weird to hear them in a commercial for Kinect :/
― basedketball (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 3 February 2011 22:07 (thirteen years ago) link
so, he used to work for eMusic?
Also, did you spot the pomplemoose link?
― Mark G, Friday, 4 February 2011 11:37 (thirteen years ago) link
This thread's reemergence led me to pop on a CD I got in the bargain bin, years ago, "Mall." It kinda sucked... Guess that's why it was in the bargain bin. Any suggestions on a good CD by them?
― NYCNative, Friday, 4 February 2011 12:51 (thirteen years ago) link
Entertainment.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 4 February 2011 14:45 (thirteen years ago) link
Just saw them on David Letterman, performing a new tune. And wow, were they weak! The new song showed all of the Gang Of Four's strengths - agitpop with great hooks, hints of dub and funk and open spaces, catchy-but-minimal lyrical and melodic themes - to have, well, mostly into ether. It's weird that they've chosen to present their revival as highly reminiscent of Entertainment, when they clearly have lost most of the characteristics that made that record great, and when they just plain look silly trying it now. (Why not 'revise' the general sound of Solid Gold, which would probably be more successful, in a sense.
Total embarrassment, I thought. I remember when singing Jon King 'shake it up' on stage was effective, back when it seemed like, hell, this is what he's chosen to do, instead of being a young rising star advertising exec or something. Now he seems like a poorly aging advertising exec just slumming it and looking like a buffoon. I actually spat out my drink when I saw his wedding band, 'cause it made me think, here's another deeply conventional prat, cynically going for the almighty dollar. What a way to smear a great body of work.
I now respect Dave Allen even more, and Hugo's a fine bloke too.
― crustaceanrebel, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 05:48 (thirteen years ago) link
this year's tour should be called Another Day, Another Dollar 2011
― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Wednesday, 9 February 2011 15:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Gonna skip their W. DC show tonight but I will always fondly look back on those 2 gigs I saw back when (in 79 to 81)
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 15:46 (thirteen years ago) link
There's a weird effect on the guitar that isn't on the album. Letterman clip doesn't look particularly bad to me...the video for Farm is much more embarrassing (in terms of stage moves). Look, they're not going to redo Entertainment, any more than YMG is going to redo Colossal Youth, etc. Content is very good, not great. I'm happy with it.
Dave Allen = I got cut out of the finances therefore this sucks. Sorry, but it's pretty damn obvious from his own take on things.
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 19:43 (thirteen years ago) link
Here's the Farm video...pretty sonically different from Letter Man:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVQ2Y688dUQ
Stage moves, not good.
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 19:44 (thirteen years ago) link
nah, pretty obvious he's got his head in the right place! took the last shred of Go4 credibility out the door with him.
― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Wednesday, 9 February 2011 19:46 (thirteen years ago) link
I totally don't get that. He quit, not when he decided the music sucked, but when:
"The band’s manager helped me reach a decision when he called me one afternoon in early 2008 to discuss the “small issue of the songwriting” as he called it. He preceded to lay out the grand idea that as Gill and King were “writing” the new songs then I would have no claim to any music publishing splits. I had already left the band in my mind before I even responded to his ludicrous claim.
On and off during 2006, 2007 and 2008 we were creating new musical ideas following the same pattern of 1977/1978, as described above. To be told by someone I have absolutely no respect for, that I would have the non-option of take it or leave it with regard to music writing and publishing splits, I very easily chose to leave on the spot."
The distinction between "I had already left the band in my mind" and "I..chose to leave on the spot" is just great. I mean, seriously. We're grown ups here. Is it not obvious what the problem was...
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 19:52 (thirteen years ago) link
"I'm old, nobody appreciates my fluid bassline that *totally* makes Anthrax, and I'm making good money on the side anyway..."
― dlp9001, Wednesday, 9 February 2011 19:55 (thirteen years ago) link
i always thought this band's "glory years" were overrated by critics who liked their dumb sloganeering, but the music was OK. if that letterman performance was an accurate representation of their new music, hoo boy.
― by another name (amateurist), Friday, 11 February 2011 00:17 (thirteen years ago) link
"embarrassment" is a good word for it. maybe not strong enough.
― by another name (amateurist), Friday, 11 February 2011 00:18 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh hell no, their glory years were NOT overrated. "Entertainment" is still truly astounding and worthy of it's legendary status, with "Solid Gold" just a step below. After that, still great stuff but not on the same level. Dave Allen is a man of integrity, I get from his comments that the writing credit thing was just the last straw.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Friday, 11 February 2011 01:01 (thirteen years ago) link
And they were so great live during those glory years
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 12 February 2011 04:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Holy goddamn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K19jPwpP5XY
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 23 September 2011 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
well that made my morning!
― runaway (Matt P), Friday, 23 September 2011 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
okay, wait
what
― Brad C., Friday, 23 September 2011 16:41 (twelve years ago) link
If what I've been able to deduce is correct, from this page:
http://www.gamelan.org/directories/directoryjapan.html
Here's some backstory:
Name of Ensemble: Sekar MelatiInstruments: JavaneseRepertoire: Traditional, originally composedContact: Ms. Hitomi Ozeki5-12-2 Kaminakaya-cho, Kakamigahara CityGifu Prefecture 504-0926email: ✧.✧.hit✧✧✧.o-1✧✧✧@a✧✧.o✧✧.n✧.j✧Web site:Narrative:The group representative Hitomi Ozeki studied Gamelan in Jakarta and then founded Sekar Melati in Gifu prefecture in June 2000. Currently this community-based group has 8 members. It has been introducing Javanese traditional music as well as its original compositions to this region at museums, schools, art galleries and various other locations. Mr. Hiroshi Ietaka (Marga Sari, Osaka) also gives instruction regularly.
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 23 September 2011 16:43 (twelve years ago) link
That is the coolest thing ever.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 23 September 2011 18:27 (twelve years ago) link
Have already sent this video to a bunch of people. Gamelan Gof4 is pretty terrific. I wonder what the rest of the set was?
― grandavis, Friday, 23 September 2011 18:28 (twelve years ago) link
Un-freakin-believable. The woman on the far left is really grooving to it!
I mean, really... I want to hear what King/Gill/Allen/Burnham think!
Damn, they should open for them on their next tour!
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Saturday, 24 September 2011 01:29 (twelve years ago) link
Allen retweeted it so he knows about it, at least!
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 24 September 2011 01:41 (twelve years ago) link
This is sick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUSw_2jkDjM&feature=youtu.be
― Immediate Follower (NA), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 20:21 (nine years ago) link
So skinny, such baggy clothes
― Immediate Follower (NA), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 20:29 (nine years ago) link
Holy cow. One my larger life regrets, never seeing them live in either original or reunion modes.
― Both jaunty and authentic (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 9 July 2014 21:39 (nine years ago) link
Was about to say, I'm so glad I saw the original line-up reunion.
― da croupier, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 21:51 (nine years ago) link
OK, apparently the line-up is now Andy Gill and a rhythm section? Gang Of One!
― da croupier, Wednesday, 9 July 2014 21:53 (nine years ago) link
haha wait misread - there's a new lead singer
Is this a band whose rediscovery in the oughts has already been forgotten? I can't put my finger on it, maybe it's our sped-up recycling.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 10 July 2014 03:18 (nine years ago) link
Okay, the Andy Gill plus some other dudes GO4 will be here in March. I've never seen them. Do I go?
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 19 November 2014 16:26 (nine years ago) link
Nah.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 19 November 2014 17:33 (nine years ago) link
I don't know if I can dismiss it that easily. Now I'm listening to some 2013 youtubes as I type, and they sound really good even though they're 75% a tribute band. His guitar playing is so huge to me, I don't know how I've never seen them after all these years.
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 19 November 2014 18:00 (nine years ago) link
I don't know how much the rerecordings on Return the Gift reflect Andy Gill's live sound these days, but I'll say it: most of the songs benefit from modern sonics.
― TTAGGGTTAGGG (Sanpaku), Wednesday, 19 November 2014 18:46 (nine years ago) link
I mean, I'm digging this!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CFWGE-dT24
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 19 November 2014 19:06 (nine years ago) link
There's just no way I could do that. The above screen grab alone says it all.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 19 November 2014 19:20 (nine years ago) link
When in doubt, finagle a spot on the guest list! I'm in, totally realizing this is NOT Gang of Four but approaching in the same way I would a chance to finally see, say, Wilko Johnson and some Gen Y kids touring as "Dr. Feelgood."
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 20 November 2014 15:07 (nine years ago) link
Well, considering I last saw the band in its full reunited glory, I'm not sure what would be gained from this exercise. I mean, I know I can go, for free, but what's the point? The songs are great, and they're great when I'm sitting on the couch at home.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 20 November 2014 15:20 (nine years ago) link
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Thursday, November 20, 2014 10:07 AM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Ha, the current lineup of "Dr. Feelgood" has NO original members, despite the fact that three of the original four are still alive.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 20 November 2014 15:39 (nine years ago) link
No idea there *is* a current Feelgoods lineup, that's amazing!
― Deliciously hard yet very accessible (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 20 November 2014 17:26 (nine years ago) link
So, apparently they have a new single?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ4dW6KKrao
― the QT conundrum (Moka), Monday, 26 January 2015 21:09 (nine years ago) link
Has there been any discussion about this elsewhere?
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 26 January 2015 21:34 (nine years ago) link
This is Andy Gill and some scrubs. Not Gang of Four.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 26 January 2015 22:03 (nine years ago) link
Still seems weird that its "Gang of Four" with only one original member Andy Gill
http://www.gigwise.com/news/97485/new-gang-of-four-track-features-alison-mosshartThe What Happens Next full tracklisting is below: 1. Where The Nightingale Sings 2. Broken Talk (feat. Alison Mosshart) 3. Isle of Dogs 4. England’s In My Bones (feat. Alison Mosshart) 5. Dying Rays (feat. Herbert Grönemeyer) English version 6. Obey The Ghost Of The Colony 7. First World Citizen 8. Stranded 9. Graven Image (feat. Robbie Furze) 10. Dead Souls (feat. Hotei) 11. Dying Rays (feat. Herbert Grönemeyer) German version
― curmudgeon, Monday, 26 January 2015 22:07 (nine years ago) link
I didn't know that. Andy is arguably the most important member of GoF but yes, it feels wrong to cash in on his former band name instead of creating a new project of his own, which this is.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 26 January 2015 22:16 (nine years ago) link
It made sense that apart from the guitar this didn't sound anything like GoF.
The Viet Cong album released this month sounds more like Gang of Four than Gang of Four:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUHCyhE-s9M
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Monday, 26 January 2015 22:17 (nine years ago) link
Andy is arguably the most important member of GoF
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 26 January 2015 22:19 (nine years ago) link
Go4 was Andy Gill, Jon King and some scrubs from 1983-2004, 2004-2012.
Though I think Gang of One is a perfectly cool band name.
― non-masturbatory prog excursion (Sanpaku), Monday, 26 January 2015 23:23 (nine years ago) link
"Bass/No Tremble" sounds like a Jon King line.
Sara Lee = No Scrub
― Don A Henley And Get Over It (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 27 January 2015 00:01 (nine years ago) link