Entertainment! / Yellow (EP) Columbia MO

Entertainment! / Yellow (EP)

Gang Of Four

Infinite Zero / American Records, 1980

REVIEW BY: Eric E5S16

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 12/28/1997

One of the many resources I enjoy reading regarding music, arebooks that feature the best albums by rock reviewers and/or rockDJs around the world.

One such book is Paul Gambaccini's Critics Choice: The Top 100 Rock 'N' Roll Albums Of AllTime. This book was printed in 1987, and his previous book waswritten 10 years earlier. (Hey, 1997 is here and soon to pass.Shouldn't we be seeing a third edition soon?) Browsing through themany albums in this edition's Top 100, there are the usual choices;the ones that every record collector must have. And the others arealbums you may have never heard of, and out of curiousity, you'reanxious to hear them, and see why such an album is so great to beincluded in the Top 100.

One album is Gang of Four's Entertainment!, ranking in at #41. Well, to my listeningears, this album is anything but. It seems that a lot of theparticipants involved in the 1987 edition of Mr. Gambaccini's bookare lovers of punk rock. Don't get me wrong, punk rock is enjoyableto listen to. Of course, there are many bands who go a little overthe limit in this area of music. The Sex Pistols come to mind; theyare (in my opinion) better than Gang of Four.

Formed in 1977, Gang of Four is a band from Leeds, England,featuring the vocals of Jon King. Their sound is probably comparedto the early Clash. The first two songs, "Ether" and "Natural's NotIn It" are least (to say) listenable tunes. "Return The Gift" isanother tune where you can take it or leave it. The changes in thesong are off-balance, the guitar solo is annoying at times. "GunsBefore Butter", like many of the songs on this album, is ofsocial/political comment. (Hey, didn't The Clash write songs likethat too?) Again, the song does get annoying, music sounding wise."Glass" contains vocals that sounds distracting. "Contract" startsout ok, but it goes through so many changes, it throws you off, awhole lot...