Heston's Best'uns - SLF

General music discussion.
Post Reply
Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Heston »

SLFInflammableMaterial.jpg
SLFInflammableMaterial.jpg (31.23 KiB) Viewed 4472 times
This record obviously owes a huge debt to the first Clash album, similar lyrical themes matched to snappy punk and a reggae cover on side 2, but I think SLF put enough of their own personal experiences into it to make it a landmark album. The production is very rough, but this adds to the underdog vibe and perfectly suits Jake's young roar.

1. Suspect Device - 9. Great opening salvo. Clever lyrical puns abound and the tune is pretty jerky and awesome.
2. State of Emergency - 7. A good brooding number after the fury of the first track. Jake's guitar trills unintentionally reveal his secret teenage years as a heavy rocker.
3. Here We Are Nowhere - 8. Great little tune that kicks along at furious pace, but is very charming and melodic.
4. Wasted Life - 9. Along with Suspect Device and Alternative Ulster, it forms the holy trinity of this album. Righteous lyrics and another great tune.
5. No More Of That - 7. Pretty average verses saved by a good singalong chorus.
6. Barbed Wire Love - 9. A classic. More lyrical puns, Beach Boys harmonies and power pop overtones, what's not to like?
7. White Noise - 6. Controversial on release and you probably wouldn't get away with it now. A not very subtle critique at Brit attitudes toward the Irish, this is a song I wouldn't really play in company.
8. Breakout - 8. SLF do Springsteen. A good pop song.
9. Law and Order - 7. Catchy chorus and good Cop-bashing lyrics.
10. Rough Trade - 7. Their Complete Control, only not awesome (What is?).
11. Johnny Was - 9. Absolutely brilliant cover of the Marley tune, the arrangement is excellent. They were never tighter as a band.
12. Alternative Ulster - 10. This song made me say goodbye to heavy rock. 'Nuff said.
13. Closed Groove - 7. Weird and I like it, this was as post-punk as they got.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

arsebundren77
User avatar
Junco Partner
Posts: 301
Joined: 18 Jun 2008, 7:32pm
Location: The Maritimes

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by arsebundren77 »

A good appraisal. The thing with White Noise is that the vocals are nearly indecipherable. I've played it for people more than once, all the while smirking and waiting for a reaction and... nothing. Seems like Jake is rattling it off as fast as he can expressly for this purpose. Of course, if you read the lyrics, skipped the last verse and were ignorant of the band's nationality, it would come off as vilely racist and nothing more. As is, I rather enjoy it.

rcs
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 7827
Joined: 22 Jul 2008, 5:30pm
Location: down with the bass

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by rcs »

well done, heston.. fucking great album... finally, a fitting review
If you don't hate the Clash, you don't love them enough - Olaf

101Walterton
User avatar
The Best
Posts: 21973
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 5:36pm
Location: Volcanic Rock In The Pacific

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by 101Walterton »

Nice work Heston and glad to see you are finally coming round to agreeing with me ;) I did a post a few years back comparing IM with S/T along the lines of:
White Riot = Alternative Ulster, Career Opp's = Barbed Wire Love, P & T = Johnny Was, Rough Trade = Garageland etc..

Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Heston »

101Walterton wrote:Nice work Heston and glad to see you are finally coming round to agreeing with me ;)
Now now 101, I shall come to SLF's best album in good time. Patience, dear boy.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Bankrobber
User avatar
Graffiti Bandit Pioneer
Posts: 1719
Joined: 18 Jun 2008, 6:14pm
Location: Camp Blood, OK

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Bankrobber »

Top Notch album. Love every song, except for "Closed Groove". Just seemed like they were trying to hard and didn't have the right tools for Post-Punk.

Skipping ahead, I'm putting on "Mr. Fire Coal Man." Good song.
I'm so punk, I don't even take my leather jacket off when it catches fire. Which it does frequently, because of how fucking punk I am.

101Walterton
User avatar
The Best
Posts: 21973
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 5:36pm
Location: Volcanic Rock In The Pacific

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by 101Walterton »

Heston wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Nice work Heston and glad to see you are finally coming round to agreeing with me ;)
Now now 101, I shall come to SLF's best album in good time. Patience, dear boy.
You've peaked, quit while you are ahead.

Purple Hayes
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 3855
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 7:54am
Location: Still scoring from corners..

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Purple Hayes »

101Walterton wrote:
Heston wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Nice work Heston and glad to see you are finally coming round to agreeing with me ;)
Now now 101, I shall come to SLF's best album in good time. Patience, dear boy.
You've peaked, quit while you are ahead.
Yep, that's the best SLF album sorted, Buzzcocks next? :approve:
'People like Coldplay and people voted for the Nazi's, you can't trust people Jeremy':- Super Hans

'Hayes ... is one of the most godforsaken places I have ever struck. The population seems to be entirely made up of clerks who frequent tin-roofed chapels on Sundays and for the rest bolt themselves within doors.' - George Orwell

Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Heston »

Purple Hayes wrote:
101Walterton wrote:
Heston wrote:
101Walterton wrote:Nice work Heston and glad to see you are finally coming round to agreeing with me ;)
Now now 101, I shall come to SLF's best album in good time. Patience, dear boy.
You've peaked, quit while you are ahead.
Yep, that's the best SLF album sorted, Buzzcocks next? :approve:
I'll let someone else try the Buzzcocks, I've never been a huge fan. :shifty:

I intend to investigate 3 more SLF albums, then I think I'll move on to the Jam. ;)
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Purple Hayes
User avatar
Unknown Immortal
Posts: 3855
Joined: 16 Jun 2008, 7:54am
Location: Still scoring from corners..

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Purple Hayes »

The Jam? The Canadian version of Setting Sons that includes Strange Town is the winner by default.. :mrgreen:
'People like Coldplay and people voted for the Nazi's, you can't trust people Jeremy':- Super Hans

'Hayes ... is one of the most godforsaken places I have ever struck. The population seems to be entirely made up of clerks who frequent tin-roofed chapels on Sundays and for the rest bolt themselves within doors.' - George Orwell

Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Heston »

nobody's heroes.jpg
nobody's heroes.jpg (44.98 KiB) Viewed 4351 times
The "difficult" second album has a much more professional sound, even a bit of a "GEER" sheen, dare I say it. Yet more Clash similarities abound. The first side is pretty flawless, though side 2 is most definitely weaker. If they'd kept up the hit rate of side one, this would be their best album.

Gotta Getaway - 9. One of Jake's now trademark droning guitar figures kicks off this song and you're straight into "classic" territory. A huge live favourite.
Wait and See - 8. SLF's Stay Free, an ode to childhood mate and recently departed drummer, Brian Faloon. Even the chord sequence is similar to Stay Free, thus loses a mark for plagiarism, but regains it for the great reggae sequence at the end.
Fly the Flag - 8. Good song, but misunderstood by a lot of the knuckleheads at the time. Suffers from "White Noise" syndrome.
At the Edge - 10. Another song that pulled me away from Heavy Metal as a kid, hooks galore and their biggest hit.
Nobody's Hero - 8. A good tune but suffers from "Mott the Hoople Syndrome", as popularized by the Clash.
Bloody Dub - 6. Interesting dub experiment, though would have made a better b-side, a bit long for an album.
Doesn't Make It Alright - 8. Great cover of the Specials song, blows the original away.
I Don't Like You - 5. Worst song on the album, you can see they're running out of ideas as the album progresses.
No Change - 6. A bit slight, though its charm wins through.
Tin Soldier - 10. Another classic, all stops pulled out for the album's finale.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

Flex
User avatar
Mechano-Man of the Future
Posts: 35802
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 2:50pm
Location: The Information Superhighway!

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Flex »

Nobody's Heroes was the first SLF album I heard because the Bosstones covered "Tin Soldier" and that's how I first heard of the band. Great song, good album. Don't know if I would have liked it as much if I'd heard Inflammable Material first, but that's how these things go.

Nice write-ups, Hes. I'm enjoying them.
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a bowl of soup
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a rolling hoop
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle like a ton of lead
Wiggle - you can raise the dead

Pex Lives!

101Walterton
User avatar
The Best
Posts: 21973
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 5:36pm
Location: Volcanic Rock In The Pacific

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by 101Walterton »

Aren't all the covers of this album autographed ?? ;)

I dont agree their version of Doesn't Make It Alright is better than the Specials but if you swap Bloody Dub for Bloody Sunday and you have another great album.

Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by Heston »

101Walterton wrote:Aren't all the covers of this album autographed ?? ;)

I dont agree their version of Doesn't Make It Alright is better than the Specials but if you swap Bloody Dub for Bloody Sunday and you have another great album.
Yeah, I thought it was strange decision to go with Bloody Dub over Bloody Sunday, though bands didn't like to bring out previously released singles on albums back then, did they? There was much more of a VFM policy during that era, the late 70s/early 80s are littered with great inter-album singles.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

101Walterton
User avatar
The Best
Posts: 21973
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 5:36pm
Location: Volcanic Rock In The Pacific

Re: Heston's Best'uns - SLF

Post by 101Walterton »

There was 3 singles on the album so they probably thought 4 would be too many, still no need for Bloody Dub and a Specials cover that was barely a year old.

Post Reply