Search - Gang of Four :: Return The Gift

Fantastic

sleep no more | Royal Oak, Michigan United States | 10/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Remember the days of hunting for "Peel Session" albums of your favorite bands----the rare "B" side or unreleased versions of favorite songs? Gang Of Four did something brilliant- with so many new bands being more then heavilly influenced by their first two albums, they reformed with the original line-up and toured playing, with few exceptions, a near recreation of their 1981/82 set list. Old fans came out for nostalgia and new fans came out of curiosity and came out learning how it should be done.... This new album sounds, outside of a few embellishments, like a very well recorded live show....it captures all of the energy, and with modern recording technology, cleans it up without over polishing - Most of all, it puts the release date as 2005 and opens up a lot of doors to marketing for the younger generation that wants something that sounds a bit more "current" sound-wise (while Solid Gold's production still holds up, Entertainment can sound a bit 'dry'. The new recordings of songs featured on "Songs Of The Free" are the real stand-outs - GOF gets back to the basics and treated them as they should have years ago (no back-up singers, production that captures the energy without sounding over-produced)- More then worth the price - highly recommended"

Return of the Post-Punk Pioneers

cagey | 10/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just got this yesterday after hearing several songs on KCRW 89.9 FM in Santa Monica. While I've been a fan of the band since about 1989, after seeing their classic 1979 debut "Entertainment!" listed as one of the 100 best albums of all time, it's been a little difficult for me to get into their later work post 1982, as they gradually lost bassist Dave Allen, and then drummer Hugo Burnham. I think many fans will agree their best work came between 1979-1982, with a handful of gems here and there in their later works. So, fortunately, the bulk of the work on this record is from that early period. (By the way, serious fans should try to pick up a copy of their 2(?) disc "anthology" called "100 Broken Flowers" - lots of new and old album songs along with live tracks, etc. spanning their career through about 1995).



To me this recording almost resembles a live album. The sound is full, rich and clear. The version of "I Love A Man In Uniform" seems even more danceable and funky now. "To Hell With Poverty" gains a bit in its ferocity. "Damaged Goods" still sounds as good as ever especially when the drums first come in like machine gun fire and Dave Allen's bass seems even more potent. "Ether" still sounds like a final warning, so cool and urgent as frontman Jon King and guitarist Andy Gill sing about the "dirt behind the daydream" and "white noise in a white room".



The production (by Andy Gill), mixing and engineering are flawless. My only nitpick (and it's very slight) is that in a couple of spots the vocals by King sound a little tired, but they are very few and far between. Besides he's been doing it for over 25 years so I should cut him some slack.



I saw them in concert several months ago and they were phenomenal, one show, in recent memory, I was hoping would never end.



Rating? Please....it's Go4, *****. Absolutely essential. Enjoy."

Turn off your preconceptions

Andrew L. Folpe | Atlanta, GA USA | 10/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"yes, it is a bit weird for a band to cover themselves 25 years after the fact. yes, they're not 25 anymore, and neither are you. yes, the first 2 albums were (and remain) unbelievably brilliant in their own right. ignore all that, and just listen to this album.



bottom line: this just freakin' rocks. the punch and aggression of "to hell with poverty" are just fantastic, and kick the whole album into high gear from the very beginning. the sound is much fuller, much more like their live sound, and almost a little overwhelming in its intensity. this is the sound of a reformed band trying hard to prove that it can blow the doors off its new imitators, and succeeding brilliantly.



you need this album."