To był czas kiedy scena post punk dopiero się kształtowała. Poruszaliśmy tę transformację w jednym z naszych ostatnich wpisów (TUTAJ). Proces na pewno odbywał się w sposób ewolucyjny, a zawartość dzisiejszego albumu jest doskonałym na to dowodem. Spójrzmy zresztą na okładkę, gdzie pierwsze zdjęcie zespołu New Model Army, bo o nim mowa (pokazane powyżej) utrzymane jest w stylistyce punk, podczas gdy na ostatniej stronie podwójnego CD znajdujemy panów w czarnych płaszczach, typowych dla stylistyki cold wave (zresztą na people in the black coats jeszcze przyjdzie pora).
Muzyka? Mamy tutaj 16 piosenek plus dwa powtórzenia z sesji dla Johna Peela, o której napiszemy w osobnym poście.
Tekstowo jest dość prosto o ile chodzi o słownictwo, co nie znaczy że jest banalnie. Jak twierdzą muzycy: ten zespół jest wszystkim czego wtedy pragnęliśmy, a piosenki tym co wtedy czuliśmy, kochaliśmy i w w co wierzyliśmy w latach 1982-1984.
Nie ukrywam, że mam w swoich zbiorach kilka płyt New Model Army i żadna z nich nie zawodzi. Od początku do końca jest to akt bezkompromisowej walki. Nie ma tutaj miejsca na nudę. Podobnie jest z dziś prezentowanym albumem. Na pewno pod względem tekstów mamy dwa podstawowe wątki: punk i polityka.
Pierwszy to beznadziejność i syf jaki wtedy panował wśród młodego pokolenia (wystarczy obejrzeć omawiany przez nas ostatnio film Repo Man - TUTAJ). Problematyka ta poruszana jest choćby w piosence Great Expectations, Notice Me, Smaltown England, No Mans Land, czy Sex.
Smaltown England jest najlepszym pamiętnikiem tego co wtedy przeżywali młodzi:
Turn left at the lights about 50 yards down
There's a pub in the corner and I'll meet you inside
About quarter to eight and we'll go into town
And find out what everybody's been saying about us
Smalltown walls have eyes and ears
Stories fly thick and fast round here
Truth and lies are all the same
Whatever you do don't rock the boat
You've got to play the game, play the game
Ch: Is it a crime to want something else?
Is it a crime to believe in something different?
Is it a crime to want to make things happen?
To spit in the faces of the cynical fools
There's a pub in the corner and I'll meet you inside
About quarter to eight and we'll go into town
And find out what everybody's been saying about us
Smalltown walls have eyes and ears
Stories fly thick and fast round here
Truth and lies are all the same
Whatever you do don't rock the boat
You've got to play the game, play the game
Ch: Is it a crime to want something else?
Is it a crime to believe in something different?
Is it a crime to want to make things happen?
To spit in the faces of the cynical fools
Kończy się refleksją:
They say you've got to have fun while you're young
'Cause they can't believe there's anything else except this
'Cause they can't believe there's anything else except this
Zaangażowanie polityczne widać dość wyraźnie w takich utworach jak Spirit of the Falklands, czy Vengence. Pierwszy, zresztą bardzo chłodnofalowy, w krótkich żołnierskich słowach zawiera bezsens wojny, ogłupianie propagandą (zwłaszcza młodych ludzi), manipulowanie opinią publiczną - TV i mediami. Sulivan jest tutaj w doskonałej formie...
The natives are restless tonight, sir
Cooped up on estates with no hope in sight
They need some kind of distraction
We can give them that
'Cause they'd kill if they only had something to kill for
They'd die if they only had something to die for
They'd cheer if they only had something to cheer for
We can give them that
So it's off to war we go (I couldn't believe it)
Bring out all the flags (I never believed it)
Fight the good fight
It's working like a dream, sir
Half the nation are hooked on the bait
Waiting for the next victorious instalment
We can give them that
'Cause it's no surprise that young men are heroes
It's no surprise that young men are strong
It's no surprise that young men are foolish
We've known that all along
Exciting pictures on News at Ten (I couldn't believe it)
Read all the crap on all the front pages (I never believed it)
Fight the good fight
Ch: Dead men in the South Atlantic
It's meant to warm our hearts
They think that they died for you and me
Oh God, what a farce, what a farce
And now it's the repeats
Plugging the Falklands and the Falklands' spirit
Show the pictures again and again
Till the next war comes around
'Cause we'll kill if we only have something to kill for
We'll die if we only have something to die for
We'll cheer if we only have something to cheer for
That is worthy of the name
Oh yes the next war (I never believed it)
See the propaganda in TV fiction (I never believed it)
Enemies with horns and tails
Ch: There are dead men in the South Atlantic
It's meant to warm our hearts
They think that they died for you and me
Oh God, what a farce, what a farce
There's crippled men back home in England
Doesn't it warm your hearts
They think they fought for peace and freedom
Poor boys, what a farce, what a farce
Cooped up on estates with no hope in sight
They need some kind of distraction
We can give them that
'Cause they'd kill if they only had something to kill for
They'd die if they only had something to die for
They'd cheer if they only had something to cheer for
We can give them that
So it's off to war we go (I couldn't believe it)
Bring out all the flags (I never believed it)
Fight the good fight
It's working like a dream, sir
Half the nation are hooked on the bait
Waiting for the next victorious instalment
We can give them that
'Cause it's no surprise that young men are heroes
It's no surprise that young men are strong
It's no surprise that young men are foolish
We've known that all along
Exciting pictures on News at Ten (I couldn't believe it)
Read all the crap on all the front pages (I never believed it)
Fight the good fight
Ch: Dead men in the South Atlantic
It's meant to warm our hearts
They think that they died for you and me
Oh God, what a farce, what a farce
And now it's the repeats
Plugging the Falklands and the Falklands' spirit
Show the pictures again and again
Till the next war comes around
'Cause we'll kill if we only have something to kill for
We'll die if we only have something to die for
We'll cheer if we only have something to cheer for
That is worthy of the name
Oh yes the next war (I never believed it)
See the propaganda in TV fiction (I never believed it)
Enemies with horns and tails
Ch: There are dead men in the South Atlantic
It's meant to warm our hearts
They think that they died for you and me
Oh God, what a farce, what a farce
There's crippled men back home in England
Doesn't it warm your hearts
They think they fought for peace and freedom
Poor boys, what a farce, what a farce
Vengence z kolei porusza między innymi problem Niemców pracujących w obozach koncentracyjnych, którzy po 1945 roku uciekli i rozkoszują się spokojnym życiem. Spotka ich kara...
Escaped the net in '45, hiding out in South America
Protected by money and powerful friends
Hoping the world has forgotten by now
All the things that you did in the Nazi Death camps
The people that you tortured and killed
You can live you life in expectant fear
Sure some day you'll be made to pay
I believe in justice
I believe in vengeance
I believe in getting the bastard
Man walks over dressed in flashy clothes
With an empty heart and a head full of money
Puts his arm around the lad of fifteen years
Talks sort of close like a long-lost brother
"It's really cool, all the pop stars do
If you don't try a little you'd really be a fool
Tell you what I'll do, I'll make the first one free
And when you want some more just come back to me"
Loading up the barrels at the warehouse gates
Men in overalls on double rates
Put the stuff in the river and away for a beer
Don't worry too much, they don't live around here
And the poison seeps into every pore
Every child's eyes, every innocent's sore
Everybody knows behind the closed doors
Kick down the doors, kick down the doors
I believe in justice
I believe in vengeance
I believe in getting the bastard
Top-dog fascist gets the boys in the corner
Plants poison where there was just confusion
Walks away scot-free and laughing
Rides on the tide as the cancer grows
And the business man on corruption charges
With millions of dollars in dirty money
Gets a thousand pound fine after months in court
While the lawyers get fat and the law gets bought
I believe in justice
I believe in vengeance
I believe in getting the bastard
Protected by money and powerful friends
Hoping the world has forgotten by now
All the things that you did in the Nazi Death camps
The people that you tortured and killed
You can live you life in expectant fear
Sure some day you'll be made to pay
I believe in justice
I believe in vengeance
I believe in getting the bastard
Man walks over dressed in flashy clothes
With an empty heart and a head full of money
Puts his arm around the lad of fifteen years
Talks sort of close like a long-lost brother
"It's really cool, all the pop stars do
If you don't try a little you'd really be a fool
Tell you what I'll do, I'll make the first one free
And when you want some more just come back to me"
Loading up the barrels at the warehouse gates
Men in overalls on double rates
Put the stuff in the river and away for a beer
Don't worry too much, they don't live around here
And the poison seeps into every pore
Every child's eyes, every innocent's sore
Everybody knows behind the closed doors
Kick down the doors, kick down the doors
I believe in justice
I believe in vengeance
I believe in getting the bastard
Top-dog fascist gets the boys in the corner
Plants poison where there was just confusion
Walks away scot-free and laughing
Rides on the tide as the cancer grows
And the business man on corruption charges
With millions of dollars in dirty money
Gets a thousand pound fine after months in court
While the lawyers get fat and the law gets bought
I believe in justice
I believe in vengeance
I believe in getting the bastard
Płyta zawiera doskonałe piosenki, pełne znakomitego basu, chłodnych gitar i jest jedną z najlepszych płyt tamtego czasu. Wtedy New Model Army brzmieli na prawdę zupełnie nieziemsko, czysto i mieli bardzo klarowny przekaz. Wiele z utworów z tamtego czasu stało się hitami.
Gdyby ktoś zapytał, który z nich dla mnie jest tym najbardziej z pogranicza punk i nowej fali to bez wahania wskazałbym No Mans Land. Ma bardzo ambitny tekst, nostalgiczną melodię i zawiera w sobie głęboką refleksję o tamtych czasach...
You say that you'd rather be really poor
Than scratching, saving, scrimping all the pennies
Looking in the windows at what you can't afford
Always hungry, never starving
In no man's land the days are long
You say that you'd rather be really ill
Than just having headaches, never have no energy
All the little allergies and all the little pains
Never getting better, never getting worse
In no man's land the days are long
You say that you'd rather have no love at all
Than pathetic little words, half-hearted kisses
Never feeling anything, anything at all
Never no fire, never no passion
In no man's land the days are long
Do you believe you can come out, fighting from you shell-hole
Or do you run for cover every time you hear a shot fired in anger?
Than scratching, saving, scrimping all the pennies
Looking in the windows at what you can't afford
Always hungry, never starving
In no man's land the days are long
You say that you'd rather be really ill
Than just having headaches, never have no energy
All the little allergies and all the little pains
Never getting better, never getting worse
In no man's land the days are long
You say that you'd rather have no love at all
Than pathetic little words, half-hearted kisses
Never feeling anything, anything at all
Never no fire, never no passion
In no man's land the days are long
Do you believe you can come out, fighting from you shell-hole
Or do you run for cover every time you hear a shot fired in anger?
Tak oto pojawili się na naszym blogu New Model Army, musieli tutaj w końcu zagościć, bo są legendą tamtych czasów.
Pojawią się tutaj znowu, a poniżej zebrana przez nas trackilsta z piosenkami z tej płyty:
Pojawią się tutaj znowu, a poniżej zebrana przez nas trackilsta z piosenkami z tej płyty:
New Model Army - The Independent Story - 1982-1984, Progressive Records, 1987. Tracklista: Bittersweet, Betcha, Tension, Great Expectations, Waiting, Christian Militia, Notice Me, Smalltown England, A Liberal Education, Vengeance, Sex (The Black Angel), Running In The Rain, Spirit Of The Falklands, The Price, 1984, No Man's Land, Great Expectations (The Peel Session), Notice Me (The Peel Session)
A jeśli chcecie dalej poznawać muzykę i sztukę spoza mainstreamu, którym karmią was w radio i TV, czytajcie nas.
I pomyślcie, czy już nie pora wypieprzyć odbiorniki przez okno i wpuścić świeże wiosenne powietrze, którym Was tutaj codziennie raczymy.
I pomyślcie, czy już nie pora wypieprzyć odbiorniki przez okno i wpuścić świeże wiosenne powietrze, którym Was tutaj codziennie raczymy.