Return the Gift

by

Gang of Four

Edit

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

Re-recording previously re-packaged songs/"sex" from an era long

past? A brilliant move, I'd say. The question (up to you reader) to answer is what is "the gift" and who is "returning" it? It's not the song from Entertainment(!) which does not appear on this "covers" record---a tradition common in the post-punk period---leaving a track used for the title of the record off of the record. Think Pere Ubu's "Songs Of The Bailing Man."

So what is this recording if not the nexus to band re-formation and tour? The disc sounds just a bit like a cleaned up rehearsal recording made just prior to their first "re-union"

gigs. And why should we complain? The Gang of Four "comes home

to roost" and we're the dupes in the continuous chains consumption. "Gotta earn a living...It's very expensive today..." Because...when was the last time you heard

"He'd Send In The Army" on a non-satellite radio station?

Sure, the record is a bit of a let-down, but there are

bright and shining moments and that is one of them. Same goes for the "re-union" record of the one band that really does make sounds like Go4---Mission of Burma. So complain about the

dense, cleaner, and less nuanced sounds that come from this, but do acknowledge that the songs are still bloody admirable. Perhaps more so in the 21st C. of download, compile, consume.

"I'm lovin' it..."