Gang of Four - Entertainment
Our Price: $24.68
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: Gang of FourBrand: GANG OF FOUR
Edition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2005-05-17
Music Label: Rhino
Soundtracks:
- Ether
- Natural's Not In It
- Not Great Men
- Damaged Goods
- Return the Gift
- Guns Before Butter
- I Found that Essence Rare
- Glass
- Contract
- At Home He's A Tourist
- 5-45
- Anthrax
- Outside the Trains Don't Run on Time (Bonus Tracks)
- He'd Send in the Army (Bonus Tracks)
- It's Her Factory (Bonus Tracks)
- Armalite Rifle (Bonus Tracks)
- Guns Before Butter (Alternate Version) (Bonus Tracks)
- Contract (Alternate Version) (Bonus Tracks)
- Blood Free (Live) (Bonus Tracks)
- Sweet Jane (Live) (Bonus Tracks)
Music reviews of Entertainment
Music Review: Kinda Sorta Entertaining . . .
Rating: 3 Stars
(Warning: this is an honest, objective review guaranteed to tee off die hard fans)
A word to young rockers who dig new bands like Franz Ferdinand (I've only heard a few of that band's songs, truth be told) and want to check out Gang of Four because they've heard about their influence: This stuff is really different. You may not like it. Personally, I like a lot of the bands Gang of Four influenced (from U2 to Rage Against the Machine, R.E.M. to the Chiles) much more than GoF itself.
This album is pumped up, fairly rudementary, angular, punky, kinda funky, not extremely musical and often repetitive. The main drawback for me is Jon King's flat voice. It can get pretty tiresome. But this may not be a problem for you since there are plenty of not-so-great voices in rock (Bernard Sumner anyone?) that people don't seem to mind. Andy Gill's guitar is sharp, skratchy and cutting, but it sounds virtually the same throughout the whole album. And way too much has been made of the "neo-psychedelia" of the last track "Anthrax." The "psychedelia" is mainly just a bunch of guitar feedback. Maybe it was a big deal to 15-yr-old punk clubbers in 1979 London who hadn't heard PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN. Oh, and the "politics?" They kick around a few interesting ideas about society, but in truth nothing too revelatory, politically speaking. Lyrics like "guerilla war struggle is the new entertainment" had more resonance in 1980; today, it's old news. Watching war on T.V. = guilty (or not guilty) pleasure for some is a common, much discussed topic, but it's still pretty cool they addressed issues like this. There is also some interesting commentary about interpersonal relationships. Note: they don't really have a problem with girls wearing bikinis as some people think while hearing "I Found That Essence Rare." The reference pertains to "BIKINI ISLAND" where the U.S. tested nukes. No, it's not a particularly clever reference.
For me, ENTERTAINMENT! is still a pretty cool little diversion once in a while. The Yellow EP is basically more of the same - overrated and not really that great compared to other music out there that is so much better. I can't comment on the other extra stuff that appears since I haven't heard it. I'm sure I could have a blast at one of their shows - obviously a whole different monkey than hanging out and listening to the album.
Still, if you're looking for "energy" you could do a lot better. If you REALLY want to get blown away, go check out a Death album. That stuff will tear your head off and #&@% down your neck. Looking for some good punk/post-punk/what-have-you from the same general time-frame? The Sex Pistols, The Clash and the early Talking Heads are much better musically (the new re-release of the live THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS with almost twice the original tracks is fantastic). Want funky rock? BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is pretty hard to beat. Actually you could probably beat it with some live James Brown circa "Sex Machine." Or, if you can appreciate a totally wacked-out sense of humor, the ultimate funky rock has gotta be HIGHPERSPICE by the notorious Weapon of Choice. Party on!
Description of Entertainment
Some of the most powerful, energized, and memorable music of the U.K.'s potent post-punk era of the late '70s and early '80s came from the trailblazing band Gang of Four, and it all started with 1979's stellar Entertainment! Dave Allen, Hugo Burnham, Andy Gill, and Jon King fused punk, funk, explosive prog-rock, and literate and often incendiary lyrics into a signature, groundbreaking sound that would influence countless bands to come. The original album's brilliant 12 tracks are now remastered and bolstered with four tracks from the rare Yellow EP, plus four never-before-released-songs-making this watershed disc sound bigger and better than ever.The same year American college students and FM radio stations found hipness in the Clash's "Train in Vain," a quartet of students from England's Leeds University calling themselves Gang of Four released their debut album. Politically charged and pumped full of extremist theories and punk rock vehemence (and now out of print since 1997), Entertainment continues to rank among the most critically acclaimed and influential records of the post-punk epoch it helped to define. The record is funkified by stop-start rhythms and sharp vocals that mimic Joe Strummer's sing-to-shout shifts, a sound that has turned up in the music of a quarter-century of bands, from the Minutemen to Fugazi. The original 12-song track list--including the vehement slam on media and politics "I Found That Essence Rare" and the punk passion play "Damaged Goods"--is reinforced with all four songs from the band's 1980 EP Yellow, as well as four others never-before-released, including a live cover of the Velvet Underground's "Sweet Jane." --Scott Holter
Alternative Rock CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Alternative Rock CDs
Bouncing Souls - Maniacal LaughterRelease date: 1996-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $30.00
Blondie - Parallel LinesRelease date: 1994-07-29; Music CD
Best price: $149.98
Doors - L.A. WomanRelease date: 1993-04-09; Music CD
Best price: $99.99
Amon Duul - Phallus DeiRelease date: 1997-04-08; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Tangerine Dream - MelroseRelease date: 1990-10-02; Music CD
Best price: $74.98
Tangerine Dream - Private Music of Tangerine DreamRelease date: 1992-11-10; Music CD
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
![Ska Explosion [VHS] Image](/images/Ska-Explosion-VHS-6303381014-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ska Explosion [VHS]Cleopatra; Release date: 1995-02-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
![Little Earthquakes [VHS] Image](/images/Little-Earthquakes-VHS-6302488664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Little Earthquakes [VHS]Atlantic / Wea; Release date: 1992-11-10; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.50
Price in other shops:
Exileby Geoffrey Oryema
Music CD
Best price: $4.95
![Louder Than Live [VHS] Image](/images/Louder-Than-Live-VHS-6301627865-X.jpg){kind=small}
Soundgarden - Louder Than Live [VHS]A&M Video; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $192.68
Similar CDs
The Smiths - The Queen is DeadSmiths; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $6.66
Price in other shops:
New York Dolls - New York DollsNEW YORK DOLLS; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $2.79
Price in other shops:
Brian Eno - Another Green WorldVirgin; Release date: 2004-06-01; Music CD
Best price: $8.86
Price in other shops:
Wire - Chairs MissingRelease date: 2006-04-11; Music CD
Best price: $11.19
Price in other shops:
Minutemen - Double Nickels on the DimeMINUTEMEN; Release date: 1990-10-25; Music CD
Best price: $11.68
Price in other shops:
Sonic Youth - Daydream NationRelease date: 1993-11-23; Music CD
Best price: $2.68
Price in other shops:
Gang of Four - Songs of the Free (Reis)Release date: 2008-08-05; Music CD
Best price: $5.54
Price in other shops:
Wire - Pink Flag (Dig)Release date: 2006-04-11; Music CD
Best price: $11.00
Price in other shops:
Television - Marquee Moon (Dig)Rhino; Release date: 2003-09-23; Music CD
Best price: $7.37
Price in other shops:
Gang of Four - Solid Gold / Another Day Another DollarRelease date: 2004-05-03; Music CD
Best price: $5.66
Price in other shops: