Early

Scritti Politti | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 22, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rough Trade Us
• ASIN: B000XFZSZE
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,558 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Skank Bloc Bologna

2. Is and Ought the Western World

3. 28/8/78

4. Scritlocks Door

5. OPEC-Immac

6. Messthetics

7. Hegemony

8. Bibbly-O-Tek

9. Doubt Beat

10. Confidence

11. P.A.s

12. The "Sweetest Girl"

13. Lions After Slumber

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THANK YOU ROUGH TRADE, February 28, 2005

By 

MEWZIK - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early (Audio CD)

This compilation of first releases from Scritti Politti are a luxury to ownership on cd. The earliest account of Gartside's music challenges uncertainty and despair. This is no way the formula to Joy Division equating solitude, because the matrix on EARLY is somewhat baffling. Britain's political repression still played a part in everyday life, and although I was not there, thanks to music, the kids picked up pens and instruments and made many small stands. Tom Morely (schoolmate, drummer and Marxist) was noted to challenge Green's political views enough for them to pick up instruments. With Nial Jinks (bass), the trio released Skank Bloc Bologna. The opening sounds like a Josef K lick, and that is where the specific comparisons ends. The general influence of early SP includes all forms of British pop, with hints of reggae/ska. Independently, Skank sold 2,500 copies. Not bad for a band who rubber-stamped the records themselves. Rough Trade ended up taking over the record, helping them sell an additional 15,000 copies. The rest was history, a relationship with Rough Trade that built some of the most abstract music and lyrics that contributed to the era. During the time of these releases, SP toured with Joy Division and Gang Of Four (I want a time machine).

EARLY is serious and fun, hopeful and hopeless. Tracks 8 through 13 come with a spoonful of sugar that ultimately leads us to the transition of Songs To Remember.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deconstructed Pop, September 13, 2005

By 

Thomas Horan (Chapel Hill, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Early (Audio CD)

Seems like it's always been hip to be politically liberal. But Green Gartside's erudition and wit set him above the knee-jerk hordes, making this Scritti Politti compilation revolutionary in every sense. Gentler than punk, sparer than new wave, quirkier than dub, and far more intelligent than campus sloganeering, when you hear this eccentric release you will forgive Scritti Politti for succumbing to the lure of commercialism.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required listening, October 27, 2005

By 

M. DeCillis (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Early (Audio CD)

I have always been made fun of for my fascination with Scritti, but then I always saw them as a changing entity loosly held together by Green's changing musical moods/accomplishments, not just as the pop group of Cupid. His lyrics have always been great to read, and weird to hear-a satisfying suprise of non-conformist writing. As deconstructed as the early work is, it makes sense not only for the time in which it was written, but it also fits with the whole Scritti catalogue. Cool stuff, and fun to listen to.