Gang of Four's Songs of the Free...C/D?

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I'm considering searching out a copy of this and Shrinkwrapped and was wonder what the ilM verdict was on their third album. Don't worry, I've no interest in Hard and Mall!

― Ian Riese-Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

wondering, not wonder^

― Ian Riese-Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

Songs of the Free is great (albeit not as good as the first two.) Everything I've heard after that is terrible. I think getting Shrinkwrapped with it would me make less likely to want to own it though just cuz then I would have to look at Shrinkwrapped and that might upset me.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:17 (twenty years ago)

I have a maybe/sorta/iffy kind of feeling about Songs of The Free. I love "History Of The World", though. Shrinkwrapped on the other hand, is a must.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

Surprisingly decent, actually. Haven't listened to it for *years*, it must be said

― DJ Mencap0))), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

Songs of the Free is their third best album, which is actually high praise considering how ideal the first two are. SOTF certainly has a different sound to it that their earlier stuff, but some great songs!

(In fact, I feel that the single "I Love A Man In A Uniform" might be one of the weeker tracks on the album. "Producer", its flipside as a single, is more of a fave)

All I know about Shrinkwrapped is that I heard it a couple of times when it came out, and decided I never had to hear it again.

― peepee (peepee), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

It blows. Whether that's due to the first 2 being great or whether it just sucks on its own terms I forget as I dumped mine long ago. Avoid.

― Mike Seg (Brainwash), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:36 (twenty years ago)

"The History of The World" is a fine, fine song and "I Love A Man In Uniform." I rely on the compilation "Brief History of the Twentieth Century" to get my SOTF fix.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 3 February 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

Skip Shrinkwrapped.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:55 (twenty years ago)

"Call Me Up" on Songs of the Free is great, great, great.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:56 (twenty years ago)

Songs of the Free is a neccesary item.

― Austin (Austin), Thursday, 3 February 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

"Songs of the Free" is in a lot of ways my fav GOF record, it's the one where they ACTUALLY make dance music rather than vaguely (ie to be honest were it not for every critic in every review reminding me how terribly danceable and funky they are I doubt I'd have noticed; they're WAY less obviously funky than the Fall say) danceinfluenced punkrock. Maybe I like "Solid Gold" better, tho. Anyway by all means get it, Ok?

― Andrew Blood Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 4 February 2005 13:47 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

This album took ages to grow on me but it has really held up well. "We Live As We Dream, Alone" would fit nicely on "Solid Gold". Meanwhile, I used to think "Shrinkwrapped" was great but the spoken word tracks really break up the flow, but the high point like "I Parade Myself" and "Tattoo" are quite compelling.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 19 December 2009 17:46 (fifteen years ago)

The live version of "History Of The World" on the "100 Flowers Bloom" comp smokes the LP version cause it speeds it up nicely.

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 19 December 2009 19:13 (fifteen years ago)

fifteen years pass...

This album has some of the band’s most pointed lyrics—“we are all in competition it’s the one thing that is sinful”.
Andy Gill’s bits in “we live as we seem, alone” can make me tear up: “we were not born in isolation, though it can seem that way”

― I am the stranger, killing the Boer (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 22 May 2025 02:45 (two days ago)

As we dream, alone (of course)

― I am the stranger, killing the Boer (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 22 May 2025 02:46 (two days ago)

I had the LP version for a long time, and even the mini essay about travel is quite OTM

― I am the stranger, killing the Boer (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 22 May 2025 02:48 (two days ago)

Um, must confess, I only learned recently that "We live as we dream - alone" is from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

― curmudgeon, Thursday, 22 May 2025 16:52 (two days ago)

Andy Gill’s bits in “we live as we seem, alone” can make me tear up: “we were not born in isolation, though it can seem that way”

especially since he sounds like he's singing from the bottom of a Bud Lite can.

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 May 2025 17:03 (two days ago)

in many ways this is my favorite Go4 album, I especially love the closing tracks on each side

― sleeve, Thursday, 22 May 2025 17:07 (two days ago)

it's like they wanted to use all of the reverb they left out of the first album, and then some

― sleeve, Thursday, 22 May 2025 17:08 (two days ago)

the drums don't even sound like drums

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 May 2025 17:11 (two days ago)

I can confirm: "I Love a Man in Uniform" is a fabulous karaoke number.

― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 May 2025 17:12 (two days ago)

I love this record. I think the rigid beats really suit both the stridency and almost desperate melancholy of the message.

― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 22 May 2025 17:13 (two days ago)

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