Track Listing

1. Skank Bloc Bologna
2. Is And Ought The Western World
3. 28/8/78
4. Scritlocks Door
5. Opec - Immac
6. Messthetics
7. Hegemony
8. Bibbly-O-Tec
9. Doubt Beat
10. Confidence
11. P.A.S.
12. The "Sweetest Girl"
13. Lions After Slumber

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48021 in Music
• Released on: 2005-02-14
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Gems unearthed at last.
As an owner of the original vinyl of these songs I was suprised that they had made it out into the light after all these years. I bought this album to save me the grief of getting my dusty record player out of the cupboard and i'm glad I did! To anyone who has not heard these tracks before I would say this........these are some of Green's first recordings and as such yes they are slightly experimental/amateurish and rough round the edges. The later tracks are much more musically accomplished (sweetest girl, faithless) BUT, listen carefully and you will find interesting lyrics, catchy tunes and raw passion that is rare these days. The sound is unique, although influences can be identified, yet even 25 years after their initial release they don't sound dated! Green's sleevenotes describe the songs as slightly "winceworthy" but let's face it, no true artist loves their own work!

Essential Scritti Politti compilation
This is a logically-titled compilation of early Scritti Politti tracks.In the sleevenotes Green Gartside says he finds the tracks on here "winceworthy".Maybe if he afforded himself some distance he would see them the way everyone else sees them:unbelievably good.
Indeed,the likes of Is And Ought The Western World and Opec-Immac are as good as any of the other post-punk anti-anthems by the likes of Gang Of Four or Joy Division, and the opening Skank Bloc Bologna is up there with To Hell With Poverty,Transmission,Poptones,Life During Wartime,Nag Nag Nag etc...
This CD also includes the 'breakthrough' song,The "Sweetest" Girl,which features beautiful keyboards from Robert Wyatt.This is truly an essential purchase,although if you get this you may also want to get yourself the two Scritti Politti album masterpieces Songs To Remember and Cupid And Psyche.

'Early' Scritti Politti
This release is so long overdue. Scritti Politti, to me, encompass everything that was right and good about 'post-punk' in the UK at the time - the DIY ethic, exemplified by the hand-stamped labels on the first Peel session release, and the detailed sleeve notes regarding the 'means of production'. A fine and unique voice has Mr Gartside, and also a genius for improvised tunes, and innovative production tricks on a shoestring. I love this band like no other, and I glory in their intelligence and musical ability.

This scratchy, intense yet spare music, nodding at dub reggae, nodding at punk at such a tangent...is so fragile, yet it holds together. Lyrically dense, and of course dealing with Marxist themes, related to late '70s Britain - just listen to 'Hegemony'- music, voice, words melded in a unique and intoxicating melange of sonic brilliance. This 'early' Scritti are nothing like the intelligent and uber-slick pure-and-perfect-pop of later Scritti, and all the better for that.

I own all the songs included here on the original vinyl, they are rare apparently, so it's a shame it seems to me that Rough Trade couldn't source and include the second Peel session which featured 'The Humours of Spitalfields', 'Knowledge and Interest', a different version of 'Doubt Beat' (as featured on the 4 'A' sides ep) and '5.12.78' a new version of the instrumental featured on the Skank Bloc Bologna ep. It would have completed the collection. I wonder if this second session was ever released?