Track Listing

1. Test The Sound
2. Music Takes Me Up - Mr. Scruff & Alice Russell
3. Donkey Ride - Mr. Scruff & Quantic
4. Hairy Bumpercress
5. Whiplash
6. Nice Up The Function - Mr. Scruff & Roots Manuva
7. Bang The Floor - Mr. Scruff & Danny Breaks
8. Get On Down
9. Hold On - Mr. Scruff & Andreya Triana
10. Give Up To Get
11. Kalimba
12. This Way - Mr. Scruff & Pete Simpson
13. Stockport Carnival

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2645 in Music
• Released on: 2008-10-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Independent
"Scruff proceeds to whip up one infectious mess after another from his larder of breaks, synths and jazz loops."

Times
"Probably his best work to date, and that's a pretty big claim."

DJ Magazine
"Everyone's favourite tea-drinking über-jock returns with yet another uplifting, nugget."

Customer Reviews

Too good to be true
It's hard to write and describe just how enjoyable this album is. It deserves awards and accolades far greater than I can provide. It constantly surprises and shifts your expectations.

Apart from a disappointing opening track, there's no other bad elements.

The music is enticing, enjoyable and at times eclectic. Whenever the eclecticism seems as though it's going to overpower, the funkiness returns and ensures you've just enjoyed another track.

'Music takes me up' is a joyous piece of uplifting and soulful house music. 'Donkey Ride' has a tremendous jazzy underlay.

Even Roots Manuva's track is a surprise in itself. I rarely find myself drawn to this kind of track but this is good.

One track I have to mention is 'bang the floor'. At first I was not drawn to this, it seemed almost out of place on the album as a whole. My advice, though, would be to give it another listen, it rewards you.

Of the remainder, 'get on down' with it's quirky breaks and funky jazz style beat is a definite highlight, 'give up to get' takes a while to build up into a classic ultimately surprises yet again and 'this way' is sheer class.

I can recommend this album to you completely and utterly without any doubt whatsoever.

D.I.Y. Teabag Kid Does It Again
Mr Scruff ( nee Andy Carthy of Macclesfield ) has a singular musical vision.
A bit cut and paste, a bit worn around the trouser bottoms but never less
than entertaining and infused with generous good humour.

'Ninja Tuna' reminds me of the busker I saw in Canterbury this morning.
The handwritten sign attached to his guitar case read :
"Granny Kidnapped By Ninja - Money Needed For Karate Lessons".
Getting my drift ? No ? Listen to this perky little release
and it will all fall into place.

The fourteen tracks are a real mixed bag.
Stripped-down lo-fi drum and synth compositions like 'Nice Up The Function'
stand shoulder to shoulder with more sophisticated arrangements such as the
fluidly jazzy 'Music Takes Me Up' with its fine central vocal performance
by the redoubtable Alice Russell.

'Hold On', a soulful sunny summertime collaboration with Andreya Triana,
is another delight despite the synth bass needing a little love and attention
in the tuning department. (If the effect is intentional I apologise to its creator
but still think it detracts from an otherwise terrific number).

'Kalimba' is a funky little treat which chugs along nicely, going
nowhere in particular but clearly enjoying the journey.
The string synth intrusion halfway in is a nicely executed surprise.

The shuffling latin rhythms of 'Stockport Carnival' with its
hilarious vocal hoots and whoops and slinky trumpet and flute solos
is perhaps the album's most musically satisfying highlight.

The true pleasure imparted by this music comes from its lack of pretension.
Guileless and determined to have a good time Mr Carthy's labours deserve
our attention, appreciation and affection. Crikey ! You can even dance to it !

Recommended.

Mr Scruff to his full glory
I rarely write reviews on this website but after purchasing the CD, my natural instinct was that I could not contain my excitement about it just to myself (apart from tackiness of the first track).

Mix of broken beat, soul, some classic house music (creating the New York house music vibe that existed before house became 'funky'), hip-hop and even elements of salsa. But most importantly almost all the tracks have the signature Mr Scruff undertone style that distinguishes him from many other DJs who have attempted to succeed as produced but often failed.

The queues for Mr Scruff's night in Music Box, Manchester will no doubt go back to its glory as a result of this album.