Customer Reviews

New Boots & Panties (Reis) (Dlx)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great testament to the do-it-yourself spirit of '77. In 1976 punk exploded in the UK and everywhere new bands sprung up to demand their fifteen minutes of fame. Ian Dury had been knocking around the pub scene since 1973 and basically this was his and his ace band's (The Blockheads) well recieved, finely honed, 9:00 evening set. There probably wasn't much involved in putting these tracks on vinyl;The sound is immediate and unpolished. But what songs! The wicked wordplay and sinuous beats combined to provide a heady danceable stew. Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll was the signature song and it provided a rallying standard for the first wave of snotty brit punks. The real gems of the album were a couple of numbers where Ian pays tribute to tragic rocker Gene Vincent and his late father. Here we see the humanity behind the winking mug. For sheer butt shaking grooves, Wake Up And Make Love To Me and Clever Trever are very clever indeed. I was but a teen when this album came out, I'll tell you the truth- every now and again, I put this album on to shake some of the gray out of my hair, and to remember those wonderful days when radio was king and MTV was just a distant dream in some slick marketers eye. This is timeless stuff. Get it and see if you don't agree.

Ian Dury and his magnificent band never had a chance of bettering this. A stunning mix of wordplay, dance rhythms, social comment and humour which will never be forgotten by those lucky enough to be around in Dury's heyday which coincided with the arrival of punk.I doubt that there has ever been or ever will be a better live outfit than the Blockheads or a more eccentric/charismatic frontman than Ian Dury. Although some of his later work (Lord Upminster in particular) is best forgotten, this album will be remembered with affection by all those who bought it at the time.

Rising to public awareness during the midst of the UK punk scene in 1977, it was inevitable that Dury, with his bawdry lyrics, would be branded punk alongside the Sex Pistols and Clash by the ignorant press. Of course Dury was anything but. Crippled from polio as a child (Ian Dury - Injury, geddit?), Dury was an accomplished artist and friend of Pop Art guru Peter Blake (Beatles Sgt Pepper's sleeve), as well as being a long-time live pub-act under the name of `Kilburn And The High Roads'. `The High Roads' becoming `The Blockheads', Ian's debut album crackled with the underproduced sound of the punk era, but his wordsmithery elevated him above the wholesale riff-raff that were spitting their way across England. Witty, astute, and often risqué, Drury's songs were part working-class folk-tales, part vaudeville extravaganzas. The New Boots And Panties set highlights Ian and the Blockheads testing out their ever-increasing musical talents, looking punk straight in the eye, and easily outdoing it. A non-punk punk-classic.

I am only 15, and this album was the first I ever heard by Ian Dury, and it is surely one of the greatest albums ever. It blends spoken word, cockney ryhmes, singing, and all out rocking perfectly! May Ian Dury rest in peace. Thank you Ian.

Ian's death certainly left a void in the music world. Ian introduced a break-water ripple to the new wave scene. That is, Ian is the master of good fun "pub punk." What Benny Hill is to British comedy; Ian Dury is to music -- cleverly provacative and entertaining. Ian Dury employed a mixture of lyrics and music to generate songs that either increased awareness on a social issue (such as "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll") or were simple pub tunes to cheer you up -- such as "Reasons to be Cheerful" and "Hit Me With Your Rhythum Stick." This CD features rarities of some of Ian's classis. You will love the way Ian effectively uses his deep voice to create the English "pub singer" atmosphere. True, Ian's voice is "limited." But, he uses it to absolute perfection. I definitely recommend this CD. After one listen, you will be hooked on Ian Dury and the Block Heads.

This disk was quite a breakthrough for Ian Dury. Ian was a bawdy Brit with a great tone, whose spoken style was very different for the punk era. Dury's body had been crippled by childhood polio, but this did not stop him from fronting the band and occasionally playing drums. His command of lyrics and British slang as well as his intonnation and annunciation made him a very unique artist. The subject of most of the songs are sexual romps, drugs and working class drudgery. The Blockheads were a top notch group of players, whose virtuosity can be heard on other releases of this time period, including those by the Clash, Nick Lowe, and Jona Lewie, who Dury also produced. This re-release has a second disk full of demo versions and previously unavailable tunes that is interesting. The strength of the selection is the initial disk, which has razor sharp playing by the boys, providing the perfect backing for Ian's lyrical commentary. Songs like "Wake Up, Make Love With Me", "My Old Man", "I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra", and "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll" provided pub rock commentary for the time. "Billericary Dickie" is hysterical tale of sexual escapades, some frustrating. "Razzle in My Pocket" is another commical tune about being caught red handed stealing a nudie magazine. In all, this disk paints a humerous picture of punk pub existance in England at the time. It is a great release for the songwriting and the musicianship. I recommend it highly, Ian will be sorely missed.

I originally bought this album in 1979. A classic then, a classic now!

Ian Dury was an extremely intelligent, talented and witty songwriter. 'New boots and Panties' was never going to get popular radio airplay, the subject matter generally too risque.

This is working class music at it's best.

I was a bit disappointed 'Clever [...]!' wasn't included from the original album, but, oh well, still excellent.

I was going to see Deke Leonard the Man band guitarist at Salford University's rec bar and the support act started tuning up. This little old man, I was about 22, wandered on wearing a black Crombie and a bowler hat. Duh! Aaarlow ! He said, then they kicked into one of the most unbelievable sets I have ever heard or seen. Budoom boom boom boom boom boom boommmm Sex and drugs and rock and roll budoom boom boom boom boom boom boommmm. My jaw dropped. NB&P easily in the top five records ever made.

Deke Leonard ? Can't remember anything about his set.

I grew up with Norman Wattroy as a kinda Funky uncle. I have been a part of this scene for years. I remember vividly attending the Palladium gig, Ian's last, and seeing how far gone with cancer he was. We were genuinely dismayed and at a loss when word reached us that he had gone. I only met him once, and he was so rude! Norman has taught me so very much about feeling and what real music means. I can't thank him enough for opening up the belly of music history for me, it's made me a better man.

Ian Dury was one of the most original performers of all time. He was so British that he could never break through to American audiences. However, to a Mod American like me, he is essential. This album contains all of my favorite Dury songs such as "Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll", "Billericay Dickie", and "Blockheads". This is a fine rock album that was not truly recognized as being great until after Dury's death from cancer. He was truly an original talent.