Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable Material
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Stiff Little FingersEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2005-04-05
Music Label: Restless Records
Soundtracks:
- Suspect Device
- State of Emergency
- Here We Are Nowhere
- Wasted Life
- No More of That
- Barbed Wire Love
- White Noise
- Breakout
- Law and Order
- Rough Trade
- Johnny Was
- Alternative Ulster
- Closed Groove
- Suspect Device [Single Version][*]
- 78 RPM [*]
- Jake Burns Interview, Pt. 1 [*]
Free Music Notes for Inflammable Material
Free Music Review: The best punk record from the first wave. Maybe not the most important
Hit: 5 Stars
Recently I've been exploring the origins of punk and have checked out the usual suspects...Ramones, Saints, Radio Birdman, Damned, Sex Pistols. Thought I'd check out this SLF album...reluctantly perhaps...didn't know the band's music from a bar of soap...sort of expected to find it a waste of money. This album really impressed me though. The Amazon editorial mentions that comparisons with The Clash didn't help this band, as they way were being compared to a major act. Having listened to The Clash's first two albums, I have to say that there is no comparison...it beats The Clash's efforts hands down. No contest. In my header, I say that this album is not the most important punk album...I'd reserve that honour for The Saint's "(I'm) Stranded". If you want a model for what punk is and should be, you can't go past it. However, with all the early punk stuff I've listened to, there has been nothing to compare with the towering achievements of The Sex Pistols' classics "Anarchy in the UK" and "God save the Queen". But even their sole studio album lacks supporting songs that make listening to the album worthwhile...sure, some songs grow on you, but it doesn't lift the album to classic status, based on the entire work. With "Inflammable material" there are no such classics as the Pistols have...but what it lacks in classics, it just makes up for, in spades, with damned listenable and engaging music. As someone who didn't really get much out of Cream, I did get a lot out of their "Wheels of fire" album, which I also consider a classic. I like "Inflammable material" like I like "Wheels of fire"...or "Electric ladyland"...they're marvellous studio albums. SLF aren't afraid to to make the studio another member of the band...in that sense, the studio brings some art to their album, but it doesn't turn it into an art album, like it did for Television's "Marquee moon". "Inflammable material" is full of raw, angry punk. It has highly polished punk too. It also has great variety...people of various tastes should find something to like on it. The sound quality on this album (my cd has a 2004 release date for it, though Amazon doesn't seem to have this date for its listings...mine has the three bonus tracks at the end in any case) is excellent...unlike the low in the mix guitar sounds of the Ramones' debut album. The levels are up and vibrant. Lyrically, the album strikes me as coming from an authentic place, unlike the more studied agit-prop of The Sex Pistols...they even sound more authentic that The Clash when dealing with similar themes, like the police's behaviour.
In conclusion, I'd say that this is the ultimate studio album by a punk that I've heard so far. The musicianship is of a high quality. Lyrics display wit. There is a real punk ethos to this album but they veer from this straight and narrow path to experiment and surprise. The singing can be hoarse and aggro but then turn smooth. Would have to disagree with Joey Ramone, who claims paternity over every punk band which followed them...The Saints' debut would have been as is, even if the Ramones had never released anything. And this SLF album exemplifies punk maturing, but getting snotty when it feels like it. Of all the punk albums I've listened to so far, this is the one that I can picture myself relistening to for pleasure, not just because it is in some way "Worthy". First impression? A classic album. The first example of this in punk, I think.
Best song:
Closed groove - the guitar at the start reminds me of The Police's classic "Roxanne". A bassy track with a riff that you can imagine that Wolfmother pilfered..."Woman" comes to mind...I don't think that SLF are a band that ever gets mentioned as a source for Wolfmother's pilfering. The vocals sound robotic and the lyrics are genuinely witty...e.g. "Think what you like if you agree with me".
Next best songs (on first listen and in album order):
Here we are nowhere - comes in at 0:58 minutes long, but does not suffer for its brevity. Not exactly sure how to describe its vibe...guessing maybe jitterbug...ska...something like that, but with a punk twist. Effect is catchy in any case. Nice guitar solo...very rock'n'roll. Bassy.
No more of that - the guitar intro is familiar, but I can't place it...from the 1950s? Vocals are smooth here and the vocal melody is familiar too, but I can't place it.
White noise - very fast vocals at times, which is quite catchy. I suppose you could read this song as an expression of racism, but I've got no doubt it is intended to be anti-racist, as the lyrics get more absurd at the end. The outro reminds me of the synth pop master Jean Michel Jarre ("Oxygene" is a brilliant album, especially the 2nd and 4th tracks).
Johnny was - comes in at an epic 8:10 minutes long. The guitar struck me as being heavy metalish in this track. The intro has military type drumming. Good drumming at the end too. There is a notable guitar solo in this track...familiar, but I can't place it. My notes say "reggae-ish?", so, that kind of experimentation illustrates my point about this band not sticking to the punk straight and narrow...I'd say I get more out of this foray by SLF than I did for The Clash's forays into this territory.
Next best songs (on second listen, in album order):
Suspect device - this song could end up being my favourite track on this album...it was the first single from it, apparently. I listened to just the intro, third time around (to make a note of something) and it sounded even more catchy...a real grower. Bassy track, punk rock'n'roll with buzzing guitars (they remind me of The Doobie Brothers classic "China Grove"). The singer sings himself hoarse in this song, just about. Good bass guitar here, and the vibe is vaguely Led Zeppelin/boogie punk.
Barbed wire love - a nice track...bit of a mash up. Has familiar guitar licks. Good tone to the drums, which can hit a frantic tempo at times. Bassy sound, in a 1950s kind of way...as are the handclaps.
Alternative Ulster - intro has an ethereal guitar sound to it. Bassy, polished track with catchy vocals and lyrics.
Suspect device (single version) - slightly longer than the album version, due, I think, to the less driven intro. Single version also lacks the presence in sound of the album opener. The right hand side of my headphones also had what sounded to me like unintentional distortion. Poker players will enjoy the cultural references drawn from it. Bassy track, and the singer seems to channel The Sex Pistols Johnny Rotten in his approach. Maybe this version is also poppier than the album version.
The rest (in album order):
State of emergency - mid tempo track with interesting guitar effects. Maybe you could describe this track as sort of 'boogie metal/punk' at times. Studio effects are utilised here. Singing less over the top than the preceding track, which is the album opener. He does sound aggro at times though...sort of reminds me of The Angels lead singer, Doc Neeson here. Guitar and drums sound metal-y at times.
Wasted life - has an intro which is reminiscent of The Who. An anti-military/war song. Singer reminds me of Davros (from Dr Who!)...in other words, his singing displays the punk attitude...it ain't pretty, but it is effective. Bassy track.
Breakout - mid tempo song with good bass guitar and a nice, subtle lead guitar in the background sometimes.
Law and order - has a heavy metal type intro vibe. Interesting drum pattern...cool. An anti-police shenanigans song...which strikes me as being probably more authentic than what The Clash released early on...you could infer they had personal experience of this kind of stuff...perhaps the bonus interview at the end supports that view. A little experimental this track, I think (I'm assuming that that's what my note "exp?" means, in any case).
Rough trade - the rhythm to this track reminds me of U2's "Desire". Lyrically it's about the band being screwed over by the company which purported to sign them up. In that way it's their equivalent to The Sex Pistols' "E.M.I"...but I find it more effective than the Pistols' song. The bonus interview on this album goes into the details of this episode.
78 rpm - nice intro...sort of psychedelic, then poppier punk. Good bass guitar.
Interview - an excellent interview with the lead singer which runs to 17:41 minutes in length. The history of the band is discussed as well as their influences etc...heavy metal bands are mentioned, which explained why some of the songs sounded heavy metal-y to me. It's mentioned that "Inflammable material" is the first completely independent album to make the UK top 20 albums chart. "Blue Peter" is mentioned...will have to Google or Wiki this name to find out what it means. Anyway, the GREAT thing about this interview is...well, two things: 1) it's an excellent source of biographical material on the band, from the horse's mouth, so to speak. The cd liner notes only contain the song lyrics, I think. 2) If you subtract the interview length from the cd's running time (64:01) you get a cd which is more agreeable to a listening...it's not overly long, in other words. Some albums are just way too long. If the cd was as long as it is, but the interview was very short, it may have been more of an imposition to listen to it all.
Recommendations:
The Stooges - The Stooges (proto punk)
New York Dolls - New York Dolls (proto punk)
Ramones - Ramones
The Saints - (I'm) Stranded
Radio Birdman - Radios appear
The Damned - Damned damned damned
The Sex Pistols - Never mind the bollocks
Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F
AC/DC - Let there be rock (their best album where they have a really raw guitar sound)
Inflammable Material Poster
Complete your collection with these 4 punk classics from the legendary definitive Irish punk band!INFLAMMABLE MATERIALS cranks up the politics like only SFL knows how including the stand-out rendition to Bob Marley?s "Johnny Was". HANX is a live recording that brilliantly showcases their incendiary live shows. On NOBODY?S HEROES, the group evolves by way of articulate lyrics, refined playing, and yet still remain defiant as ever. GO FOR IT reveals their rock and reggae hybrid style popularized by the great song "Roots Radicals Rockers & Reggae".
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