Stiff Little Fingers Inflammable Material CD

This release contains bonus audio interview.
Stiff Little Fingers: Henry Cluney (guitar); Jake Burns, Ali McMordie, Brian Faloon.
Personnel: Jake Burns (vocals, guitar); Henry Cluney (vocals); Ali McMordie (bass guitar); Brian Faloon (drums).
Audio Remixers: Doug Bennett; Rough Trade.
One more time Restless Records, in association with Ryko, trot out the first three Stiff Little Fingers albums for reissue (Inflammable Material, Nobody's Heroes and the live Hanx), this time in the United States. They are identical to the 2001 versions with bonus tracks, so punters beware of making the same purchase twice. Originally released in 1979, Stiff Little Fingers were Ireland's answer to both the Clash and the Sex Pistols. They had the personal and political stance of the former, and the noisy, pissed off, slash-and-burn musical aesthetic as the latter. Fronted by guitarist and songwriter Jake Burns (he collaborated with journalist Gordon Ogilvie), SLF took off with their two singles "Alternative Ulster," and, for that time, the utterly out of control screaming that was "Suspect Device." These two singles make the purchase price of the album a priority. They represent barely contained youthful anger at social and political mores as righteous, utterly devoid of posturing or falsity and raging to break out. "Alternative Ulster" decries the Irish political sides in the Northern Ireland controversy -- the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Irish Republican Army -- holding them both accountable for bloodshed and social and economic stasis furthering nothing but their own interests. "Suspect Device" which opens the set, screams at the heart of the conflict, that neither side can be believed as both reduce freedom to a buzzword while wielding guns. Both tracks are calls to arms, but of a different sort -- the arms of dialogue and intelligence in the midst of idiocy and murder. Punk rock never sounded so brutal or positive in one band. There are other fine cuts here as well, such as the Bob Marley cover "Johnny Was," reinvented for the times in Northern Ireland; "Wasted Life," another paean to drop out of a society that breeds death and acquiescence for its own sake, and the scathing indictment of the record company that released the album, "Rough Trade." The bonus material includes the single mix of "Suspect Device," the B-side "78 RPM," and part one -- the other two parts are on the subsequent reissues -- of an interview with Burns. If you already have these, don't bother. If you've been trying to dig through the morass into the heart of punk's original fire, this one's for you. ~ Thom Jurek
Stiff Little Fingers came roaring out of Northern Ireland in 1979 with a ferocity and sense of black humor that could only have come from growing up in a war zone. While other contemporaries (such as the Undertones) tried their best to rise above the conflict in pop's embrace, Stiff Little Fingers chose to address the daily indignities and injustices head-on. Aggressive punk anthems such as "Wasted Life," which rejects violence as a solution, and the call-to-arms "Alternative Ulster," which envisions the creation of a new social order, are based in SLF's political awareness.
INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL is among the most powerful political albums in punk rock history. Besides the government and military, the band tackles record company shenanigans on "Rough Trade," and the difficulty in loving someone from the wrong side of the fence, as in "Barbed Wire Love." Either way, Stiff Little Fingers managed to make even the worst scenarios come alive with black humor and gleefully guttural vocals. An oft neglected punk classic and a must for all serious students of the genre.
One more time Restless Records, in association with Ryko, trot out the first three Stiff Little Fingers albums for reissue (Inflammable Material, Nobody's Heroes and the live Hanx), this time in the United States. They are identical to the 2001 versions with bonus tracks, so punRolling Stone (No. 975, p.79) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]he Fingers' potent 1979 debut, teems with harsh, desperate commentary on 'the Troubles' in Northern Ireland..."
Q (5/02 SE, p.142) - Included in Q's "100 Best Punk Albums".
Q (12/01, p.165) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...The genuine voice of youthful outrage..."
Mojo (Publisher) (3/03, p.76) - Ranked #12 in Mojo's "Top 50 Punk Albums" - "The Belfast quartet's inspired debut was the first independent album to make the Top 20..."