Inflammable Material

by

Stiff Little Fingers

Edit

Hmmmmm, let me just start out by saying a few words about a subject that has been beaten to death. People get all worked up about today's "punk" music, and I can't understand why. Bands such as Green Day, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory, they're not even punk at all. So when people tie on them the ever so tired "pop-punk" label it gets me a little cranky. Pop-punk? Come on now children, these aforementioned bands owe far more to the Beatles than any respectable punk band. Punk you see, was born with Iggy Pop and the Stooges. It is raw, a form of brutal, simple expression. Political expression, personal expression, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that it is raw, straight from the hip and reasonably faaaast, right?

Well, If the Stooges birthed that writhing, thrashing beast known as punk, this album crystallized everything that was right about this genre. Brilliant, stunningly fast and savage riffs, tight and hammering rythm section, and inisightful fury fueled lyrics. And Jake Burns' singing?.... Well, simply put, it's the greatest, nastiest howl you'll ever hear. However, these are just ingredients. The finished product, is Stiff Little Fingers' utter classic "Inflammable Material" and a mere list of ingredients doesn't come close to capturing it's essence. You see, on this recording, magic happened. A fire of youth and anger was layed down on a 24 track recorder, and also most tantalizingly, true possibility. This is Punk, good Sirs. Beautiful, nasty, and always young punk. It is in my opinion, along with the Ramones' "Rocket to Russia", Television's "Marquee Moon", The Clash's "London Calling", Misson of Burma's "Signals, Calls and Marches", Husker Du's "Zen Arcade" and Joy Division's "Unkown Pleasures", one of the greatest rock and roll albums ever made. It stands atop the peak of almost unnatainable brilliance, giving us all the middle finger in all it's ragged glory, and for that, we are thankful. Children, buy this masterpiece. There'll be time enough for Bach when you're old and can no longer bang your head.