New Boots And Panties
Ian Dury
1977
Album Summary
New Boots and Panties!! is the debut album by Ian Dury, released in the UK on Stiff Records on 30 September 1977. The record covers a diverse range of musical styles reflecting Dury's influences and background in pub rock, taking in funk, disco, British music hall and early rock and roll, courtesy of Dury's musical hero Gene Vincent. There are cheeky love songs and character stories based on the working-class people of the East End and Essex Estuary areas where he grew up. The songs are frequently ribald and profane, but also contain humour and affection for his characters. Widely considered to be the best album of Ian Dury's career, it is also his biggest selling, having been certified platinum status in the UK for 300,000 sales, in June 1979. Sales of the album during the first few months after its release were modest, and the album's only single, "Sweet Gene Vincent", failed to chart. Subsequently, three singles, "What a Waste", "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" and "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3" all reached the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, and their success kept the album in the spotlight and ensured consistent sales over the next two years. New Boots and Panties!! was among the UK's top 30 best selling albums of both 1978 and 1979, and eventually peaked at number 5 in the UK Albums Chart in February 1979, 17 months after its release, after "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick"'s chart-topping success. The album's title derives from Dury's habit of buying clothes second hand and refers to the only items of clothing he insisted on buying new. According to Ian Dury & the Blockheads: Song By Song, the name was chosen by Dury from a list of twenty potential titles drawn up by compere Kosmo Vinyl. New Boots and Panties!! has been reissued several times, including a three-disc edition for its 30th anniversary and a five-disc box set for its 40th anniversary.
WikipediaI didn't stop smiling throughout this entire album. It's wonderfully quirky, musically gorgeous, and tells a whole bunch of stories. The mainstream media always painted Dury as a novelty act, this album puts that idea to bed almost immediately. Great stuff.
Such a weird act would never get off the ground these days but Ian Dury deserves the cult following. I've never listened to a full Blockheads album before and I thought this one was terrific! Humorous lyrics but the songs are also catchy and get the foot tapping. Good stuff all round
A very amusing album. The quality of the singer isn't anything special. This album is for the lyrics. Instrumentation is pretty good.
When I first started listening to this I was definitely at a one or a two phase, but through a forced break in my listening and coming back to it later it allowed me to take a step back from the shock value and truly appreciate the lyricism and instrumentals that were actually really quite good, I’m gonna be coming back to this one for a while
Wow. I have a new favourite thing. I’d heard of this dude but never listened. Not too late to the party, but late.
Without having to listen to this again, I know it to be one of the best albums ever pressed to vinyl. Dury's lyricsm is unparalleled. His imagery, wordplay, delivery, pitch - everything - is almost perfect. The Blockheads are tighter than a gnat's twat. Wake up and make love with me is a song that achieves a perfect balance between romance, passion and frustration. Sweet Gene Vincent starts beautifully, capturing the skill of the Blockheads, before exploding into a rock and roll delight. The production is spot on. Balanced, exactly the right amount of vocal reverb. Partial to your abracadabra - more beautiful musicianship from the Blockheads. Dury sounds hoarse. This is not problematic for me. My Old Man is a masterpiece of storytelling songwriting. I can imagine that those with no frame of reference may find this difficult to love, but for those who understand the understated admiration, the difficult to express love and the hardness that was expected of working class father/son relationships - this is just perfect. The swinging bass and the soaring sax absolutely counterpoint the socially enforced difficulty - "all the best, mate, from you son". Mate. The word contains so much, and it's just tucked in there like nothing. Billericay Dickie is a pure delight. "I had a love affair with Nina in the back of my Cortina, a seasoned-up hyena could not have been more obscener." - just bloody marvellous. Clever Trevor follows on from Billericay Dickie by being almost a diametric opposite character. Dickie is not a blooming thickie - but is certain, wiley, confident. Clever Trevor on the other hand is nervous, vacillating and caveats everything he says. It's a perfect juxtaposition. "If I was with a woman" is the closest thing this album has to a bad track. It's cynical and unpleasant. Blockheads is angry, powerful and aggressive. "I'm pissing in your swimming pool"- Dury is railing at the harsh commentary received in relation to the polio he suffered as a child, and serves to underline how purely goddamn talented he was. Plaistow Patricia is also angry - but with more humour and probably utterly eludes definition by anyone born after 1991, or outside of England. How on earth is a millennial born in Omaha supposed to understand what "She's got a siamese cat in a council flat" means? Siamese cats are expensive, and fussy little pricks. Council flats are social housing, usually pretty low-grade. Patricia clearly pretends to be posh. And she isn't. Blackmail man is a wild ride. But it only really serves to bring us to Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll. Which is a classic for all time. Yes - this truly is one of the 1,001 albums to listen to. Sod that. It's one of the 101. Maybe even the 10.1.
Enjoyed this! Bit of a punk influence. Ended up checking out his Sex Drugs and rock and roll album afterwards too!
Funky and intelligent lyrics. Simple and down to earth. It's starting to feel like punk is a catch-all.
When I started listening to this I was confused and almost offended. Like I thought I was being pranked. I thought somebody recorded randy newman trying to do an impression of the clash, and I was not sure at all why this album was so critically praised. As I listened through I warmed up to it a little bit, I enjoyed the more punk-type stuff at the end of the album, and overall it was a mostly enjoyable if not strange album.
Quite a hodge-podge of styles on this one, from disco, to downtempo funk, to rock&roll to sing-along pub songs. I love the opener, with Chaz Jenkels’ keyboards up front, and I always thought it should have been covered by a disco band and a singer with a good voice. I found on first listen that Ian's voice gave the whole album a novelty feel and gave it a 2. But then I read some reviews and listened again, focusing on the lyrics which gave a squalid depiction of life in the working class boroughs of London in the 70s (with some sexual humour thrown in). This was a brave release in the UK in 77 and it would have been much easier for him to stick to more straightforward punk tunes.
I really like Ian Dury, he's a proper rock'n'roll guy and he's got such a strong attitude and charisma. Unfortunately, that did have to carry some of this. The energy is good, the vibe is great, the tongue-in-cheek humour is there - all it's missing is consistently good songs. Some of them were very good. A lot of them missed the mark
Right off the bat, points off for the album title. Points deducted again for this line in the lecherous first song: “I come awake, in a horny morning mood”. That might not be so bad if Ian Dury had a soulful voice instead of the voice of window-peeping chimney sweep. Ok, forget the points system. I’m gonna paint a picture for you: You’re at a karaoke bar and it’s no ordinary karaoke bar. The only songs in their songbook are David Bowie tracks circa Diamond Dogs and Young Americans and a smattering of public domain songs from the 1930’s and 40’s. Like the building the bar is housed in, the karaoke system is dilapidated; when a song plays, it sounds like it’s either 1/16th slower or faster than it should be, depending on the song. You go to sign up to sing a song, because, why not? You do a great version of “Rebel, Rebel” and the world shouldn’t be deprived of it. You grab the sign up sheet, only to find that all slots on the list are taken and there’s only one person’s name taking all those spots. So you wait for this guy, Ian Dury, to get up on stage and do his songs…maybe you’ll get a chance after he’s done. He walks up on stage, 4 feet 11 inches tall, dressed like a builder and shaped liked a potato. When he opens his mouth, he’s got one the thickest British accents you’ve ever heard and instead of singing the lyrics to the karaoke songs he chose, he re-writes the lyrics and melodies on the spot: a profane, yet oddly tuneful stream of consciousness, with the word c**t and references to Trotsky thrown in for good measure. ….you know what? Now that I put it like that, I’m sold on this album. You just watched me do a 180 in real-time. This record is insane. If you like weird shit like Ween or the Frogs, I highly recommend.
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra, My Old Man Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Maybe the most british album I have ever heard. If I was an english bloke in the late 70's who felt jilted by the system this would BUMP. Unfortunately, I am not any of those things. Some pretty crash bars all over this thing, and I want to believe he's playing a character but sheesh. I'm glad this exists for people who enjoy it.
Alors que je travaillais dans mon précédent cabinet d'avocats, ma supérieure hiérarchique avait l'habitude, quand je lui remettais le travail qu'elle m'avait commandé, de dire à haute voix "Mais qu'est-ce qu'il m'a fait ?!" en posant son regard éberlué sur mes écrits. Je fus viré moins de trois semaines après le début de mon contrat. Cette phrase, je l'ai répétée tout au long de l'écoute de cet album. Aucun moyen pour moi néanmoins d'y mettre fin prématurément.
That was actually terrible. I’m convinced this man was a Make a Wish kid who wanted to put an album out before he died and nobody had the heart to tell him how bad it was. Every time I thought it would get better, it got exponentially worse. Truly appalling.
It took a second for me to warm up to this album, but my god it’s very very good. Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll all the way! Gonna look for it on vinyl next time I’m out
I love most of the songs on this record.. a lot! Didn't like Blackmail Man.. at all! Really hard to decide between a 4 and a 5, but giving it 5 because it's quite original.
Not as strong as I remembered. But I remembered it as strong as chilli pickles and Social Workers, so it's still a 5 from me.
The rhyme schemes in this album are so playful and fun, but when all was said and done - Sweet Gene Vincent stole the show for me
I love this album, and have done for years. This is one of those rare albums which, for me, doesn't have a bad song on it. Easy 5!
what a hilarious album! just some horny brit with a cockney accent going through a variety of diverse genres what a darn fun experience! 9/10
How do you play Billericay Dickie to someone who's not a Brit of a certain age and try and get them to understand it? I don't think you can. How long will it take them to understand the genius of Ian Dury? No idea, but good luck on your journey, it'll be fun. And odd. And confusing
This is awesome! A bit of ska and a lot of nostalgia. Very feelgood music. Sometimes funny, eg Billericay Dickie. Towards the end it turns into punk! Bit of a surprise, but still good and interesting. Last song, Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll - this is famous!!
This is pretty fantastic, sordid stories full of character and fun with a superb band. Wonderful
Holy moly! What a unique, fun album. I love this guy's style, and his lyrics are goofy. Reminds me a bit of Taco, but this guy is 100% original.
This is some delightful pub rock. One or two songs got a little obnoxious, but a truly and definitively cheeky record.
Disco heterodoxo donde cabe el rock&Roll, el punk y el funk, entre otros, de espíritu social y burlesco. Raro y atrevido, no deja de ser divertido y único.
I've heard the off Drury track over the years, even favouring his son lately, but this was solid :)
Var opprinnelig skuffet av at Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick ikke var på dette albumet, men det kom seg fort. Dette må være noe av den mest britiske musikken jeg har hørt. Veldig varierende og stemningsfullt, liker veldig godt den lighthearted stemninga. Starten på Plaistow Patricia er jo kunst. Beste sanger: Wake Up And Make Love With Me, Billericay Dickie og Blackmail Man.
Muy interesante, punk en esencia y entre otras cosas. Lo volvere a escuchar
This one is hard to rate; vocals sound like they were recorded during a drunk karaoke night in a British pub, and every song misses the mark in terms of lyrics and mood by such hilariously wide margins, it deserves to be treated as a masterpiece.
I like this album . Been a while since I listened to it. Real nice to re-discover it. 4 🌟
I’ve never heard of this artist before, but they have some really cool instrumentals and the vocals match up perfectly for some very catchy songs.
Lots of fun, clever (if occasionally dubious) lyrics, catchy tunes and superb musicianship. What's not to like?
Bloo’y brill’iant innit! This album was on heavy rotation in the late 70’s by CFNY in Toronto and it still sounds fresh today. Love the jazz and funk influences overlaying the punk and Drury’s cockney accent singing very witty lyrics. Hit me with your rhythm stick isn’t here but other great songs such as Wake up and make love, Sex and Drugs, and Clever Trever are pretty damned great
I gave this a quick listen and quite liked it. I need to listen again but got busy with Halloween festivities. His voice is one that makes it hard for him not to be entertaining. I'm sure I would get to a 4 if I had the time to listen again but since The White Album is on deck, I need to move on. That's as detailed as I'll get this time but I'll make up for it w the Beatles.
Oke echt een tof album met veel toffe nummers you're more than fair...wel wel wel interessant
El fet que es publiqués l'any del punk i que el seu protagonista fos un personatge perfectament catalogable dins el génere podria portar-nos a engany, ja que els temes que composen el disc no poden estar més lluny de la improvisació i la ràbia espontànea. Més a prop del pub rock, amb cançons més properes al rock més clàssic i altres gairebé tocant el music hall, la col.lecció que engloba el disc és original i un bri d'aire fresc entre géneres. Sempre estimula quan s'escolta de nou
not this againnn. lol it's very 'rude' but kind of funny and surprisingly fun and varied instrumentals
A mixture of funk, Punk, and a very British sense of humour make this a must listen of the late '70s.
Silly little record, that verges on creepy at many points. The singing is not particularly good but has a certain charm that makes the songs sound sort of playful, which I ended up enjoying, and the song topics are pretty hilarious to begin with too. 8/10
It's hard to go back and remember how shocking this was. It seems more naughty little boy nowadays, although Blockheads and Blackmail Man have a bit of serious bite to them. My Old Man is quite lovely. The less said about Billeracay Dickie and You're More Than Fair, the better.
His vocal style is probably not everybody's cup of tea. But there's some really great stuff on here.
Enjoyed this alot more on second listen, it's funny and well put together, his voice gets a tad annoying at times but still worth your time
This was a fun listen, especially in that every song sounded like it could be on a different album. Hard to trace both it's influence and who influenced it!
Full of energy and humour this one, not really my cup of tea, glad I heard the rest of the album, not just the, single, 'popular' song.
Very good. 4 / 5 Classic: Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll Standouts: Wake Up and Make Love With Me, Sweet Gene Vincent, My Old Man, Clevor Trever,
Já começa com um Soltinho. Sweet Gene pode dar umas ideias interessantes. You`re More Than Fair.
I think during the first song, I was confused as to what I was listening to, but it won me over by the second song. Some phrases that kept echoing through my head were: "Anti-David Bowie", "funk with no charisma"... It's weird, but it's like if Bowie was creating outsider music, almost. Favorite tracks: "Blockheads", "I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra"
4/5 Very fun album! Like early British punk album. Standouts: Wake up and make love with me Sweet gene vincent If I was with a woman Blockheads Plaistow patricia Sex & drugs & rock & roll
Does Ian Duty have to shout so much? Yes, yes he bloody well does! Packed with grit, wit and authenticity, focus is more lyrical than melodic. Great album.
This was a lot of fun and found myself enjoying it more than I thought.
Saw a documentary on the late Ian Duty and listened to this album. He's a bit of a geezer with a strong personality and a humorous storyteller; this all comes across on the album. He didn't have the greatest voice but on the material herein it works really well. There's a mixture of styles; funk, pub rock, disco and even a dash of vaudeville camaraderie. A fun and likeable album if you're in the right mood
This is a story tellers’ album, lyrically this album is spectacular every song has rich and descriptive lyrics, with smooth rhythms and rhyming not relying on lyrical repetition or repetitive hooks even though it is present. While this is not the most musically adventurous album its still very fun but in a safe, tried and true way of course this is an out of time review of an album from an age long before my time so it could well have been very forward back then. That said, I found it to be a bit fatiguing with all the lyrics to pay attention to I couldn't really find a moment to just turn off and feel the music so by the end of the album I was happy to give my ears a break. Overall happy to have listened to this album I'd recommend that every one listen to it at least once.
Sounds like he laid the foundations for the 90s Brit Pop scene, loved it.
Witty, smart, engaging and charismatic, Drury sing/talks his Essex tales backed by a pretty damn funky band - that bass on My Old Man is disgusting! Really solid album.
It was fine. Some old time UK rock and roll - Reminds me a lot of Mac Demarco. But he focused on some sax and other instruments rather than some synthpop like Demarco. 3.5 stars
Actually charming. some great tunes, some are a bit too music-hall for a 5.
Notes - Debut solo album from Ian dury - Really interesting blend of disco, British pop, dance music - The lyrics are super goofy and delivered in this nonchalant style that is inherently funny - He’s got a bowie quality to his vocals - I LOVE the bass playing on here, super creative note choices Fav - My old man - Great bass part and lyrics - BONUS: blackmail man, great noisy punk song with really creative guitars Least fav - Im partial to your abracadabra - Wasn’t as inventive as the other songs Enjoyed this album a lot! 4.5/5
Rating: 7/10 Best songs: If I was with a woman, Plaistow Patricia, Sex&Drugs&Rock’n’roll
PREFS : Wake Up and Make Love to Me, Sweet Gene Vincent, Billericay Dickie, If I Was With a Woman, Blockheads, Plaistow Patricia (+ Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll) MOINS PREF : Blackmail Man
A classic album, that I never took the time to listen to until now, some pretty weird tunes on here. But it’s dripping with influence
Definitely a fun album. Music and lyrics are a bit strange at times, but never heard of Ian before, and going to listen a little more.
This is an absolutely fun, and entertaining album. The band is killing it, Ian Dury is enjoying himself, the production is solid.