i was decently impressed. the lyrics are fun/introspective and have a strong political edge to them (i’m told all punk must have some sort of political message… but as i said im an incredibly gullible sap just trying to fit into ashley simpson’s world). the riffs are of mclusky-fare minus the intensity. some of the riffs are pretty fun. i grow tired of the album at the 8th song.

i must admit damaged goods is downright brilliant. i hear a lot of the hives in this song. the first four, in fact, are downright awesome at times.

maybe i’m just showing my age but i’m 21 and i felt more of a connection with mclusky and/or giddy motors and/or jesus lizard than gang of four… though i can definitely see the influence in these later act’s music and for that i give them a reverent 4.5.

this is a good album – dont get me wrong – but i just got tired of them after awhile. worth checking out though.
Rating: 4 / 5

A word to young rockers who dig new bands like Franz Ferdinand (I’ve only heard a few of that band’s songs, truth be told) and want to check out Gang of Four because they’ve heard about their influence: This stuff is really different. You may not like it. Personally, I like a lot of the bands Gang of Four influenced (from U2 to Rage Against the Machine, R.E.M. to the Chiles) much more than GoF itself.

This album is pumped up, fairly rudementary, angular, punky, kinda funky, not extremely musical and often repetitive. The main drawback for me is Jon King’s flat voice. It can get pretty tiresome. But this may not be a problem for you since there are plenty of not-so-great voices in rock (Bernard Sumner anyone?) that people don’t seem to mind. Andy Gill’s guitar is sharp, skratchy and cutting, but it sounds virtually the same throughout the whole album. And way too much has been made of the “neo-psychedelia” of the last track “Anthrax.” The “psychedelia” is mainly just a bunch of guitar feedback. Maybe it was a big deal to 15-yr-old punk clubbers in 1979 London who hadn’t heard PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN. Oh, and the “politics?” They kick around a few interesting ideas about society, but in truth nothing too revelatory, politically speaking. Lyrics like “guerilla war struggle is the new entertainment” had more resonance in 1980; today, it’s old news. Watching war on T.V. = guilty (or not guilty) pleasure for some is a common, much discussed topic, but it’s still pretty cool they addressed issues like this. There is also some interesting commentary about interpersonal relationships. Note: they don’t really have a problem with girls wearing bikinis as some people think while hearing “I Found That Essence Rare.” The reference pertains to “BIKINI ISLAND” where the U.S. tested nukes. No, it’s not a particularly clever reference.

For me, ENTERTAINMENT! is still a pretty cool little diversion once in a while. The Yellow EP is basically more of the same – overrated and not really that great compared to other music out there that is so much better. I can’t comment on the other extra stuff that appears since I haven’t heard it. I’m sure I could have a blast at one of their shows – obviously a whole different monkey than hanging out and listening to the album.

Still, if you’re looking for “energy” you could do a lot better. If you REALLY want to get blown away, go check out a Death album. That stuff will tear your head off and #&@% down your neck. Looking for some good punk/post-punk/what-have-you from the same general time-frame? The Sex Pistols, The Clash and the early Talking Heads are much better musically (the new re-release of the live THE NAME OF THIS BAND IS TALKING HEADS with almost twice the original tracks is fantastic). Want funky rock? BLOOD SUGAR SEX MAGIC from the Red Hot Chili Peppers is pretty hard to beat. Actually you could probably beat it with some live James Brown circa “Sex Machine.” Or, if you can appreciate a totally wacked-out sense of humor, the ultimate funky rock has gotta be HIGHPERSPICE by the notorious Weapon of Choice. Party on!
Rating: 3 / 5

If you already are a Gang of Four fan, you will not be disappointed with this continuation of Rhino’s fantastic attention to detail with this reissue. But, if you are just testing the waters for the first time, you may be disappointed.
Rating: 1 / 5