Ian Dury emerged around the same time as British punk which had some influence on his music wheras the Blockheads were top notch jazz influenced musicians. Ian had a unique lyrical style, sometimes funny but often hard hitting as well as an unforgettable stage presence and delivery. Very sadly missed.
Not quite right. Kilburn & the High Roads (Ian Dury being a founder member) started in 1970, were regulars in the pub rock circuit (as was Dr Feelgood) and even supported the Who in 1973. Dury was quite well-known amongst music fans before punk hit the UK. The influence was working more in the opposite direction. Most also considered Ian Dury to be part of the New Wave rather than punk.
So many amazing songs by Mr. Dury, Here's 10 to start. 1. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick 2. What a Waste 3. There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards 4. Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt.3 5. Sweet Gene Vincent 6. Billericay Dickie 7. Clever Trevor 8. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll 9. Blockheads 10. I Want to be Straight
The Blockheads are a fantastic band - Norman Watt-Roy genius bass player 'I assume New Boots and Panties is the album you are doing?' you're in for a ride !:)
Ian Dury and the Blockheads were really pub rock, but punk was dominant in London at the time and some people lazily classified them as such. The album is fantastic, but for a real killer bass line listen to 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' which was a hit single in late 1978.
So glad you got to Ian Dury. Please just continue through New Boots and Panties, every track is a gem, with many surprises. He was a well seasoned performer before punk, but rode in on the New Wave of 77 and a firm favourite of punk fans. Many singles not on albums, so check those too. e.g. Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, What a Waste, and Sweet Gene Vincent when with Kilburn and the High Roads before the Blockheads.
So good to find someone willing to try out Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Tight music ALWAYS, humorous lyrics and great nostalgia. Ian Dury was a poet and was taken in by punks because of his style, topic and delivery....and musically, how can anybody not like The Blockhead's delivery? 'Clever Trevor' is just a delight, you can tell why young rebels loved him and could relate, the music is just too cool and the lyrics are a lot of fun.
Ian Dury had a few iconic songs- this, Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll, and Hit me Wirh your Rhythm Stick. Reasons to be Cheerful, Pt 3, is less known but not to be overlooked. Is this punk? Who cares! I think the main feeling regarding the emergence of punk and new wave in the late 70s (I was in college then) was that we didn't care about genres any more. Genres were a marketing tool imposed by record labels and radio stations and we were glad to break from that and just hear what creativity could come from the bands we wanted to listen to. No more network owned commercial radio stations - it was all about college radio stations and small independent rock stations. And we all had cassette recorders to put together our own play lists. The most fun thing about Ian Dury is it was disco beat but creative, not the cloned disco crap that was playing all over the place mashing is want to pull our ears out of our heads! There are a few songs that I remember the exact circumstances of hearing out for the first time. 1978, Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, I had just heard the Talking Heads perform for the first time and my head was blown! As the lights came on and people started to for out, this song was played over the PA. The groove was immediately captivating and then the lyrics, which were particularly funny since we were in an ornate hall at a catholic university surrounded by stained glass windows depicting notable Jesuit priests...
Dury's music director, Chaz Jankel, had a brilliant solo career in the 80s. He had a huge club hit in 1982 called "Glad To Know You". The full 6 minute version of which is one of the most joyous dance/funk tracks ever. None of his solo output crossed over to commercial radio success here in the U.S. But there is some great stuff there. As for Dury, my favorite is "Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3". "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" is also a must.
The band was the blockheads, and they could more or less play anything. They were brilliant interpreters of Ian's funny and occasionally rude lyrics. The blockheads could play lots of styles.
You're going to love Ian & The Blockheads, very innovative, bold, excellent musicianship. One of the finest lyricists of the era, and rival of Elvis Costello - not a great singer per se, but an amazing performer. Runs the gamut from very upbeat to deeply sad, has one of my favorite songs of all times, a haunting and painful story of self regret (censoring the title...) F*cking Ada. There's no real "genre" for the Blockheads, its British Music Hall combined with jazz, punk, rock, almost prog at times, and almost always outstanding musicianship.
Punk you have to remember was the coming together of many strands that had gone before. Rock and Roll, Soul, Reggae in its many forms, Glam Rock, Music Hall, The Beat groups of the Sixties. The first Rule of Punk. There are no rules.
I made exactly the same comment earlier. They headlined the Rock on The Tyne festival in 1981 which included Elvis Costello and U2 and were out of this world :)
This is what made the UK new wave so much fun... so many different bands playing down to earth music that wasn't punk. Nick Lowe, Dr Feelgood, The Motors, Eddie and The Hot Rods and many more.
Ian Dury comes from the pub-rock scene originally but the guy was unclassifiable, he was his own genre, incorporating many musical styles. The front cover of New boots and panties!! is credited only to Ian Dury but actually The Blockheads are present as a backing band. I hope you will make the integral of New Boots and Panties!! as well as the following album, the brilliant Do It Yourself (released in 1979).
Hi JP. DP from UK, having a Lazy Sunday. New Boots and Panties could be may favourite new wave album. I love the combination of Ian's humour and young Arthur Mullard vocals and the brilliant jazzy musicianship of the Blockheads. The track I really latched on to was Billericay Dickie, a tale of a lad's sexual exploits around Essex (a county east of London). Each verse (probably not repeatable) is like a limerick, and many of the places mentioned are familiar as I travelled around Essex at the time playing cricket. Who is Arthur Mullard, I hear you ask. A Cockney (London) comic actor who sounds like, er, an older Ian Dury! P.S. my song ref Lazy Sunday is by The Small Faces - more Cockney vocals!
I was introduced to Ian Dury (& The Blockheads) with "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt. 3" and "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". You'll like those songs, too!
Loved this blind reactions to onenof my favorite jams. Its such a bop!!!! Knew of the blockheads from the punk rock scene and sex and drugs and rock n roll but rediscovering them and their even jazzier stuff in my late 20s had always been a good find. I generally listen to this when im about to take it further with someone im seeing...its a great morning alarm clock
You are right to ask for special songs of artists but in this case just listening to the whole album might not be a mistake. Beside the songs from the album there is "Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3" what I really like.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this song, JP. Ian Dury & The Blockheads were very popular in the UK in the late 70s and early 80s and had many chart hit singles. Although he rose to prominence on the back of punk/new wave, the music was largely funk/jazz rock. The punk element was Dury himself, who was a rough diamond with a large vocabulary (in pop terms) which he used to intelligently examine life from a working class perspective. I would recommend "Hit me with your rhythm stick", "I wanna be straight" and "This is what we find".
That was rather good. I've never heard Ian Dury beyond "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" (which is now something of a cliché of British music of its time), so I had no real idea what else he did. This one? Yeah! I'll support all the others in the comments so far calling for the whole album to be listened to, just to get a better opinion of his work and, hopefully, hear some more great tracks.
Yay, I love these guys and am very glad you've had a listen. The Blockheads were a brilliant band and Ian was a brilliant fella. My favourites include, (but aren't limited to), 'Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt. 3', 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll', 'Sweet Gene Vincent', 'Profoundly In Love With Pandora' and of course, 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick'.
When you started your channel you said that it was family friendly. I didn’t realize that included making a family, too! 😉 I enjoyed this one. It was funny, too. The piano player has some chops!
No punk, never punk. They came out of the pub rock scene along with the likes of the stranglers and the clash. These were accomplished musicians with experience in jazz and soul. If these bands had a progenitor then listen to Dr feelgood
Ian Dury was a poet that crossed musical boundaries, from his early punk-esque stuff with Kilburn and the Highroads, to his funky, rocky rock and roll and sometimes just silly stuff! I love The Bus Driver's Prayer, replacing the Lords Prayer, with place names from around the London area.
Hi Great reaction it looks you got a pleasent surprise, Ian dury will definitely put a smile on most faces , lyrically diverse , and surrounded by top class musicians , PLEASE do the whole" new boots and panties" album most of the songs clock in at three minutes or so, maybe you could do a couple of songs at a time , great album .Ian has such a unique delivery, rip Ian dury.
Welcome to the world of Ian Dury, so many great songs that others have already listed. ~Perhaps I would add 'I wanna be Straight' to that list. Glad to have seen the Blockheads live once in a small venue and bought Norman Watt-Roy a beer at the bar afterwards
What a fantastic backing track, by a group of crack musicians. Ian Dury was a most singular talent, a unique lyricist, and a vocalist of great character (if not always perfect pitch!). I see that only one person has reacted to What A Waste, which for me is his greatest song, a lyrical and musical masterpiece. Please give it a try Justin!
Never heard much of Dury, but 'Reasons to be Cheerful (Pt 3)' found a way onto a tape of mine -- and got stuck in my head. Great track, a bit on the naughty side. Love to see you laugh at this not very ambiguous song.
My friend Graham Maitland was in a band with the guitar player and base player from the blockheads , Glencoe they were called , they had two very good albums
Ian Dury and The Blockheads were punk but not punk rock, it was more the attitude of rebelliousness and anti-establishment attitude that defined punk and then the addition of -rock that categorises what is commonly known as punk music. I would class Ian Dury with John Cooper Clarke (th-cam.com/video/37QUUwp9xIs/w-d-xo.html) and Billy Bragg (th-cam.com/video/Y098I5kAVY8/w-d-xo.html) as punk poets. Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick th-cam.com/video/0WGVgfjnLqc/w-d-xo.html and Reasons to be Cheerful part 3 th-cam.com/video/1injh4-n1jY/w-d-xo.html are two of his bigger hits.
Small note: The little kid standing beside Dury on the cover photo of _New Boots and Panties_ is his son Baxter, also, now a musician, though I've not heard his stuff. The album title apparently came after the photograph, which shows the shop - Axford's - to sell both, among many other things.
Ian was his late 30s when this album was released, so very much an elder statesman of the punk era and brought experience, wit and a more classy attitude to the music than the angry young men who dominated. His wry, dry, naughty sense of humour coupled to an anti-establishment attitude - and the very strong musical chops of The Blockheads - make for a very appealing combination that has stood the test of time. Rhythm Stick was the first single I ever bought and it's still a superb slice of music. Check it out!
Ian Dury has a Memorial bench in Richmond Park, southwest London. I recommend "Billericay Dickie" a song by Ian Dury, from his debut album New Boots and Panties!!. It is narrated by a bragging bricklayer from Billericay, and is filled with name-checks for places in the County just North of London, Essex, England.
Ian Dury wasn't 'punk'he was in a genre of his own. Plaistow Patricia is the closest to punk on this album (with profane lyrics at the start). A brilliant wordsmith Dury was a genius. He was played by Andy Serkis (of Gollum fame) in the film 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll', the bio pic about him. Dury often used a walking stick due to childhood polio.
He could get loud and kinda punky too like on Plaistow Patricia and Blockheads, but it still leans more towards Pub Rock which includes groups like Brinsley Schwarz, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Eddie & the Hot Rods. Ian Dury had many songs like this including the # 1 song Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and Sex n Drugs n Rock n Roll. He also did some sweet songs and cabaret numbers. He and the BH's were great.
They do funk, punk and all sorts of tunes. Reasons to be cheerful is fantastic, as is Sweet Gene Vincent, he was a poet. Oh, and Spasticus Autisticus!!
You might recognize the title of his most famous song... Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll ;-) I've got this album on vinyl... still need to get a working turntable again... 😛 eta... Yeah, you'll find a bit more 'punk' in other songs, but the Blockheads are a great band... they can sound much more polished than some typical punk bands.
I have the first 3 albums this Legend Ian Dury produced with the superb Blockheads, I also have several 45's & spun them all (some both sides) this Summer. As well as "Wake Up & Make Love To Me", try "I Wanna Be Straight" "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" "Reasons To Be Cheerful" or "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards" for some of their musical variety.
Ian Dury first for me started early to mid 70s with kilburn and the High roads in the Brit pub rock scene, then formed the Blockheads. Very much in the English Music hall pre war style of the cheeky chappy. Totally brilliant. This album is immense.
At last! A reaction to a different Ian Dury song - & by one of the people on here I respect the most (even if I sometimes disagree). Just need to do some P J Harvey now - maybe Man Size? or Me Jane? Really anything off her albums up to White Chalk. You may not always like her but, my God, the emotional charge, the wit, the humour, the power!! Ian couldn't really sing, but he was a superb storyteller. His lyrics - & the way he delivers them - is beyond compare. I have said I consider some of his lyrics worthy of Shakespeare (& I stand by that). Witness 'If I Was With A Woman' which is the story of a sad & bitter man who fails to impress women: If I was with a woman I'd threaten to unload her Every time she asked me to explain (And then this piece of sheer poetry) If I was with a woman She'd have to learn to cherish The purity & depth of my disdain Look at them laughing ...
What a great reaction!. I'm not a mega fan, necessarily but there's no denying they have a great sound. Ian's lyrics are clever and full of humour and the band are fire!!. So, some suggestions: "What A Waste", "Reasons To Be Cheerful" (album version), "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" and "Sweet Gene Vincent", just to start you off. Cheers.😺
A biopic entitled Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll starring Andy Serkis as Dury was released on 8 January 2010, and was nominated for several awards. Ray Winstone and Naomie Harris also appeared. The title of the film is derived from Dury's 1977 7" single "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll". Also in 2010 music journalist Will Birch published Ian Dury: The Definitive Biography[39] which was well received.[40] Wikipedia.
He was one of a kind he made , rock pop jazz , spoil , disco punk, you could not pidgeon Hole this band they were a superb band and Ian was Lyrical warlock👍🏻
The whole album is well worth covering, and is (for me) the best of his work - even though he later had two big number 1 hits in the UK (Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick, and Reasons to be Cheerful, Part III). His connection to punk was mainly down to his vocal delivery; he wasn't a great singer from a technical point of view, but he made up for that with the character of his voice. Plus, his lyrics were brilliantly witty and observant, and based very much in the reality of working class life at the time. New Boots and Panties covers a wide range of styles and moods, from the touching picture of his father in My Old Man to the knock-about comedy of Clever Trevor and the genuinely creepy misogyny of If I was With a Woman. It's a fantastic collection of songs.
Ian Dury was a diamond geezer. You’ll have to trust me on that one. Hope you do the whole album; you won’t be disappointed. Sweet Gene Vincent up next. One of the best and most heartfelt tribute songs from one artist to another. My Old Man is my personal favorite though. Won’t give anything away, but it tugs on me old heartstrings so it does. Ps. Was there a better year for albums than 1977? I think not.
He is more new wave and has a very British/English sense of humour in his lyric writing. The Blockheads were a much respected band. For a great bass check out “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick”. Other hits worth checking out are “Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3” “What a Waste” and “Sweet Gene Vincent”. Forget punk this is new wave British funk
oh yeh!!..didnt realise you hadn't done any ID+Blockheads stuff yet JP.....what a guy and what a band...gonna do this whole album?...yes please, it's a good 'un, I'm sure you'll enjoy...cheers :)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads had the Punk attitude mixed with a brilliant Jazz/Funk sound. Ian's lyrics would always make me smile. You should definitely check out their No.1 hit-single, " Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick " which features a fantastic 16th note bassline by Norman Watt Roy. Norman is one of my bass heroes ! I was lucky enough to go and see Norman and the remaining Blockheads play live, a few years back. I am sad, though, that I never got the chance to see Ian.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads had been around for several years prior to Punk and Ians collaboration with Chaz Jankel was lightning in a bottle and crucial to the success of Ians poetic and socially aware lyricism set to the backdrop of the highly proficient musicianship that give it such a unique sound.
Hey JP, I love your content, as always. Could I put i a request for the upcoming Holiday Season? "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis," by Tom Waits. It will also give you a good idea of what he sounded like earlier in his career.
It's funny you should mention George Benson there, because Chas Jankel wrote a song that Quincy Jones picked up and recorded. 'Ai No Corrida' is the name of the song. It's got the strong stench of Rod Templeton/Michael Jackson 'Off The Wall' era to it. Wonderful stuff.
Ian Dury was more new wave than punk but was one of those cool crossover acts that were ok for punks to like. Dury was an unusual character, he had polio as a child which left him with withered limbs a pronounced limp and a reliance on a walking stick , he often dressed in 1950’s Teddy boy style drape coat, drain pipe trousers and suede crepe soled shoes , sang in his own Essex accent using colloquialisms and local slang in his songs. He looked and sounded like nothing else at the time which is possibly why he gets lumped in with punk as he was difficult label. On stage he would gurn and grimace while singing and perform conjuring tricks during lengthy musical segments. Prior to the Blockheads, Ian started out in a London pub rock band called Kilburn and the High roads ( Kilburn High road is a well known London area ) in the early 1970’s , struggling on for several years without much success before disbanding then forming the Blockheads, although they did support the Who on their U.K. Quadrophenia tour. Dury’s son Baxter is a recording artist/ performer in his own right and is pictured on the sleeve of the New boots and panties album as a child next to his dad.
The Blockheads are just a joy to listen to, and Ian Dury always stood out for being more than averagely articulate and erudite. It's not that he was part of the punk movement, but it was the appearance of punk that kicked down the door for a lot of very good bands who had been marginalised by the established record industry. Sweet Gene Vincent is my favourite Ian Dury song.
Ian Dury emerged around the same time as British punk which had some influence on his music wheras the Blockheads were top notch jazz influenced musicians. Ian had a unique lyrical style, sometimes funny but often hard hitting as well as an unforgettable stage presence and delivery. Very sadly missed.
Not quite right. Kilburn & the High Roads (Ian Dury being a founder member) started in 1970, were regulars in the pub rock circuit (as was Dr Feelgood) and even supported the Who in 1973. Dury was quite well-known amongst music fans before punk hit the UK. The influence was working more in the opposite direction. Most also considered Ian Dury to be part of the New Wave rather than punk.
Not to forget. Ian Dury is always very funny. Humor in music is so underrated.
So many amazing songs by Mr. Dury, Here's 10 to start.
1. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
2. What a Waste
3. There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards
4. Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt.3
5. Sweet Gene Vincent
6. Billericay Dickie
7. Clever Trevor
8. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
9. Blockheads
10. I Want to be Straight
YES! YES! YES!
Great list!
Top list, 10 brilliant tunes!
I concur with that list ! Brilliant
There ain't half been some clever ....
The Blockheads are a fantastic band - Norman Watt-Roy genius bass player 'I assume New Boots and Panties is the album you are doing?' you're in for a ride !:)
I am so glad that I got to see this incredible band live. In The Forum in Kentish Town, North London. Absolutely brilliant gig.
Ian Dury is more new wave than punk. My favourite of his is "What A Waste"
I second this!
He was so much more than a punk. His lyrics were to die for, one of the greatest song writers ever to come out of the UK.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads were really pub rock, but punk was dominant in London at the time and some people lazily classified them as such.
The album is fantastic, but for a real killer bass line listen to 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick' which was a hit single in late 1978.
We seem to have posted the same comment at the same time, great minds.
At least in the UK, punk rock probably wouldn’t have happened without pub rock. Bands like Dr Feelgood paved the way.
Killer bassline courtesy of the the great Norman Watt-Roy. As Ian once said, 'Norman can be the purveyor of the fastest jazz wank in London".
So glad you got to Ian Dury. Please just continue through New Boots and Panties, every track is a gem, with many surprises. He was a well seasoned performer before punk, but rode in on the New Wave of 77 and a firm favourite of punk fans. Many singles not on albums, so check those too. e.g. Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, What a Waste, and Sweet Gene Vincent when with Kilburn and the High Roads before the Blockheads.
So good to find someone willing to try out Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Tight music ALWAYS, humorous lyrics and great nostalgia. Ian Dury was a poet and was taken in by punks because of his style, topic and delivery....and musically, how can anybody not like The Blockhead's delivery? 'Clever Trevor' is just a delight, you can tell why young rebels loved him and could relate, the music is just too cool and the lyrics are a lot of fun.
Ian got the punk scene in England listening to jazz funk he was so good. Norman Watt Roy is a bass god. This band just exploded on the scene.
‘….and I’ll make 🧡 2u?’
Great song and reaction. I don’t know much of Dury but indeed so mellow didn’t expect it
Ian Dury had a few iconic songs- this, Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll, and Hit me Wirh your Rhythm Stick. Reasons to be Cheerful, Pt 3, is less known but not to be overlooked.
Is this punk? Who cares! I think the main feeling regarding the emergence of punk and new wave in the late 70s (I was in college then) was that we didn't care about genres any more. Genres were a marketing tool imposed by record labels and radio stations and we were glad to break from that and just hear what creativity could come from the bands we wanted to listen to. No more network owned commercial radio stations - it was all about college radio stations and small independent rock stations. And we all had cassette recorders to put together our own play lists.
The most fun thing about Ian Dury is it was disco beat but creative, not the cloned disco crap that was playing all over the place mashing is want to pull our ears out of our heads!
There are a few songs that I remember the exact circumstances of hearing out for the first time. 1978, Gaston Hall, Georgetown University, I had just heard the Talking Heads perform for the first time and my head was blown! As the lights came on and people started to for out, this song was played over the PA. The groove was immediately captivating and then the lyrics, which were particularly funny since we were in an ornate hall at a catholic university surrounded by stained glass windows depicting notable Jesuit priests...
Dury's music director, Chaz Jankel, had a brilliant solo career in the 80s. He had a huge club hit in 1982 called "Glad To Know You". The full 6 minute version of which is one of the most joyous dance/funk tracks ever. None of his solo output crossed over to commercial radio success here in the U.S. But there is some great stuff there. As for Dury, my favorite is "Reasons To Be Cheerful Part 3". "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" is also a must.
The band was the blockheads, and they could more or less play anything. They were brilliant interpreters of Ian's funny and occasionally rude lyrics. The blockheads could play lots of styles.
Humour, Ian Drury just got it. A cheeky but very soulful singer. Embraced humanity. They broke the mould with him. Loved the man.
Looking forward to more from Ian Dury. Hes a legend in uk.. Very diverse music
You're going to love Ian & The Blockheads, very innovative, bold, excellent musicianship. One of the finest lyricists of the era, and rival of Elvis Costello - not a great singer per se, but an amazing performer. Runs the gamut from very upbeat to deeply sad, has one of my favorite songs of all times, a haunting and painful story of self regret (censoring the title...) F*cking Ada.
There's no real "genre" for the Blockheads, its British Music Hall combined with jazz, punk, rock, almost prog at times, and almost always outstanding musicianship.
The absolute best band I have *ever* seen live, just magnificent!
Fkn fantastic track . Great groove and done really clever and unique lyrics 👍🏴
Thank God for people like you
For sure continue with a whole album review !
Punk you have to remember was the coming together of many strands that had gone before. Rock and Roll, Soul, Reggae in its many forms, Glam Rock, Music Hall, The Beat groups of the Sixties. The first Rule of Punk. There are no rules.
My favourite Ian Duty song,great reaction
I have always called Ian dury music funk punk pub music wonderful 🇬🇧❤😊😊
The Gift that keep on rising....
I saw them live at Hammersmith Odeon in the 80s still the BEST concert I’ve ever seen!
I made exactly the same comment earlier. They headlined the Rock on The Tyne festival in 1981 which included Elvis Costello and U2 and were out of this world :)
The musicianship from this band is absolutely amazing.
For sure Mark! They're great!
I don't remember noticing before how strange and playful the piano is on this, but I think, how could I not have noticed that? It's delightful!
GENIUS ! So Funky. Love it.....
This is what made the UK new wave so much fun... so many different bands playing down to earth music that wasn't punk. Nick Lowe, Dr Feelgood, The Motors, Eddie and The Hot Rods and many more.
Great, you've found Ian Dury. Please carry on with the album. There's not a duff track on it.
Well it's about time. This is a fantastic album. Do the whole thing.
Ian Dury comes from the pub-rock scene originally but the guy was unclassifiable, he was his own genre, incorporating many musical styles. The front cover of New boots and panties!! is credited only to Ian Dury but actually The Blockheads are present as a backing band. I hope you will make the integral of New Boots and Panties!! as well as the following album, the brilliant Do It Yourself (released in 1979).
Hi JP. DP from UK, having a Lazy Sunday. New Boots and Panties could be may favourite new wave album. I love the combination of Ian's humour and young Arthur Mullard vocals and the brilliant jazzy musicianship of the Blockheads. The track I really latched on to was Billericay Dickie, a tale of a lad's sexual exploits around Essex (a county east of London). Each verse (probably not repeatable) is like a limerick, and many of the places mentioned are familiar as I travelled around Essex at the time playing cricket. Who is Arthur Mullard, I hear you ask. A Cockney (London) comic actor who sounds like, er, an older Ian Dury!
P.S. my song ref Lazy Sunday is by The Small Faces - more Cockney vocals!
I was introduced to Ian Dury (& The Blockheads) with "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Pt. 3" and "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick". You'll like those songs, too!
It is definitely THE BLOCKHEADS with Mr Dury especially on this classic from the fab New Boots and Panties !
Loved this blind reactions to onenof my favorite jams. Its such a bop!!!! Knew of the blockheads from the punk rock scene and sex and drugs and rock n roll but rediscovering them and their even jazzier stuff in my late 20s had always been a good find. I generally listen to this when im about to take it further with someone im seeing...its a great morning alarm clock
Thanks Rebelle! This is a great song/album! :D
You are right to ask for special songs of artists but in this case just listening to the whole album might not be a mistake. Beside the songs from the album there is "Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3" what I really like.
I'm so glad you enjoyed this song, JP. Ian Dury & The Blockheads were very popular in the UK in the late 70s and early 80s and had many chart hit singles. Although he rose to prominence on the back of punk/new wave, the music was largely funk/jazz rock. The punk element was Dury himself, who was a rough diamond with a large vocabulary (in pop terms) which he used to intelligently examine life from a working class perspective. I would recommend "Hit me with your rhythm stick", "I wanna be straight" and "This is what we find".
Great one JP, you will absolutely love the bass in Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, highly recommended!
I do love me some Ian Dury. There half been some cleaver bastards. One of my fav tracks.
That was rather good. I've never heard Ian Dury beyond "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" (which is now something of a cliché of British music of its time), so I had no real idea what else he did.
This one? Yeah!
I'll support all the others in the comments so far calling for the whole album to be listened to, just to get a better opinion of his work and, hopefully, hear some more great tracks.
Yay, I love these guys and am very glad you've had a listen. The Blockheads were a brilliant band and Ian was a brilliant fella. My favourites include, (but aren't limited to), 'Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt. 3', 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll', 'Sweet Gene Vincent', 'Profoundly In Love With Pandora' and of course, 'Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick'.
When you started your channel you said that it was family friendly. I didn’t realize that included making a family, too! 😉 I enjoyed this one. It was funny, too. The piano player has some chops!
No punk, never punk. They came out of the pub rock scene along with the likes of the stranglers and the clash. These were accomplished musicians with experience in jazz and soul. If these bands had a progenitor then listen to Dr feelgood
Love some early Dr Feelgood - "Walkin' The Dog" or "Roxette".
JP please continue with the album it's so eclectic and has many surprises!
How wonderful to discover Ian dury for the first time
His Stiff Records tour with Elvis Costello & the Attractions was apparently legendary - both bands trying to out do the other
Glad you enjoyed it...🙂
Ian Dury should have been the poet laureate.He had an incredible way with words.
Ian Dury was a poet that crossed musical boundaries, from his early punk-esque stuff with Kilburn and the Highroads, to his funky, rocky rock and roll and sometimes just silly stuff! I love The Bus Driver's Prayer, replacing the Lords Prayer, with place names from around the London area.
Hi Great reaction it looks you got a pleasent surprise, Ian dury will definitely put a smile on most faces , lyrically diverse , and surrounded by top class musicians , PLEASE do the whole" new boots and panties" album most of the songs clock in at three minutes or so, maybe you could do a couple of songs at a time , great album .Ian has such a unique delivery, rip Ian dury.
Welcome to the world of Ian Dury, so many great songs that others have already listed. ~Perhaps I would add 'I wanna be Straight' to that list. Glad to have seen the Blockheads live once in a small venue and bought Norman Watt-Roy a beer at the bar afterwards
Nice comments. Ian was not confined to genres and the Blockheads were really tight as a band. Together awesome and totally a one off.
What a fantastic backing track, by a group of crack musicians. Ian Dury was a most singular talent, a unique lyricist, and a vocalist of great character (if not always perfect pitch!). I see that only one person has reacted to What A Waste, which for me is his greatest song, a lyrical and musical masterpiece. Please give it a try Justin!
Never heard much of Dury, but 'Reasons to be Cheerful (Pt 3)' found a way onto a tape of mine -- and got stuck in my head. Great track, a bit on the naughty side. Love to see you laugh at this not very ambiguous song.
My friend Graham Maitland was in a band with the guitar player and base player from the blockheads , Glencoe they were called , they had two very good albums
Punk is not just hard music , its content painting a raw picture
Ian Dury and The Blockheads were punk but not punk rock, it was more the attitude of rebelliousness and anti-establishment attitude that defined punk and then the addition of -rock that categorises what is commonly known as punk music. I would class Ian Dury with John Cooper Clarke (th-cam.com/video/37QUUwp9xIs/w-d-xo.html) and Billy Bragg (th-cam.com/video/Y098I5kAVY8/w-d-xo.html) as punk poets.
Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick th-cam.com/video/0WGVgfjnLqc/w-d-xo.html and Reasons to be Cheerful part 3 th-cam.com/video/1injh4-n1jY/w-d-xo.html are two of his bigger hits.
Small note: The little kid standing beside Dury on the cover photo of _New Boots and Panties_ is his son Baxter, also, now a musician, though I've not heard his stuff. The album title apparently came after the photograph, which shows the shop - Axford's - to sell both, among many other things.
Ian was his late 30s when this album was released, so very much an elder statesman of the punk era and brought experience, wit and a more classy attitude to the music than the angry young men who dominated. His wry, dry, naughty sense of humour coupled to an anti-establishment attitude - and the very strong musical chops of The Blockheads - make for a very appealing combination that has stood the test of time.
Rhythm Stick was the first single I ever bought and it's still a superb slice of music. Check it out!
The little kid on the left of the album sleeve is now a recording artist. Ian's son, Baxter. Look him up. I recommend Miami or Almond Milk.
Ian Dury has a Memorial bench in Richmond Park, southwest London. I recommend "Billericay Dickie" a song by Ian Dury, from his debut album New Boots and Panties!!. It is narrated by a bragging bricklayer from Billericay, and is filled with name-checks for places in the County just North of London, Essex, England.
Ian Dury wasn't 'punk'he was in a genre of his own. Plaistow Patricia is the closest to punk on this album (with profane lyrics at the start). A brilliant wordsmith Dury was a genius. He was played by Andy Serkis (of Gollum fame) in the film 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll', the bio pic about him. Dury often used a walking stick due to childhood polio.
@@Katehowe3010 Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?😁
He could get loud and kinda punky too like on Plaistow Patricia and Blockheads, but it still leans more towards Pub Rock which includes groups like Brinsley Schwarz, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Eddie & the Hot Rods. Ian Dury had many songs like this including the # 1 song Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick and Sex n Drugs n Rock n Roll. He also did some sweet songs and cabaret numbers. He and the BH's were great.
Reasons to be cheerful is next please.
They do funk, punk and all sorts of tunes. Reasons to be cheerful is fantastic, as is Sweet Gene Vincent, he was a poet. Oh, and Spasticus Autisticus!!
You might recognize the title of his most famous song... Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll ;-)
I've got this album on vinyl... still need to get a working turntable again... 😛
eta...
Yeah, you'll find a bit more 'punk' in other songs, but the Blockheads are a great band... they can sound much more polished than some typical punk bands.
I have the first 3 albums this Legend Ian Dury produced with the superb Blockheads, I also have several 45's & spun them all (some both sides) this Summer. As well as "Wake Up & Make Love To Me", try "I Wanna Be Straight" "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" "Reasons To Be Cheerful" or "There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards" for some of their musical variety.
Blockheads!!!
Brilliant musicians all. They always put together a vibe.
Ian Dury… such a great poet/lyricist, a true genius with words.
👍
It's so cute how he says 'body'
You HAVE to continue with the whole album review! And discover Ian's life story. Check out his famous interview with Michael Parkinson.
100% right way to go
You might want to be careful about airing the track “Plaistow Patricia” on YT!
@@mrwomby5007 Lol yeah!
Ian Dury first for me started early to mid 70s with kilburn and the High roads in the Brit pub rock scene, then formed the Blockheads. Very much in the English Music hall pre war style of the cheeky chappy. Totally brilliant. This album is immense.
The right hand youtube sidebar of your other videos are going to keep me entertained for a while
I'm happy to hear! Enjoy Brian :)
At last! A reaction to a different Ian Dury song - & by one of the people on here I respect the most (even if I sometimes disagree). Just need to do some P J Harvey now - maybe Man Size? or Me Jane? Really anything off her albums up to White Chalk. You may not always like her but, my God, the emotional charge, the wit, the humour, the power!!
Ian couldn't really sing, but he was a superb storyteller. His lyrics - & the way he delivers them - is beyond compare. I have said I consider some of his lyrics worthy of Shakespeare (& I stand by that). Witness 'If I Was With A Woman' which is the story of a sad & bitter man who fails to impress women:
If I was with a woman
I'd threaten to unload her
Every time she asked me to explain
(And then this piece of sheer poetry)
If I was with a woman
She'd have to learn to cherish
The purity & depth of my disdain
Look at them laughing ...
What a great reaction!. I'm not a mega fan, necessarily but there's no denying they have a great sound. Ian's lyrics are clever and full of humour and the band are fire!!. So, some suggestions: "What A Waste", "Reasons To Be Cheerful" (album version), "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" and "Sweet Gene Vincent", just to start you off. Cheers.😺
The whole album is wonderful and full of brilliant lyrics. They were great live too, The Bockheads still are, RIP Ian
A biopic entitled Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll starring Andy Serkis as Dury was released on 8 January 2010, and was nominated for several awards. Ray Winstone and Naomie Harris also appeared. The title of the film is derived from Dury's 1977 7" single "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll". Also in 2010 music journalist Will Birch published Ian Dury: The Definitive Biography[39] which was well received.[40] Wikipedia.
The Blockheads were an amazing backing band, you had to see them live to appreciate just how good they were
He was one of a kind he made , rock pop jazz , spoil , disco punk, you could not pidgeon Hole this band they were a superb band and Ian was Lyrical warlock👍🏻
The whole album is well worth covering, and is (for me) the best of his work - even though he later had two big number 1 hits in the UK (Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick, and Reasons to be Cheerful, Part III). His connection to punk was mainly down to his vocal delivery; he wasn't a great singer from a technical point of view, but he made up for that with the character of his voice. Plus, his lyrics were brilliantly witty and observant, and based very much in the reality of working class life at the time. New Boots and Panties covers a wide range of styles and moods, from the touching picture of his father in My Old Man to the knock-about comedy of Clever Trevor and the genuinely creepy misogyny of If I was With a Woman. It's a fantastic collection of songs.
Think that's his son Baxter in the album cover with Ian. Himself a singer, with a voice just like his dads. Worth checking him out.
Amazing song, what an artist he was.
Ian Dury was a diamond geezer. You’ll have to trust me on that one. Hope you do the whole album; you won’t be disappointed. Sweet Gene Vincent up next. One of the best and most heartfelt tribute songs from one artist to another. My Old Man is my personal favorite though. Won’t give anything away, but it tugs on me old heartstrings so it does.
Ps. Was there a better year for albums than 1977? I think not.
He is more new wave and has a very British/English sense of humour in his lyric writing. The Blockheads were a much respected band. For a great bass check out “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick”. Other hits worth checking out are “Reasons to be Cheerful Part 3” “What a Waste” and “Sweet Gene Vincent”. Forget punk this is new wave British funk
oh yeh!!..didnt realise you hadn't done any ID+Blockheads stuff yet JP.....what a guy and what a band...gonna do this whole album?...yes please, it's a good 'un, I'm sure you'll enjoy...cheers :)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads had the Punk attitude mixed with a brilliant Jazz/Funk sound. Ian's lyrics would always make me smile. You should definitely check out their No.1 hit-single, " Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick " which features a fantastic 16th note bassline by Norman Watt Roy. Norman is one of my bass heroes ! I was lucky enough to go and see Norman and the remaining Blockheads play live, a few years back. I am sad, though, that I never got the chance to see Ian.
Ian Dury and the Blockheads had been around for several years prior to Punk and Ians collaboration with Chaz Jankel was lightning in a bottle and crucial to the success of Ians poetic and socially aware lyricism set to the backdrop of the highly proficient musicianship that give it such a unique sound.
Ians a star, check out "Razzle in my Pocket"
Ian Dury was such a class act, his lyrics were so clever and poetic. That’s his son Baxter on the album sleeve who’s a great musician as well👍
Dury, Damn Genius ^^ And his Purring Band.
Ian Dury Essex Boy caught polio from my hometown swimming pool disability did not stop him , legendary punk poet
Hey JP, I love your content, as always. Could I put i a request for the upcoming Holiday Season? "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis," by Tom Waits. It will also give you a good idea of what he sounded like earlier in his career.
They were a pub band that honed their skills on the circuit, punk was happening at the same time rather than them being punk.
It's funny you should mention George Benson there, because Chas Jankel wrote a song that Quincy Jones picked up and recorded. 'Ai No Corrida' is the name of the song. It's got the strong stench of Rod Templeton/Michael Jackson 'Off The Wall' era to it. Wonderful stuff.
The cover made by Quincy Jones is actually very close to the original version but I much prefer the original by Chaz Jankel.
Ian Dury was more new wave than punk but was one of those cool crossover acts that were ok for punks to like. Dury was an unusual character, he had polio as a child which left him with withered limbs a pronounced limp and a reliance on a walking stick , he often dressed in 1950’s Teddy boy style drape coat, drain pipe trousers and suede crepe soled shoes , sang in his own Essex accent using colloquialisms and local slang in his songs. He looked and sounded like nothing else at the time which is possibly why he gets lumped in with punk as he was difficult label. On stage he would gurn and grimace while singing and perform conjuring tricks during lengthy musical segments. Prior to the Blockheads, Ian started out in a London pub rock band called Kilburn and the High roads ( Kilburn High road is a well known London area ) in the early 1970’s , struggling on for several years without much success before disbanding then forming the Blockheads, although they did support the Who on their U.K. Quadrophenia tour.
Dury’s son Baxter is a recording artist/ performer in his own right and is pictured on the sleeve of the New boots and panties album as a child next to his dad.
The Blockheads are just a joy to listen to, and Ian Dury always stood out for being more than averagely articulate and erudite. It's not that he was part of the punk movement, but it was the appearance of punk that kicked down the door for a lot of very good bands who had been marginalised by the established record industry. Sweet Gene Vincent is my favourite Ian Dury song.
One of the tightest bands.
The whole album is a classic
My mate has played guitar with The Blockheads.