Track Listing

1. Here We Go
2. Sweetsmoke
3. Beyond feat Seaming To
4. Shrimp
5. Come Alive feat Nico
6. Shelf Wobbler
7. Giffin
8. Valley of the Sausages feat Seaming To, Sneaky and Moss
9. Champion Nibble
10. Come On Grandad
11. Vibrate feat Braintax
12. Ug
13. Ahoy There!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9215 in Music
• Released on: 2002-09-09
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
On the back of a 23-date UK tour and being namechecked by Madonna, Andy Carthy's (aka Mr Scruff) sophomore album Trouser Jazz has certainly been worth the wait. Having built a formidable reputation on the DJ circuit, not least for his genre-defying and strenuously long sets, but also for his ability to hold down residences throughout the UK, he has missed two label deadlines for this album release. Brimming with humour and littered with his characteristically playful sampling shenanigans, Trouser Jazz is a joyous romp through funk, jazz, soul and hip-hop complete with commentary from children's TV presenters and fish references aplenty. "Here We Go" sets the scene with a minute of looped horn-led retro funk that fades straight into the jazzy vibes and disco beat of "Sweetsmoke". First single "Shrimp" ups the tempo further with squelching rhythms and a trembling Rhodes hook, but it's moments such as "Valley of the Sausages" with it's strings, flute and breathless Latin vocals and the ragtime rhythms of "Come On Grandad" that confirm that Mr Scruff is no slouch when it comes to blending the absurd into a life-affirming sonic jumble. --Christopher Barrett

NME
‘Mr Scruff is so cool he needs an exclusion zone around him’

TIMES PLAY)
‘Scintillating’

Customer Reviews

Humourous listening
Ok, firstly-don't take Scruff's music too seriously. Secondly-it's not getting 5 stars because of the few tracks that let the album down ('Beyond' for example). However...... Trouser Jazz is an amazing follow up to Keep It Unreal. It takes a while to get into it and does feel quite slow on the first few listens but quoting 'Cheeky' from Unreal "Just open up your mind, let the music inside" The tunes miraculously seem to get funkier the more you listen to it. Don't you always find the best albums are the ones that get more enjoyable as time goes on?

I do admit that a few on the tracks are quite repetitive and yes, the advert thing-I know. But don't let a hint of commercialism spoil your enjoyment of Mr McCarthy's music. All in all the album is definately worth owning. It's an uplifting mix of funky beats and happy sounds in true Scruff style.

Not heard any Scruff before? I recommend having a listen to a friends first. My flatmate hates this album, but then he likes commercial 'house' ; ) (miaoow) It does make me wonder though, without meaning to quote the Unreal album too much; "Do you hear what I hear?" You'll love or hate this album, have you got the ears for it?

By the way-if you are already a Mr Scruff fan and haven't seen him live yet-sort it out man, his sets are amazing. Laters : )

The jazz doesnt just come from the trousers.
This album is fantstic, my first real mr scruff experience was sitting in a flat in brighton with this album playing and the sunshining. It has a great mix of styles your sure how its meant to make you feel. Tracks such as "Sweet Smoke" and "Shrimp" want you to get up and dance and there are some perfect downtempo chilled tunes. "Ahoy There" the avalanche like last song is just crazy. "About the size of a good sardine" "Ha Ha". The World of Mr Scruff needs to spread. Buy it and make everyone listen to it. It great!

Well Worth Having!
I'm a bit confused by those who say this is slow (check out tracks 2, 3, 4, and 7!) but maybe less so by those who brand it repetitive. There's still a lot of real instrumentation there to keep it interesting, to my mind, but there you go. Also I don't think this album, or any of his other output for that matter, is really supposed to be contemplated with chin-stroking scrutiny.

Rather it is fun, original and diverse, this last being why it particularly appeals to me as my tastes are very eclectic. From the disco-style waa-waa noodling of Shrimp, through to the jazz-laden breaks of Beyond and Valley of the Sausages to the fat basslines ripping through the housy Sweet Smoke and Giffin and the distinctly British rap on Vibrate (my personal favourite) this album laughs at musical conventions whilst still sounding effortlessly integral.

I appreciate that not everything will be to everyone's tastes but the energy, ingenuity and musicality of this effort surpasses, IMHO, many of the other contenders in this (ersatz?)genre of chillout/coffee table/fusion/trip-hop/etc who sometimes seem to take themselves too seriously (Groove Armada, Faithless and Morcheeba spring to mind).