Go for It [Import]

Stiff Little Fingers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 23, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: EMI Europe Generic
• ASIN: B0002F0M7O
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,956 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

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". --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "GO FOR IT!", May 19, 2006

By 

Dansa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Go for It (Audio CD)

"Go For It" might very well be punk's best keep secret. Much like the Clash's "London Calling" and Bad Brain's "I Against I," the rich album explodes out of the restrictions of the genre with a melting pot of diverse influences and songwriting. The band's goal was to make a pure singles album with every song designed to stand on its own with a unique voice, and for the most part they somehow pull it off convincingly. A common theme of taking risks and well "going for it" does seem to emerge throughout a wide variety of lyrical topics that seem to cover everything under the sun. Seriouisly, name a topic and the main songwriting team of Burns/Ogilvie probably presents it in a fresh, straightforward, and intelligent way on this album; sex, love, alienation, domestic violence, working class angst, random violence, rocking out, and even the problem with young marriages of convience.

The aggression of punk is either controlled or not present at all though every song is dripping with very urgent passion in both playing and Burn's wonderful singing voice that ranges from soft and pleasant to hoarse and emotional. Like the musicianship, the production is very accomplished and of unusual high quality for the genre and era. The popular opening cover of "Roots, Radicals..." surpisingly leans more towards the up-tempo righteous rage of Punk than Ska, while moody Dub dominates slow ballads like the melancholy "The Only One" and the soaring powerhouse "Safe as Houses." "Just Fade Away" and "Kicking up Racket" are upbeat pop guitar jubliations,and Cluney's romantic rockabilly number "Gate 49" might be the most sincere and understated of the common "life on the road" rock songs. The title track is a marching instrumental that you've probably heard before without realizing it while a horn section emphasizes the bittersweet longing of "Silver Linging" even better than the easy releatabe down to the earth lyrics. But simply praising the exciting diversity of the songwriting is to ignore what makes this album really work, its the uncommon way the band honestly takes the songs to heart without making them too weighty that really sets them apart form their peers. Preaching without really preaching if you will. It should also be noted that even with the occassional dark or angry corner, the album is almost always easy on the ears, beyond catchy, and very hopeful; it's also a ton of fun with incredible pop highs always on the horizon. I would go so far as to say this might very well be the best album to emerge from the punk scene in the 80s, it is really that great and underlooked.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great follow-up to Nobody's Heroes..., May 8, 2006

By 

Mikey Scars "www.myspace.com/masonsummers ww... (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Go for It (Audio CD)

This album is really awesome. Not quite as amazing as Nobody's Heroes but just as good as Inflammable Material. Unlike most albums, this one gets better as it goes along, with the weaker songs (though none are bad) towards the beginning and the great songs past the half-way mark.

I also like that Jake Burns voice is smoother and clearer on this album. I actually find his smooth voice to be more powerful than his raspy one.

The bonus tracks are nice and the the interview with Jake Burns at the end is long and informative.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic album, March 10, 2002

By 

"skak1" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Go for It (Audio CD)

When Paul Morley wrote the review of this album in the UK music paper New Musical Express he described SLF as 'the greatest rock group in the world'. Ironically, this album turned many of the early fans away because it shows the group beginning to move away from their traditional punk format. What's more there is only one reference to Belfast and that is in the last song. This album doesn't have the same energy as Inflammable Material but it has considerably more variety- superb punk-reggae songs like 'Safe as Houses' co-exist with motown influenced ditties like 'Silver Lining'. The song-writing here is superb. The lyrics are what you'd expect of this group- mainly political and social comment. The group's musicianship had evolved considerably since the first album. A must for SLF fans or even for those just intrigued by who were this group which had such influence on (early) Sinead O'Connor, (early) U2, Ash, Green Day and the Dropkick Murphys.