"Do It Yourself" by IAN DURY and THE BLOCKHEADS (March 2015 UK Edsel 'Deluxe Edition Hardback Book Casebound Packaging' 2CD Reissue and Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"... Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick..."

Edsel of the UK have reissued six of Ian Dury’s albums in these March 2015 Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound sets – and natty looking things they are too. Here are the reasons to be cheerful...

UK released March 2015 – "Do It Yourself" by IAN DURY and THE BLOCKHEADS on Edsel EDSK 7081 (Barcode 740155708139) is a 'Limited Edition 2CD Deluxe Edition in Hardback Casebound Packaging' that pans out as follows:

Disc 1 (66:21 minutes):

1. Inbetweenies [Side 1]

2. Quiet

3. Don't Ask Me

4. Sink My Boats

5. Waiting For Your Taxi

6. This Is What We Find [Side 2]

7. Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy

8. Mischief

9. Dance Of The Screamers

10. Lullaby For Franci/Es

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "Do It Yourself" - released 18 May 1979 in the UK on Stiff Records SEEZ 14

BONUS TRACKS:

11. What A Waste – April 1978 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 27, A-side ("Wake Up And Make Love To Me" from the "New Boots And Panties!!" album was its B-side)

12. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick – December 1978 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 38, A – Number 1 Chart Hit)

13. There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards - December 1978 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 38, B – Number 1 Chart Hit)

14. Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 – July 1979 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 50, A

15. Common As Muck – July 1979 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 50, B

16. Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3 [12" Version] – July 1979 UK 12" single on Stiff Records BUYIT 50, A

Disc 2 (71:27 minutes)

DEMO VERSIONS (Recorded November 1978 at Ian's House, Rolvendon, Kent)

1. This Is What We Find

2. Boogie Woogie (Duff 'Em Up)

3. Quiet

4. Inbetweenies (Backing Track)

5. Babies Keep Quiet

6. Blow (Instrumental)

FROM THE "STIFF'S LIVE STIFFS" TOUR, 1977

7. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

8. I'm Partial To Your Abracadabra

9. Wake Up And Make Love To Me

10. Clever Trevor

11. Sweet Gene Vincent

12. Billericay Dickie

13. My Old Man

14. If I Was With A Woman

15. Blockheads

16. Plaistow Patricia

17. Blackmail Man

The 26-page booklet inside the hardback covers features full annotation by known expert WILL BIRCH, lyrics to all the songs (including the stand-alone singles), publicity photos, original artwork (including a few variants of the many wallpaper sleeves), singles and tour memorabilia and so on. These are the 2004 Edsel remasters done at Alchemy Mastering and they sound amazing.

Following on from their huge 1977 album "New Boots And Panties!!" and the number one single "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" in December 1978 – May and June 1979 saw "Do It Yourself" race up to Number 2 on the UK LP charts. The band had probably hit their peak and the infectious piano-bopping "Inbetweenies" opens the album on a winner. Tight, slick and yet somehow fun and loose – clever rhythms in "Quiet", "This Is What We Find" and "Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy" feature lyrics about "...persistent louts and clowns...forty year-old housewives of Lambeth Walk and The Landlord's bent...". But the singles added on a bonus make a peerless run of hits and laughs. To this day I still think the 6:41 minutes of the 12" single "Reasons To Be Cheerful. Part 3" is an absolute masterpiece. The Demos (along with the live stuff was unreleased until 2004) are fun curios (not a lot more) but the Live Stiff material is a band on fire – on a mission - caught on the up and spitting confidence at an audience who are already know something special is going on.

"Up your bum!" our Ian says in "Uneasy Sunny Day Hotsy Totsy". 

Better in your CD stack I think...

PS: the IAN DURY March 2015 Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound CD Reissues on Edsel are:

1. New Boots And Panties!! (Edsel EDSK 7080, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708030)

2. Do It Yourself (Edsel EDSK 7081, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708139)

3. Laughter (Edsel EDSK 7082, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708238)

4. The Bus Driver's Prayer (Edsel EDSK 7083, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708337)

5. Mr. Love Pants (Edsel EDSA 5034, 1CD, Barcode 740155503437)

6. Warts 'N' Audience [Live] (Edsel 5035, 1CD, Barcode 74015550536)

PPS: Amazon lump all the 2004 and 2015 reviews together in the one place (a nasty habit of theirs) – so if you want the Hardback Book Edition I’ve just reviewed from 2015 – make sure to use the Barcode I’ve provided above to get the right issue...

"Laughter" by IAN DURY and THE BLOCKHEADS - November 1980 Album on Stiff Records (March 2015 UK Edsel 'Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound Packaging' Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"... Superman's Big Sister..."

Edsel of the UK have reissued six of Ian Dury's albums in these 2015 Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound sets – and natty looking things they are too. Here are the reasons to be cheerful...

UK released 2 March 2015 – "Laughter" by IAN DURY and THE BLOCKHEADS on Edsel EDSK 7082 (Barcode 740155708238) is a 'Limited Edition 2CD Deluxe Edition in Hardback Casebound packaging' that pans out as follows:

Disc 1 (49:12 minutes):

1. Sueperman's Big Sister

2. Pardon

3. Delusions Of Grandeur

4. Yes And No (Paula)

5. Dance Of The Crackpots

6. Over The Points

7. (Take Your Elbow Out The Soup) You're Sitting On The Chicken [Side 2]

8. Incoolohol

9. Hey, Hey Take Me Away

10. Manic Depression (Jimi)

11. Oh Mr. Peanut

12. F***king Ada

Tracks 1 to 12 are the album "Laughter" - released 28 November 1980 in the UK on Stiff Records SEEZ 30

BONUS TRACKS:

13. I Want To Be Straight - August 1980 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 90, A

14. That's Not All - August 1980 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 90, B

15. You'll See Glimpses – October 1980 UK 7" single on Stiff Records BUY 100 – non-album B-side of “Superman’s Big Sister”

Disc 2 (52:53 minutes)

ALBUM OUTTAKES

 (Recorded October 1980 at The Producer’s Workshop, Fulham, London)

1. Duff 'Em Up And Do 'Em Over (Boogie Woogie)

2. You Are Here

3. Come In No. 9

DEMO INSTRUMENTALS by THE BLOCKHEADS

4. Chicken (Take Your Elbow Out Of The Soup)

5. CC's Rock

6. I Know Your Name

7. Public Party (Dance Of The Crackpots)

8. Black And White [Yes And No (Paula)]

9. Manic Depression

10. More Turns For Everyone

11. Blue Light (That's Not All)

12. Back To Y-Front

13. Fatback

14. On The Spot (Do The Block)

15. Duff 'Em Up And Do 'Em Over (Boogie Woogie) [Oh Mr Peanut]

16. Peter Gunn

The 26-page booklet inside the hardback covers features full annotation by known expert WILL BIRCH (done in 2004), lyrics to all the songs (including the stand-alone singles), publicity photos, original artwork front and rear (including photos of the “Superman’s Big Sister” single and a montage of British trade magazines like NME and Melody Maker) and so on. These are the 2004 Edsel remasters done at Alchemy Mastering and they sound amazing while all of Disc 2 was Previously Unreleased at the time.

Following on from their huge 1977 album “New Boots And Panties!!”, the number one single “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” in December 1978 - and the No.2 album placing of “Do It Yourself” in June 1979 – LP number three for Ian’s Blockheads saw the beginning of the end for the band in the public’s eye and affections. “Laughter” scraped into Number 48 on the charts in December 1980 – a far cry from the huge popularity of their two predecessors – even with the involvement of Dr. Feelgood’s wild guitarist WILKO JOHNSON. That’s not to say that the song quality control had slipped in any way - far from it in my book.

"Superman's Big Sister" shows Dury's knack for catchy melodies aligned with witty lyrics and wacky themes. "Delusions Of Grandeur" struggles a bit to take flight for sure - but the wickedly good "Yes & No (Paula)" would have sat comfortably on 1977's "New Boots & Panties!!" with its Ska-Rock rhythms and scat-spoken lyrics. Fun and anger collide on "Dance Of The Crackpots" with Davey Payne's great harmonica playing warbling away in the back of the mix. The band starts to finally sound slightly manic Feelgood on the acidic "Hey, Hey, Take Me Away" while "F***ing Ada" finishes the album half-laughing, half-crying with its angry chorus offset by chorus line strings.

Disc 2 features the full-blown version of "Duff 'Em Up And Do 'Em Over (Boogie Woogie)" (a long sought after fan fave) while the Instrumentals it has to be said feel like good backing tracks but without the lyrics – they're a curio more than anything else.

"I'm sick and tired of taking drugs and staying up late..." - our Ian sang on "I Want To Be Straight". I never tire of Dury's intelligence and wit and the nerd in me is loving these gorgeous looking reissues...

IAN DURY March 2015 Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound CD Reissues on Edsel are:

1. New Boots And Panties!! (Edsel EDSK 7080, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708030)

2. Do It Yourself (Edsel EDSK 7081, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708139)

3. Laughter (Edsel EDSK 7082, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708238)

4. The Bus Driver's Prayer (Edsel EDSK 7083, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708337)

5. Mr. Love Pants (Edsel EDSA 5034, 1CD, Barcode 740155503437)

6. Warts 'N' Audience [Live] (Edsel 5035, 1CD, Barcode 74015550536)

PPS: Amazon lump all the 2004 and 2015 reviews together in the one place (a nasty habit of theirs) – so if you want the Hardback Book Edition I've just reviewed from 2015 – make sure to use the Barcode I've provided above to get the right issue...

"The Bus Driver's Prayer And Other Stories" by IAN DURY and THE BLOCKHEADS (March 2015 Edsel 'Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound Book' Packaging) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Poo-Poo In The Prawn..."

Edsel of the UK have reissued six of Ian Dury’s albums in these 2015 Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound sets – and natty looking things they are too. Here are the reasons to be cheerful...

UK released 2 March 2015 – "The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories" by IAN DURY and THE BLOCKHEADS on Edsel EDSK 7083 (Barcode 740155708337) is a Limited Edition 2CD 'Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound Book' packaging and pans out as follows:

Disc 1 (47:04 minutes):

1. That’s Enough Of That

2. Bill Haley’s Last Words

3. Poor Joey

4. Quick Quick Slow

5. Fly In The Ointment

6. O’Donegal

7. Poo-Poo In The Prawn

8. London Talking

9. Have A Word

10. D’Orine The Cow

11. Your Horoscope

12. No Such Thing As Love

13. Two Old Dogs Without A Name

14. The Bus Driver’s Prayer

Tracks 1 to 14 are the CD album “The Bus Driver’s Prayer & Other Stories” – released November 1992 in the UK on Demon Records FIEND CD 702

Disc 2 (36:21 minutes)

OUTTAKES / DEMOS

1. Amerlind

2. I Believe

3. Cowboys

4. One Love

5. Grape And Grain

6. The Writer

7. Whale

8. Itinerant Child

The 26-page booklet inside the hardback casebound cover features full annotation by known expert WILL BIRCH (done in 2004), lyrics to all the songs (including the outtakes/demos), unpublished photos, repros of his handwritten ‘5 poems’, original artwork and so on. These are the 2004 Edsel remasters done at Alchemy Mastering and they sound amazing while all of Disc 2 was Previously Unreleased at the time.

The glory days of Number 1 singles (“Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” in 1978) and Number 2 LPs (“Do It Yourself” in 1979) were long past for IAN DURY by the time 1992’s reunion with Mickey Gallagher, Chaz Jankel, Davey Payne and John Turnball (The Blockheads) took place. Not that the public seemed to notice nor care. The original Demon album didn’t even crack the top 50 and it would be 1998 with “Mr. Love Pants” before Dury would see chart action again. But as expert/fan Will Birch argues (he wrote the liners notes) – “The Bus Driver’s Prayer & Other Stories” is a bit of an overlooked gem in a catalogue of witty winners.

While both openers “That’s Enough Of That” and “Bill Haley’s Last Words” gamely struggle to capture that “New Boots And Panties!!” magic – it’s not until “Poor Joey” comes along (a song about the most typical caged bird in the world – the budgie) that we get Dury’s genius for brilliant words fronting a happy-go-lucky tune. “Old mother nature’s left me right in the lurch...” he drones in that deadpan way of his as one of The Blockheads punctuates the tune with his best strangled Budgerigar voice - “Hello!” My other crave is the fabulously titled “Poo-Poo In The Prawn” – where “if you go swimming in the shite-us...you’ll get worse than dermatitis...” where he waxes lyrical about all manner of turds coming at you through the plumbing and the briny. The lure of Ireland’s beautiful Donegal County floats rather prettily throughout  “O’Donegal” where you will feel a need to holiday in Ireland right quick. Back to home ground and the “rent book/laundry” reality of “London Talking” where paying bills occupies your mind and a Chelsea Bun seems like a good way to soften the depression. It ends on the one-minute “Bus Driver’s Prayer” where he takes the Lord’s Prayer and substitutes every famous line to fit bus destinations like Kingston, Wimbledon and Ealing (short but so damn clever).

But what’s genuinely shocking is the quality of the eight cuts that didn’t make the album – fully finished songs (beautifully produced). To my ears both “Amerlind” and “I Believe” are better than some tracks that made the album. Maybe stuff like “Cowboys” and “The Writer” with their distinctive keyboard sounds was deemed to be too lightweight – but I listen to them more than the CD cuts – and the sheer melody/lyrical power of the quietly-moving and hopeful “Itinerant Child” is just plain brilliant (play this beauty a lot).

“I think my eyes were blurred with tears...” - our Ian sang on “Itinerant Child”. And many of us felt the same way when he sadly passed away in 2000. Take a chance on his genius with this wicked looking casebound reissue...there’s joy in them there hardbacks...

PS: the IAN DURY March 2015 Deluxe Edition Hardback Casebound CD Reissues on Edsel are:

1. New Boots And Panties!! (Edsel EDSK 7080, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708030)

2. Do It Yourself (Edsel EDSK 7081, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708139)

3. Laughter (Edsel EDSK 7082, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708238)

4. The Bus Driver's Prayer (Edsel EDSK 7083, 2CDs – Barcode 740155708337)

5. Mr. Love Pants (Edsel EDSA 5034, 1CD, Barcode 740155503437)

6. Warts 'N' Audience [Live] (Edsel 5035, 1CD, Barcode 74015550536)

PPS: Amazon lump all the 2004 and 2015 reviews together in the one place (a nasty habit of theirs) – so if you want the Hardback Book Edition I’ve just reviewed from 2015 – make sure to use the Barcode I’ve provided above to get the right issue...

"Genesis 1970-1975" by GENESIS (November 2008 Virgin/Charisma 'Hybrid CD, SACD, DVD' Box Set - Tony Cousins and Nick Davis Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

This Review Along With Almost 300 Others Is Available In My

SOUNDS GOOD E-Book on all Amazon sites

1960s and 1970s MUSIC ON CD - Volume 3 of 3

- Exceptional CD Remasters

As well as 1960s and 1970s Rock and Pop - It Also Focuses On

Blues Rock, Prog Rock, Psych, Avant Garde, Underground

Folk-Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Country Rock and more

Just Click Below To Purchase for £3.95

Thousands of E-Pages - All Details and In-Depth Reviews From Discs

(No Cut and Paste Crap)

"...It's Been A Long Time...Hasn't It...."

Here are details for the six saintly shrouded men…

UK and Europe released November 2008 - "Genesis 1970-1975" by GENESIS on Virgin CDBOX 14 (Barcode 5099951968328) is the 3rd box set in an extensive reissue campaign. Each of the original five vinyl albums from the Peter Gabriel period are pumped up here into double 2CD issues - whilst the 1974 2LP-set "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" now becomes a 3-Disc CD set. "The Lamb Lies Down Broadway" is presented in a beautiful Book Pack while the other albums are in 2CD jewel cases.

Disc 1 of each issue is the SACD and CD Remaster of the album with both mixes encoded onto the disc, while Disc 2 is a DVD with 5.1 Surround Sound with extras tagged on at the end of each. The sixth and final double is called "Extra Tracks 1970-1975" and features singles, demos and BBC Sessions - again both in Audio and DVD. "Extras' is housed in a 48-page hardback book with an essay, band contributions, photos and celebrity reviews. Here's a detailed breakdown of the sets:

1. Looking For Someone [Side 1]

2. White Mountain

3. Visions of Mountains

4. Stagnation [Side 2]

5. Dusk

6. The Knife

Disc 1 (42:33 minutes) is their 2nd album "Trespass", originally released on LP in November 1970 on Charisma CAS 1020 in the UK and Impulse 9295 in the USA (the original UK issue had the 'Pink Scroll' label design and the CD reflects that). The DVD Audio version also has a 'reissues interview from 2007'.

1. The Musical Box [Side 1]

2. For Absent Friends

3. The Return Of The Giant Hogweed

4. Seven Stones

5. Harold The Barrel [Side 2]

6. Harlequin

7. The Fountain Of Salmacis

Disc 2 (39:36 minutes) is their 3rd album "Nursery Cryme", originally released on LP in November 1971 on Charisma CAS 1052 in the UK and Charisma 7208 552 in the USA (Pink Scroll Label also). The DVD audio version also has the 'reissues interview from 2007'.

1. Watcher Of The Skies [Side 1]

2. Time Table

3. Get 'Em Out By Friday

4. Can-Utility And The Coastliners

5. Horizons [Side 2]

6. Supper’s Ready

Disc 3 (51:20 minutes) is their 4th album "Foxtrot", originally released on LP in October 1972 on Charisma CAS 1058 in the UK and Charisma 7208 553 in the USA (changes now to the `Mad Hatter' label design for 3, 4 and 5 reflecting the original vinyl). The DVD Audio disc has 3 extras - reissues interview 2007, Brussels, Belgium Rock Of The 70's 1972 clip and Rome, Italy, Piper Club 1972 clip.

1. Selling England By The Pound [Side 1]

2. I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)

3. Firth Of Fifth

4. More Fool Me

5. The Battle Of Epping Forest [Side 2]

6. After The Ordeal

7. The Cinema Show

8. Aisle Of Plenty

Disc 4 (53:39 minutes) is their 6th album "Selling England By The Pound", originally released in October 1973 on Charisma CAS 1074 in the UK and Charisma 7208 554 in the USA. (Their 5th album, "Genesis Live", was released in July 1973 on Charisma CLASS 1 in the UK; it was an official release and no explanation is given for its no show in this box set).  The DVD Audio version has 3 extras, reissues Interview 2007, Shepperton Studios, Italian TV, 1973 clip and Batacain, France, 1973 clip.

1. The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway [Side 1]

2. Fly On A Windshield

3. Broadway Melody Of 1974

4. Cuckoo Cocoon

5. In The Cage

6. The Grand Parade Of Lifeless Packaging

7. Back In N.Y.C. [Side 2]

8. Hairless Heart

9. Counting Out Time

10. The Carpet Crawlers

1. Lilywhite Lilith [Side 3]

2. The Waiting Room

3. Anyway

4. Here Comes The Supernatural Anesthetist

5. The Lamia

6. Silent Sorrow In Empty Boats

7. The Colony Of Slippermen [Side 4]

8. Ravine

9. Riding The Scree

10. In The Rapids

11. It

Disc 5 (45:38/48:51 minutes) is their 7th album "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway", originally released in November 1974 as a 2LP set on Charisma CGS 101 in the UK and on Atco 7599 122 in the USA. The DVD has all of the slide show that accompanied the stage shows offering both Surround and standard stereo versions.

Disc 6 "Extra Tracks" (46:44 minutes):

Track 1 is "Happy The Man", a non-album 7" single issued in the UK on May 1972 on Charisma CB 181 ("Seven Stones" is its B-side - a track off "Nursery Cryme")

Track 2 is "Twilight Alehouse", the non-album B-side to "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" issued on 7" single in May 1974 on Charisma CB 224

Track 3 is "Sheppard (BBC Nightride 1970)"

Track 4 is "Pacidy (BBC Nightride 1970)"

Track 5 is "Let Us Now Make Love (BBC Nightride 1970)"

Track 6 is "Going Out To Get You (Demo 1969)"

Tracks 7 to 10 are called Genesis Plays Jackson.  Michael Jackson was a painter who put music to a silent film of "Metropolis" and invited Genesis in to score it. Some tracks were done, but the full project was abandoned. These tapes have only recently come to light and the four tracks are; "Provocation", "Frustration", "Manipulation" and Resignation" - "Frustration" would later turn up as "Anyway" on "Lamb" and "Manipulation" became "The Musical Box" on "Nursery Cryme".

NICK DAVIS prepped the 5.1 Surround Mixes and Stereo CD mixes with the remastering carried out by TONY COUSINS at Metropolis Mastering. Both of these guys handled the preceding box sets to both applause and derision in equal measure. While I admittedly don't have a Surround capability at home, I find the sound quality on the Stereo CD mixes to be GORGEOUS - a revelation. "Trespass" & "Nursery Cryme" are hissy in places, but still so much better sounding than the crap 1994 Virgin remasters we've been lumbered with all these years (which in turn were supposed to replace the dire 80's issues). But the great news is "Foxtrot", "Selling" and "Lamb", each of which now has GORGEOUS SOUND. At 8:15 minutes into "Supper's Ready" on Foxtrot when the acoustic guitars kick in, I was in floods, huge sound filling my room... We've been waiting 35 years to finally hear these great works in DECENT AUDIO.

While the DVD and Audio elements are fantastic and the extras fascinating - I find the packaging naff (typical of all things Virgin). The box lid won't close no matter what you do, the individual booklets are simply the original artwork restored, but again they're too small to read and massively underwhelming compared to the beautiful event feel of the original vinyl gatefold sleeves (especially "Lamb"). And with no new essay, no new photos, nor nothing of their history - when they're released as stand-alone CDs, fans are going to feel mightily short-changed – again. And why no "Live" set - nor the 1975 single edit of "Carpet Crawlers" - or its unique B-side, the live in the USA (Evil Jam) version of "The Waiting Room"? Nor is it cheapest of things either…so with the boys now individually credited as Limited Companies on the rear sleeve - the whole thing is beginning to smack a little too much of corporate greed instead of musical celebration.

The Music is truly incredible and still stands up with "Foxtrot", "Selling England By The Pound" and that amazing 1974 double "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" still eliciting gasps – and I’d have to say that the Audio is gorgeous and revealing throughout. "Trespass" and "Nursery Cryme" have their moments for sure – but it’s the final three in the Charisma period that are Proggy Heaven.

Wonderful in some respects and yet strangely disappointing in others - this eagerly awaited box is 4-stars really when it should have been six. And yet I love it and them in all their mad, imaginative and sprawling brilliance. Fans will know what I mean when I say - "...something tells me I’d better activate my prayer capsule…"