Gang Of Four - Songs Of The Free

It's been a year since I last posted an Infinite Zero reissue, so I guess we're due, right? And this one is long overdue.

"Songs Of The Free" was Gang Of Four's third full-length, their first without bassist Dave Allen (replaced by Sara Lee here), and, arguably, their final unequivocally great LP. The post punk is still there, but the agitpop has been replaced by a lot of early-80s synthpop. It's still great; after all, this record kicks off with "Call Me Up", "I Love A Man In Uniform", and "We Live As We Dream, Alone", which is one hell of a way to kick off a record. This Infinite Zero reissue was the first time this had been released on CD, and adds the "I Love A Man In Uniform" dub remix and "The World At Fault" from various "I Love..." single releases.

I've found, over the years, that just about any track from this is a floor filler at your local indie sleaze night. Don't believe me? Well, that's your right, man.

Discogs

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Gang Of Four – Solid Gold & Another Day/Another Dollar

OK, it's been a month...let's post up another one of those Infinite Zero Gang Of Four reissues. As with the "Entertainment!/Yellow EP" reissue, this one combines a full-length with a North American 12"; in this case, "Another Day/Another Dollar" combines the crucial "To Hell With Poverty" 7" with a pair of 1981-era live tracks and the B-side from the "What We All Want" 7".

At the risk of sounding like a dick, I very clearly prefer the Dave Allen era lineup to all other Go4 lineups. Maybe it's a result of anti-disco prejudice, maybe I'm just an idiot. Although "I Love A Man In Uniform" is a straight bop...

Discogs

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Gang Of Four - Entertainment & Yellow EP

Look, there's no need for me to spill the veritable digital ink over recordings that have been far better lauded than the likes of this humble ape. So let this tiny blog stand as a continuation of my ongoing Infinite Zero posts, a share of something I've owned since it came out in 1995, and a reminder that, even if I lose my job in the next 24 hours (a very possible future), no matter how bad things get, no one can take away the likes of Gang Of Four from me. A stone cold classic, a must own, a reason for continued existence.

Discogs

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Gang Of Four - The Peel Sessions (Album)

The O.G. lineup of Gang Of Four (King/Gill/Allen/Burnham) made four years of perfect post-punk from 1978-1981. That's not to downplay the "Songs Of The Free"/"Hard" catalog backend featuring Sara Lee or Jon Astrop on bass, but, let's face it, I'm not whipping out that live 12" of "Is It Love" any time soon. Give me "To Hell With Poverty!" or "Armalite Rifles" or "At Home He's A Tourist" and watch me dance. I'll take the agitprop any day.

I actually turned up a copy of "The Peel Sessions" long before I ever got any of G4's studio recordings, and the rawness of these three sessions probably colored my opinion of the group moreso than most other fans. The lack of overdubs or effects really puts me in the room in a way that their studio cuts, love them as I do, just can't. It's immediate, pulsing, sexy. I tip the cap to ol' Hank Rollins for ensuring their two Warner Bros. records got a comprehensive reissue via Infinite Zero around the time I finished high school, but this was my introduction. And it was fucking good.

I'd love to hear why this, amongst many other Peel Sessions records that found their way to the States via D.E.I., hasn't been reissued in 30 years. I know there's still an appetite for hearing these recordings, and it seems like a shame that someone hasn't stepped up to make sure there's ready access to them.

Discogs

Click here to download.