Product Description

'Over The Counterculture' is the debut album from East Preston four piece The Ordinary Boys. The album, almost a homageto early eighties British indie and mod, has earned the boys comparisons to The Jam, The Clash, The Smiths and even TheSpecials. The singles 'Talk Talk Talk', 'Week In Week Out',and 'Maybe Someday' are all included.

Track Listing

1. Over The Counter Culture
2. The List Goes On
3. Week In Week Out
4. Talk Talk Talk
5. Little Bitch
6. Settle Down
7. Weekend Revolution
8. Maybe Someday
9. Just a Song
10. Seaside
11. In Awe of the Awful
12. Robots and Monkeys

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #24169 in Music
• Released on: 2004-07-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Seemingly arriving fully formed, and with a polished debut, Over the Counter Culture, tucked under their arms, the Ordinary Boys are one of those bands that deserve the hype. Rooted in the best traditions of British bands, with the predominant sound being that of classy recent single "Week In Week Out", the Brighton band's debut album demonstrates their natural grasp of the punk-pop vocabulary--indeed, there are echoes of Britpop-era Blur in the horn-laden title track, as well as a direct link to the past in a cover of the Specials' "Little Bitch", which still retains its ska traditions but adds beefy "Brown Sugar" styled riffing.

Original it may not be, but what comes through most of all is the fact that this is solid stuff; confident vocals coupled with rama-lama glam guitars and very British lyrics ("Stop throwing insults/ And crockery around") shows the band's natural, infectious talent. In fact, the only time the band come a cropper is in "The List Goes On", an overreaching lament for musical originality--slightly hypocritical in light of the band's immediate (and very obvious) influences, most notably the Jam. A good indicator of things to come, this set is certainly a recommended choice, with enough promise to show that the Ordinary Boys will be around for a while yet. --Thom Allott

Customer Reviews

Maximum rating for the title track alone!
I have to agree with many views here: "Brassbound" is the inferior album. Too streamlined. Tame in comparism. Which is all the more obvious when Lady Sovereign brings grit to the 2005/6 O.B. sound in her single features on "Girls will be girls" and "9 to 5". But it has all been there in the first place: the righteous anger, the sharpest of horn sections, the pressure. What's beyond me though is the neglectance of "Over the counter culture" - the song! To me the ultimate sociocritical glory boy anthem since "In the City" (The Jam) or Secret Affairs "My World". Beats me why this never was a single. The rest is class material, but one step below.

MUST HAVE ALBUM
Im writing to disagree with a previous reviewer i have both of TOB albums and Over the Counter Culture is definatly the better of the two,although i like Brassbound i found it a lackluster attempt after their amazing debut,Over the Counter Culture is an amazing album,every time i listen to it a different song becomes my favourite even after listening to it for months it never fails to cheer me up,best tracks have to be In Awe of the Awful and Seaside so BUY IT NOW

Massively underrated album
The Ordinary Boys may no longer be alternative cool after singer Preston's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, but there's no denying the sheer quality of this album. The music press may refuse to acknowledge just how much talent pours out of this album but of all the user's review I've read there have been few who have found faults. Forget Stars of CCTV, forget the Arctic Monkeys, this album was quintessentially British and brilliant 2 years before all of those. I would recommend this album to anyone who likes rock or indie music and unlike most musicians, The Ordinary Boys have none of the mystique and are just down to earth, nice people.