disturb me after all this time i will mention it.

Is it the influence of British pop crit, or is it the influence of dance critics jumping on board a "hip-hop" release? Who cares. All I know is its an album I like a lot that I want to hate because it gets all this acclaim over albums I feel are much much more deserving.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I think it's because people really fucking love this album!

Jesus Christ it IS going to start all over again. Why does this happen with UK garage crossover?????

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Perhaps you can explain yrself to me then, why this album is so fucking amazing. I like it a lot but I fail to see how this is anywhere near the accomplishment Dizzee's album was.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I mean, w/ Dizzee it was like "wow...this sounds like nothing I've heard before." With the streets its like "Hmm, this is a pretty good, fairly original take on some hip music."

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:50 (twenty-one years ago)

"...with 3-4 weak tracks."

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:50 (twenty-one years ago)

like what?

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:52 (twenty-one years ago)

It's the way it sits together as a cohesive piece - Skinner's made dance music rockist. Plus it makes me want to bawl my eyes out; there's an emotional clout that Dizzee didn't quite have for me at least. Plus critics in general can relate better to Skinner than Dizzee, maybe.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Nick, I see what you mean re: emotional clout (and I agree, I think - that's a large part of why I like it). I just don't see whats so revelatory about it. Nor do I understand how you can get past tracks like "What is he thinking" which is musically the most boring thing evah.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Sick????

Surely sitting together as a piece is the central premise of dance music!

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Again, I point back towards the cohesive whole thing; tracks like "Such A Twat", "What Is He Thinking" couldn't exist without the narrative - they're not songs, they're plot devices, and that's why they 'work'. I am worried that this record wont sustain over time still, but right now I think it's remarkable.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 07:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, obv. Ronan you're right, but that's as a set, sitting together musically, the rise and fall of the tempo & intensity and so on; this is a whole different thing, it's conceptual rather than musical. How many dance derived albums have sought to rely SO MUCH on being listened to all at once? Only a few that I can think of, and even those were composed by and large of songs that worked away from the context, wheras this, as I just said, has some tracks that really don't work if you take them on their own.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm sorta talking out my ass at this pt. cuz I haven't listened to the album more than 3 times but I do have to say there were a couple tracks that stuck out to me as fairly sub-par which is why an ave. critic rating of 89 i find quite confounding.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Also Matos, wtf time is it in your part of the world? Why are you not in bed?

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

otm, this album is about the story and characters, the music is often very pleasant and good but it's not like Boy In Da Corner in terms of wow factor and actual sonic showboating which blows you away.

Mind you there's alot of clever production, Blinded By The Lights is ace. I think there are definitely 3-4 tracks which are plot device type tracks, and they are the more angry or brash ones, and then 3-4 emotional ones which are the big hitters in a way.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

mind yr own fucking business Nick

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

djdee; there are only 4 review there, remember - Metacritic wont publish the metascore in their list until they have at least 7.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

(That told me.)

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

haha. it actually isn't that late.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:03 (twenty-one years ago)

x-post no worries djdee sorry for the crankiness I just dread the thought of another 20 threads this year going "I don't get the A Grand Don't Come For Free hype, the beats are shit, he can't rap, and all you guys keep jizzing about it".

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:04 (twenty-one years ago)

never underestimate the power of Google, my friend

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree re: blinded by the lights

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:06 (twenty-one years ago)

it seems odd, why does it happen to the UK garage stuff, mainly.

I mean I've not seen other critical darlings get constantly dubbed "emperors new clohtes" etc, is it because the praise for the UK garage crossover artists is really detailed or strong? Or do people just hate British accents! Or is it just that it's like a ghettoised scene hitting peoples promo piles or radars.

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:07 (twenty-one years ago)

that's a total tangent I'm going off on btw

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:09 (twenty-one years ago)

If I were to hazard a guess...

1. The British music press is really influential, so I think some people can't help but feel like a British artist is going to have an unfair advantage.

2. Some may feel that people in the press who champion the Streets didn't give the same daps to the people who influenced the Streets.

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"unfair advantage" meaning "undeserved advantage"

― djdee2005, Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Plus it makes me want to bawl my eyes out; there's an emotional clout that Dizzee didn't quite have for me at least.

See, this is what I don't get most. The critical acclaim is easier to understand, but nothing on AGDCFF moves me in the way that most of OPM did. I really find a lot of it overly sentimental actually, really trite and heavy-handed, and the use of vernacular doesn't help. Probably the opposite actually.

I thought this would grow on me loads by now, but it's growing off me, partly because there's no novelty with the story any more.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 08:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I see exactly what you mean, and a big part of me is saying "this is claptrap, this is really mawkish, this is really cynically targeted" but I still can't help it. I don't think I'm going to be finding it as affecting in two years time as I find stuff off OPM now though.

― Sick Nouthall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 09:05 (twenty-one years ago)

(on basis of one listen only)

Very good, but I didn't get that same feeling of "this is a classic" that I did with first play of OPM ... until the last two songs of course, which are utter brilliance.

Big question for me tho' is: will this stand up to repeated plays? (if that matters - I rarely cane any LP to death anyway, and especially not ones I rate very highly fo fear of getting bored with them). But relevant herew, because of the linking story. Yeah, I had a lump in my throat during "Dry Your Eyes" and at the end of "Empty Cans", but can't see that happening once familiarity sets in.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 09:13 (twenty-one years ago)

"this is claptrap, this is really mawkish, this is really cynically targeted"

Oh I don't think it's cynical as such... it's just uncomfortably close to that hand-wringing drippiness of Coldplay (see: "Dry Your Eyes"). Very "look at ME!!! I am SENSITIVE!!!"

I think Diamanda Galás once said of a Trembling Blue Stars song "I just don't care about sensitive straight boys and their problems; just put a tampon on it." That's sort of what I feel here. It really distresses me that the same man who made OPM has now made something I can compare to Coldplay.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 09:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Lex, I can't see how "Dry Your Eyes" is any more upsetting in that direction than "Too Late".

― Tim (Tim), Tuesday, 11 May 2004 09:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 286 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"Dry Your Eyes" is still the worst song ever and this thread revive has just reminded me of its existence :(

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 01:23 (twenty years ago)

Christ, what an album. Took me a while to "get it" -- drawn in by "Dry Your Eyes," turned off by "It Was Supposed to Be So Easy," floored when i listened to the whole thing and realized it's a fucking STORY, mate. I think it equals similar "slice of life" achievements by Raymond Carver, John Dos Passos, etc. Mike's "realization" bit in the last song ("It IS true / No one's really there fighting for you in the last garrison / No one except yourself that is / No one except you / YOU are the one who's got your back till the last deed's done / Scott can't have my back till the absolute end / Cuz he's got to look out for what's over his horizon / He's got to make sure he's not lonely, not broke / It's enough to worry about keeping his own head above"), "Empty Cans," approaches the emotional weight of anything Dylan's done.

No one is making music like this.

― PB, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 23:36 (twenty years ago)

Dry Your Eyes floored me totally when I heard it. That kind of honesty, man...I have a whole other kind of respect for them. I loved "You're Fit" but that [ie Dry Your Eyes] was unexpected. I haven't picked up the album though. I should, I guess...

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 23:57 (twenty years ago)

I hardly even noticed "Dry Your Eyes" upon first hearing Grand, but its gawky 'honesty' hit hard in a chance hearing in the midst of the JJJ [Aus 'youth' network] playlist! I'm not sure what this means.

― Nag! Nag! Nag! (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 01:33 (twenty years ago)

Dry Your Eyes == Clocks 2004

― a banana (alanbanana), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 01:35 (twenty years ago)

Still the best album of the 21st century so far.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 30 March 2005 01:41 (twenty years ago)

four months pass...

Reminder: this is still fucking incredible.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:42 (twenty years ago)

I shop at Harvey Nicks these days.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

Wow, was it only a year ago this came out? I have to hear it again when I get home.

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:51 (twenty years ago)

still great, yes. after live 8 i listened to the wall all the way through, and then a grand DCFF. no word of a lie.

― Britain's Jauntiest Shepherd (Alan), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

in the £3 bin by the counter @ Fopp, Cambridge Circus!!!

― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 11:19 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

From Slate's year-end round up:

Malcolm Gladwell, author, Blink:
"2005 was the year I discovered the Streets. Oh my. For the second time in 30 years, the British take an African-American musical form and wonderfully reinvent it."

http://www.slate.com/id/2133842/?nav=tap3

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 6 January 2006 17:12 (nineteen years ago)

"oh my."

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 6 January 2006 17:17 (nineteen years ago)

cringe

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 6 January 2006 17:19 (nineteen years ago)

For the second time in 30 years,

What was the first time? Credit to the Nation? A Guy Called Gerald? FLEETWOOD MAC?

I MUST KNOW

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Friday, 6 January 2006 18:10 (nineteen years ago)

EMBRACE THE POWER OF RAPID COGNITION

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 6 January 2006 18:18 (nineteen years ago)

off topic but haha omg pinsky!!!:

"With each new season, the pre-adolescent characters in South Park, Col., enact more daring, unruly versions of reality. Those foul-mouthed yet innocent falsetto voices demolish cant from the left and the right. Mealy-mouthed moderation and evangelism, sanctimony secular as well as religious, get what they deserve, and the setting is a Western town a half-hour from Denver, a place where shopping mall culture and Main Street (site of "Tom's Rhinoplasty") thrive in co-existence. Even Hell and Heaven become part of the system with South Park Elementary School at the hub."

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 6 January 2006 18:41 (nineteen years ago)

For the second time in 30 years,
What was the first time? Credit to the Nation? A Guy Called Gerald? FLEETWOOD MAC?
I MUST KNOW

-- NoTimeBeforeTime (mbvarkestra197...), January 6th, 2006. (later)

seriously... what is he talking about?

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 6 January 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

I'm assuming he meant to say 40 years, ie., the British invasion.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 6 January 2006 18:55 (nineteen years ago)

must be. still bullshit.

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Friday, 6 January 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

[spam removed]

― Phentermine, Friday, 10 February 2006 18:07 (nineteen years ago)

so i'll see you monday, phentermine?

― marc h. (marc h.), Friday, 10 February 2006 18:11 (nineteen years ago)

I think Phentermine is M. Skinner's online alias.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 10 February 2006 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

Man the Streets are embarassing.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Friday, 10 February 2006 19:25 (nineteen years ago)

to quote, ah, someone: it's spelled teh

― marc h. (marc h.), Friday, 10 February 2006 19:27 (nineteen years ago)

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― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 13 February 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

Did anyone hear the single on 6Music today? It's twenty mins into Vic's show if you want to listen to it again. Only one person text in to say they liked it. The rest hated it. I don't remember how it went two hours later but it slightly reminded me off the African nature of Talking Heads rhythm nature (This may be a bad first impression though)

It concerns Skinner's attempts to pull a famous women (*COUGH* Rach31 St3vens!) is just as hard as pulling normal birds was pre-fame.

It sounds like a lead off single, quick , catchy (not as catchy as FBYKI though.)

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:13 (nineteen years ago)

interesting. which one's the single?

― marc h. (marc h.), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:16 (nineteen years ago)

When You Wasn't Famous out 27/3

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:20 (nineteen years ago)

Video exclusive on 4 after The Friday Night Project (Shudder)

― MitchellStirling (MitchellStirling), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:21 (nineteen years ago)

oh, that one's hilarious. the commenters must have been pranging.

― marc h. (marc h.), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

didn't he already say 'fit but you know it' was about ilm's favourite lady?

― The Man Without Shadow (Enrique), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

Out of curiousity I checked out that radio show with the new single on it.

GAAAAAAARBAGE ! Holy shit, those of you who thought the new Flaming Lips single was bad (I love it, personally) wait'll you hear this shit.

Must be heard to be believed.

― Erock Lazron, Tuesday, 14 February 2006 23:26 (nineteen years ago)

why was mark's thread deleted?

― Lukas (lukas), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 23:43 (nineteen years ago)

The admin log says "duped" but there's no other thread about this new album. A misunderstanding, probably.

― StanM (StanM), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 23:52 (nineteen years ago)

a likely story!

― Lukas (lukas), Tuesday, 14 February 2006 23:54 (nineteen years ago)

turns out mine was a dupe thread! let's move the discussion here:

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

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:05 (nineteen years ago)

seven years pass...

i hadn't listened to it in forever, but i still love "empty cans." it warms my cold heart tbh.

― purp (roxymuzak), Sunday, 14 April 2013 15:43 (twelve years ago)

"No one's really there fighting for you in the last garrison. No one except yourself that is; no one except you. You are the one who's got your back til the last deed's done." It's really awesome that he manages to make this sound sweet and hopeful rather than embittered and fucktheworld, imo

― purp (roxymuzak), Sunday, 14 April 2013 15:47 (twelve years ago)

Mike Skinner OTM.

― I wish to incorporate disco into my small business (chap), Sunday, 14 April 2013 15:53 (twelve years ago)

one year passes...

Oh god is this really nearly 10 years old??!

I have a distinct memory of going out to one of the best free parties on a Saturday night and picking this up from the record shop on my way home the next morning. It was a very good comedown album for that time - 'Blinded By The Lights' especially.

― 1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Wednesday, 16 April 2014 15:55 (eleven years ago)

nooooooooooooo i refuse to believe it is 10 years old

― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Thursday, 24 April 2014 18:26 (eleven years ago)

the time that it came out was a fun and great time in my life

i do remember sitting at my computer crying tears of relief at "empty cans" tho lol

― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Thursday, 24 April 2014 18:27 (eleven years ago)

Yeah me too Rox, 2004 was a good year. Ah the olden days...

― 1 pONO 3v3Ry+h1n G!!!1 (dog latin), Friday, 25 April 2014 09:19 (eleven years ago)

I don't think I've heard this since it came out, but I think I can be confident in saying that he never bettered it.

― Toni Braxton-Hicks (Turrican), Friday, 25 April 2014 13:24 (eleven years ago)

one year passes...

The delivery on this bit is the LOLziest...

You don't care about my broken TV
I sit on my sofa all day smoking weed
I never phoned that bloke from the TV company
So please don't be like this, please, please, please

― p:s nerds know (dog latin), Friday, 15 May 2015 11:08 (ten years ago)

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