New Boots And Panties

Who told this guy he could sing? This almost became the third album I gave up on, but I pushed through.

Grating, derivative, and obnoxiously English. Not much to say about the lyrics or stories in the songs because I can barely understand Dury's vocals outside of the excessive vulgarity. Nothing that enjoyable or interesting

So Robert Wyatt and John Cale dropped acid with Sid Barrett...

Never has an album made me as angry as this. Just absolute pure shit. He’s not even doing something interesting. I’d occasionally get to a song and for a second I thought it was good then I realised it was just not as pure shit as the last song. I now know how El G feels when he’s not listening to dad rock. I have a pure hatred for Ian Dury now and want to exhume him so I can punch him in the face multiple times.

Oh the british. Like childish song sung by a sock puppet. Rubbish. The mentality of a teenager. Creepy when sung by an adult. We expect so much more now. This aged poorly. Take it off. Off.

so atrociously british.

And now we are back to UK Rock...no thank you.

Saftey net for us old punks. Billaricky Dickie and sweet Gene Vincent shine here. What a great lyricist am curious what people outside uk make of this. Read the reviews our American cousins sure dont like this. Like the jam and madness very uk centric and the snarc seems to be lost on them. Gorblimey govenor

the debut album of ian dury, a funny little musician hailing from middlesex. a wide and naughty smorgasbord of sound covering a variety of niches, with songs about the musician's life experiences and love. this album is pretty fun! hearing musicians pull from all sorts of different influences usually not only means that a lot of tracks sound different from one another, but when it's done right it just sounds so riveting all the way through. like plenty of other british albums this one has weird wordplay and a bit of humor too... thankfully i can say the attempts at humor are done much better than the last album i listened to that did essentially the same stuff. it's crude, it's a bit nasty and not for virgin ears... but all of that nastiness is done in the best way. i feel like this is a kind of album that i'd probably release in my lifetime... just dicking around and just trying on all sorts of different sounds. and being a big fat motormouth.

Genius with a tight band.

This was really good. I really enjoyed this.

Amigos di el taconazo 10 de 10

The marriage of ian dury and the magnificent blackheads was never moreso than in this album. It starts with the nagging wake up and make love with me. Then we move to the lovely sweet Gene Vincent with ian singing softly which is a delight. Im partial to your abracadabra is groovy and lyrically very sharp. My old man is about his dad the bus conductor and its sad but still like all the others as tuneful as anything pervsding the scene at the time. Billericay dickie is rude but so funny, a little bit too comedic but there are lots of new turns of phrases to learn. Clever Trevor comes next and this is perhaps the best song on the album. Lots of wordplay, knock me down with a feather indeed. If i was with a woman is reflective and very poignant. There are then a couple of forgettable songs then we wrap up with sex and drugs and rock and roll which is perhaps the blockhesds at their best. All in all possibly the best new wave album alongside costellos this year's model.

Just a masterpiece. So, so many fantastic songs but Sweet Jean Vincent, Billericie Dickie and Plastow Patricia are favourites.

You can never go wrong with British rock & funky basslines

One of the incest

## Overview Released in September 1977 on Stiff Records, *New Boots and Panties!!* was Ian Dury's debut collaboration with The Blockheads, following the dissolution of his earlier pub rock outfit Kilburn & The High Roads. Despite Dury being in his mid-30s when most punk artists were barely out of their teens, the album became Stiff's first gold record and spent **72 weeks in the UK charts**, selling over 300,000 copies . Remarkably, it achieved this success without producing any hit singles from its original ten tracks—though the bonus inclusion of "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll" on later pressings would become iconic . --- ## Lyrics: The Heart of the Album Dury's lyrics represent the album's primary artistic achievement. His approach combines **working-class poetry, music hall vulgarity, and keen character observation** into something genuinely unprecedented in rock music. ### Literary Quality The album operates as a collection of character studies, each meticulously crafted. "Sweet Gene Vincent"—a tribute to the rockabilly legend—demonstrates Dury's research-intensive method: he read two biographies of Vincent and worked on the composition for six weeks before handing it to musical partner Chaz Jankel . The result is genuinely moving poetry: > *"Shall I mourn your decline with some Thunderbird wine / And a black handkerchief?"* The reference to Thunderbird—a notoriously cheap fortified wine associated with alcoholics—beautifully encapsulates both Vincent's tragic decline and the working-class milieu Dury understood intimately. ### Character Portraits The album presents a Dickensian gallery of London types: **Billericay Dickie** (the bragging Essex lothario), **Clevor Trever** (the nervous, vacillating intellectual), **Plaistow Patricia** (the heroin-addicted East End woman), and **the narrator's own father** in "My Old Man." These aren't caricatures but fully realized human beings rendered with empathy and unflinching honesty . ### The Cockney Voice Dury's delivery—gruff, wheezy, deliberately robotic yet strangely intimate—transforms his Cockney accent from regional limitation into artistic weapon. As one critic noted, it's "superficially cold and emotionless, but deep inside you *know* he feels all these things and actually shares them with you as if he were your very best friend" . --- ## Music: Eclecticism Perfected The Blockheads—assembled from seasoned pub rock veterans—provided Dury with extraordinary musical flexibility. The album's sonic palette is remarkably diverse: | Track | Musical Style | |-------|---------------| | "Wake Up And Make Love With Me" | Disco/funk | | "Sweet Gene Vincent" | Rock & roll ballad → punk explosion | | "I'm Partial To Your Abracadabra" | Cocktail jazz | | "My Old Man" | Music hall waltz | | "Billericay Dickie" | Knees-up pub singalong | | "Blockheads" | High-energy punk | | "Plaistow Patricia" | Frantic new wave | | "Blackmail Man" | Two-minute punk explosion | The rhythm section of **Norman Watt-Roy** (bass) and **Charley Charles** (drums) deserves particular praise—they've been described as "the pub rock JBs," providing tight but never suffocating grooves that allowed space for syncopation and feel . **Davey Payne's** saxophone and **Chaz Jankel's** keyboards and guitar knit these disparate elements into a coherent whole . --- ## Production Recorded at **Workhouse Studio on London's Old Kent Road** and produced by Peter Jenner, Laurie Latham, and Rick Walton, the production is notably clean and open . Despite Dury's punk associations, he proved a **perfectionist in the studio**, and the results reflect old-school musicianship honed through years of live performance . Laurie Latham later recalled the studio had "an excellent quality mixing desk with great EQ," and the album remains "a pleasing analogue affair that sounds very fresh when replayed on modern equipment" . The production never overwhelms the songs—it's balanced, with exactly the right amount of vocal reverb . --- ## Themes ### Class and English Identity The album is profoundly **English in a way that transcends mere geography**. It's rooted in working-class London experience—bus drivers ("My Old Man"), Essex wide boys ("Billericay Dickie"), East End addicts ("Plaistow Patricia"). Yet it's never parochial; the specificity becomes universal through the quality of observation. ### Sex and Physicality From the opening track's morning erection ("I come awake with a gift for womankind") through the leather fetishism of "I'm Partial To Your Abracadabra" to Dickie's Cortina conquests, the album treats sexuality with **unvarnished honesty and music hall cheekiness** . It's bawdy without being pornographic, frank without being exploitative. ### Anti-Mediocrity "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll"—the album's most famous track—subverts expectations. Rather than a celebration of hedonism, it's a **manifesto against the ordinary**: "Keep your silly ways or throw them out the window... If all you ever do is business you don't like" . The famous title is actually a rejection of conventional success in favor of authentic experience. ### Disability and Otherness Dury himself walked with a pronounced limp due to childhood polio, and the album occasionally touches on marginalization. "Blackmail Man" confronts prejudice directly, listing "undesirables"—"non-whites, poor people, Jews, cripples"—though some critics find its execution less successful than other tracks . --- ## Influence and Legacy *New Boots and Panties!!* established a template that influenced subsequent British music profoundly: - **Blur's *Parklife*** (1994) explicitly continues Dury's tradition of character-driven, class-conscious English pop - **Pulp** and **Jarvis Cocker** owe obvious debts to Dury's spoken-sung delivery and sexual frankness - The album proved that **maturity and musical sophistication** could coexist with punk's energy and independence - It demonstrated that **regional accents and working-class perspectives** were viable artistic materials in rock music The album has been described as "perhaps even more fondly regarded than Stiff's other landmark debut of '77, Elvis Costello's *My Aim Is True*" . --- ## Pros | Strength | Evidence | |----------|----------| | **Unmatched lyricism** | "Dury's lyricism is unparalleled. His imagery, wordplay, delivery, pitch—everything—is almost perfect" | | **Musical versatility** | Seamlessly moves between disco, jazz, punk, and music hall | | **Character depth** | Billericay Dickie and Clevor Trever represent diametric opposites—both fully realized | | **Emotional range** | From the heart-wrenching "My Old Man" to the furious "Plaistow Patricia" | | **Timeless production** | Clean analogue sound that remains fresh decades later | | **Authenticity** | "As much as I like Elvis Costello, he doesn't possess the subtle magic of Dury's voice at its best" | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Evidence | |----------|----------| | **Side 2 drop-off** | "The original 10 tracks did tail off a bit towards the end" | | **"Blackmail Man"** | "The only song on the album that doesn't work... he doesn't seal the deal with a strong 'aha' moment" | | **Cultural specificity** | "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?" | | **Aging content** | "Not everything has aged so well—the general anger and frustration of the times and the casual racism of day-to-day language in the 1970s" | | **Vocal limitations** | Dury's speak-sung delivery can wear thin over a full album for some listeners | | **"If I Was With A Woman"** | "The closest thing this album has to a bad track. It's cynical and unpleasant" | --- ## Conclusion *New Boots and Panties!!* remains a **singular achievement in British popular music**—an album that shouldn't have worked (a disabled, middle-aged art school teacher doing Cockney poetry over disco-funk-punk hybrids) but absolutely did. Its greatness lies in Dury's absolute commitment to his vision and the Blockheads' musical excellence. The album captures a specific moment in British culture—the mid-1970s, pre-Thatcher, post-imperial decline—yet transcends it through the universality of its human observation. Whether you find Dury's persona charming or creepy, his artistic courage is undeniable. As one reviewer summarized: "An album to cherish... After nearly 50 years, this album still packs a punch. It's still vital, visceral and contemporary as hell" . **Verdict:** Essential listening for anyone interested in the intersection of poetry and popular music, and a cornerstone of British rock history.

Super gut.

Great album, but very much of a time, very much an English icon.

I read some of the reviews before I listened to this classic, you can really separate the non British reviews, the treasure that is Ian Dury was an absolute class act and I bought this on vinyl the week it came out, sadly that vinyl has gone, but I did replace on CD years ago, absolute classic pub cockney rhyming- My old man - class writing or “Good evening I’m from Essex in case you couldn’t tell, my given name is Dickie etc”🙌🤩

5 out of 5. This is what I call music.

Why does this album remind me of Paul?

Incredible, ironically very commercial, professional, highly skilled work of class warfare. My hat is off to you, Ian Dury. Even long after your movement’s defeat, your courage and humour stand.

He is magnificent, and lives forever.

Brilliant. Brings back great memories.

Lol at all the seppos seething about this album, they don't know Ian Dury's a legend!

Whoa - how did I not know about this guy?!?

What an album. Another one I was lucky enough to be a wide eyed student when it came out. And see live. And the Blockheads (as they mostly became) - what a band. OK so you might be a bit nervous if Ian Dury was coming round to your house for afternoon tea, but what an extraordinary artist and performer. Probably best if you don't play it in front of your parents. Or your kids come to that. Or your wife, it might be a hard sell.

Je m'attendais pas du tout à ça et franchement j'ai beaucoup aimé ! Très varié et entraînant, j'ai un peu dansé sur place en l'écoutant

Funny, entertaining, with a sharp sense of humour, and featuring the classic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll... how can anyone remain indifferent to this?

One of the most (if not the most) strikingly honesty albums to come out of the UK in the 1970's and more fun than a rhythm stick up the bum! What a fusion of genres! Music hall, punk, new wave, disco, pub rock, funk, post punk and all the kitchen sink dramas you could ever want. Ian Dury sings about sweet Gene Vincent, his old man, the working class, hate ,thickies, squeaky chickies, one too many, Essex, the lad who owes you a tenner, black gloves, white frost, black crepe, white lead, white sheet, black knight, jet black, dead white, unexpected erections, tighty whiteys, cold eel pies, blackmail, good women, bad women, pretty women, ugly women, saintly women, whores, johns, making love and fucking- and that's just the first side! Brilliant lyrics! READ THIS! I had a love affair with Nina in the back of my Cortina A seasoned up hyena could not have been more obscener She took me to the cleaners and other misdemeanours; but I got right up between her rum and her ribena. I don't think anyone has ever written more perfect prose for a Sunday morning than what he wrote above! What a fun album! I'll leave you with some more lyrics from the album! I come awake With a gift for womankind You're still asleep But the gift don't seem to mind Rise on this occasion Halfway up your back Sliding down your body Touching your behind You look so self-possessed I won't disturb your rest It's lovely when you're sleeping But wide awake is best Wake up and make love with me Wake up and make love Wake up and make love with me I don't want to make you I'll let the fancy take you And you'll wake up and make love You come awake In a horny morning mood And have a proper wriggle In the naughty naked nude Roll against my body Get me where you want me What happens next is private It's also very rude I'll go and get the post And make some tea and toast You have another sleep, love It's me that needs it most Wake up and make love with me Wake up and make love Wake up and make love with me I don't want to make you I'll let the fancy take you And you'll wake up and make love Wake up and make love with me Wake up and make love Wake up and make love with me Wake up and make love Wake up Wake up Wake up Wake up Love you Ian Dury you magnificent bastard! XOXO - Chelsea 4 Ever

Time Travel to a very distinctive era in English clubs, really great stuff

A storyteller, a lover, a man of funk. Add in some good old fashioned rock 'n' roll , plus a little music hall camp. We should all aspire to this. An amazing debut of an album. It's the sound of an artist that has so much to say and express, and isn't afraid to hide his influences. We need more innuendo in songs, always sang in a playful manner, without ever resorting to shock tactics for the sake of it. What a diamond.

Jag är tacksam att detta finns för att stimulera min G. PUNKT. Sånt här piano är mitt favoritljud. Ren feelgood med storstadskänsla (intressangt att lyssna på demos och förundras över hur de kom fram till vilken nivå av snusk de skulle lägga sig på.)

A definite 5 star album for me. One of those life-soundtrack albums, and I still have my vinyl copy from when it was first released. Love the idiosyncratic lyrics and vocal style, and the grizzled pub-rock band with funky bass provides the perfect backing. I still listen to this album fairly regularly even now.

While I don't ever recall actually hearing this, my Dad's love of UK punk and alternative made this feel strangely familiar. So many songs I remember playing at home as a kid had similar production, vocal oddities, coarse and provocative lyrics and damn if I didn't enjoy this one. It's got a charm to it. Amateurish, and DIY throughout, just gleefully odd and ecclectic. Your local pub band experimenting and having fun. Tracks like "My Old Man" are downright groovy, then you get ridiculous follow-ups like the carnival-inspired "Billericay Dickie," full of cockney rhyming slang and monotoned spoken-word lyrics. Instrumentation is generally a strong point. Drury's voice may not transfer across genre well (though Blockheads shows some different shades), but with this sort of pub-hooligan-stoner-funk-punk stuff its absolutely fine. Lots of interesting musical changes as well. I don't know what y'all are on about. This was great. Possibly the most fun I've had during this experiment, and one of the first artists I've got I had never heard of prior to today.

loved the following tracks: Wifey something's going to happen in the winter my old man sex&drugs&rock&roll

A great album with superb Punk Rock meets Pub Rock music and brilliant lyrics. An essential album if you grew up in the 60s and 70s. Opens with the slightly risque "Wake Up and Make Love with Me", and also features "Billericay Dickie", "Clevor Trever", "Blockheads", and "Plaistow Patricia".

Make me a happy woman!

i really liked this one

Adoré ça! Du bo. Early punk/pub rock. Immanquablement « english ». Je vais y revenir c’est sur

This was quirky, and fun. I wish he would have been a little more selective. This could have been more digestible if he shortened this significantly. I was pleasantly surprised by this nonetheless. I did save the album though. So I’m willing to bet I will grow to like what I originally didnt.

New Boots and Panties!! by Ian Dury is not only a fun album—it’s a brilliant one. Dury’s lyrics are meaningful, poetic, and often laugh-out-loud funny. The songs are rich with melody and wildly eclectic—you never quite know what’s coming next, and that’s part of the magic. This album is pure genius. Giving a 5/5 to something I’m hearing for the first time is rare for me, but this one absolutely earns it. I’ll be returning to it again and again. Favourite track: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll – a timeless classic. Least favourite: None. Every track deserves its place—there’s not a weak one here. Album artwork: Brilliant cover—striking and full of personality, just like the music.

Wonderful album.

Kick ass album. This is one of the weirder and more eclectic albums I've gotten from the generator. I'll bet this band was great to see in a pub back then. Pure entertainment.

Hilarious

Top!

One of those artists who annoyed me at the time, but I regret not listening to sooner. He had such a unique take, a tough life with a big heart.

Superlative!

British af many styles

A simple, yet wonderful blend of rock genres that I really dig. Very solid 5 in my book.

Interesting, kinda weird and each song is very different, but there's a lot of creativity.

Very fun and entertaining album. Enjoyed it

You either love Dury or hate him. There is no in between.

hahahah vanhaa indietä.. sopi vitun hyvin päänsärkyyn..

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll entre otras.

Absolutely loved this!

Rock n roll meets punk meets music hall meets disco?! I’m here for it. Never heard of this bloke before; however, my life is all the richer, colorful, and whacky for it. The quirky lyrics, style, and irreverence are refreshing.

Pretty good, funny British style and lyrics good bass.

punk tranquillo, gran sorpresa

The best Iain Dury album - very British and a great record in every aspect.

If you ever wondered where the expression "sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll" came from...

That was fun

Excellent album, too many great songs to comment individually; however, My Old Man and Sweet Gene Vincent deserve a special mention.

Five stars before I even put it on. It's punk, but with the tightest funk band ever. No two bars are quite the same and it makes it endlessly listenable. And that's before you even get to the fact Ian Dury is a fantastic wit and lyricist. You'll laugh, you'll be confused and offended and sometimes even moved. Both a jewel in the crown of England's glory and a reason to be cheerful (part 3)

Wtf. 70s Matt Barry?

There was a child like nostalgia in this. If you embrace the vocals it’s just genuinely great music

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll entre otras.

amazing! a new fave!

It’s about time this project offered up a gift for womankind! This surprised me. I kind of love it. It’s a bizarre album with that 70’s feel across its diverse styles. I enjoyed the music and the deadpan vocal delivery. I’m a fan.

Classic of its era. The blockheads were such a tight band too. Norma Watt-Roy is just a spectacular bassist.

One of the best

This is pretty fantastic, sordid stories full of character and fun with a superb band. Wonderful

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!!

Great album

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

This was amazing

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!

Banger!!!

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

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.

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.

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

Wow, I was shocked how much I loved this. Absolutely based.

Such a delight!

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll entre otras.

So fucking good

Ian Dury Really, really weird. For a nailed on pearly king & queen cockney, half this album this sounds remarkably west coast of America disco and funk 😳 I mean, where the hell did all these funky riffs come from to go with lyrics that talk of London transport, tea and toast, 'whistle & flutes', and Billericay?! But....it is that half of the album that I prefer. The rising eastern sounding piano that leads into the irresistibly funky opener Wake Up and Make Love lets you know that Dury looks at far horizons musically, but no further than his cock and balls lyrically. Fave lyric - "Rise on this occasion, halfway up your back". And once that position is understood, we're off! Sweet Jane Vincent is equal parts tender and bruising. Like getting a kicking from someone wearing blue suede carpet slippers. Fave lyric - "Shall I mourn your decline with some Thunderbird wine?" Partial to your Abracadabra - cheeky fucker 😂 The frank honesty of My Old Man, accompanied by a lolloping swagger of a groove grabs from start to finish, and leaves a real lump in the throat in the final verse. Fave lyric -" Seven years went out the window, we met as one to one. Died before we'd done much talking, relations had begun...all the best mate from your son" 🥲 Billericay Dickie - more dick waving than you can shake a stick at. Not my fave. Fave lyric - "I'd rendez vous with Janet quite near the Isle of Thanet. She looked more like a gannet, she wasn't half a prannet....and when I captured Janet she bruised her pomegranate" 🤦 Clever Trevor was the only one I'd heard before. Great song. Too many great lyrics but the opening line is brilliant. If I Was With a Woman. Really hard to listen to after hearing the play written by Jane Horrocks built around the letter they wrote to each other, and the diary she kept, during their one year relationship. He could be a right arsehole so lyrics like "If I was with a woman I'd make her quite unhappy" and "If I was with a woman I'd offer my indifference and make sure she never understood" show he, at least, knew he was a disfunctional cunt I suppose 🤷 (BTW - it's still on BBC Sounds and definitely worth a listen) The music, conversely, is bloody brilliant. Thank you Chad Jankel! Blockheads is pure London 1977. Plasitow Patricia has you rubbing your ears in disbelief 😳 No one else on planet earth could have written this 😂 Fave lyrics - "**** **** **** ****" Blackmail Man could offend everyone and, therefore, can offend no one. A genius two minutes of spite, bile and honking saxophone ❤️ Didnt do any more as the original release stopped there. Shame Ian didn't believe in singles being on albums as adding Sex & Drugs & Rock n roll, Reasons to be Cheerful and Rhythm Stick would have made this 🔥 Fave Track - Old Man or the opener Least. Fave - Billericay Dickie 8/10

Jackson Lamb's side gig for blowing off steam after a particularly tough day at Slough House. A sleazy punk rock lounge act with funky beats, heart, and Brit humor. I enjoyed it.

Don't know if it'll stick with me, but I can't complain about it. It's solid funk rock with a very British man singing over it. Digging the music, the vocals are fine. The bass in particular is really great.

2026.06.30.

I really enjoyed this very British quirky album.

Ian Dury - new boots and panties ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ One of those “ of its time” records that would get cancelled now. Good fun all the way through Standout tracks My old man Blockheads

My parents played this a lot when I was a child. Possibly not that appropriately

(Only listened to the original album - 2 hour long deluxe version is a bridge too far) I get from the reviews that this doesn't travel well. Still, lots going on here, mining some of the same territory as the Kinks, with a bit of punk-adjacent outsider art rock and more than a little music hall thrown in. Lyrics are smart and dryly witty. 3.8 His son, Baxter - the kid on the cover - is also worth a listen these days.

Far too many 1-star reviews for this excellent slice of punk-funk-disco-music hall-oddness. Hugely influential, in its own way.

Some of these songs have no right to be this jazzy...love the accompanying band

La primera y la última canción suben la nota. Sexo, drogas y rock a los 20 añitos. Una gozada en su época.

Well that was interesting and unexpected.

The most London album I've ever heard, also got some bangers and reminds me of my dad so I'm probably over rating it. Fuck it. 4 stars.

Pleasantly surprised by how cool and diverse this was!! After like five classic rock albums in a row it was nice to hear something with a bit more bite and humour to it. My first true discovery of this process.

Strange but so good. Sort of scratches the Ween itch of great sounding music that doesn’t take itself so seriously. One of my favorite finds so far.

This is truly fantastic, one of those records where there's something new around every corner, like this has to be the only album ever to open on a disco track and close on a hardcore punk track. Has so much personality and also a very solid band performance

Difficult to dissect this on its merits as i'm a big fan of his son who took a lot from his dad. I love the dry, deadpan, dangerous delivery and the whimsical and poetic lyrics. The pop hooks are good and the album doenst have any noticeable dip in quality. It seems like a talented man doing talented things.

I was surprised on several levels by this, though I had heard Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll before. "My Old Man" came totally out of the blue, surrounded by the horny songs I expected. Much smoother than my preconception of him as a "punk". A similar "punks who not so secretly like Steely Dan" mixture to the Minutemen, but with a witty, music hall inspired English lyricism – not that the two sound alike, but neither thought playing instruments well was commercial bollocks.

This was a really fun listen.

Yeah, the lyrics were a bit much in some songs, but musically, I loved it.

It's a real collection of bangers, but it lags a bit on occasion, and does kind of make me wonder (listening to it as a whole) how much you can do a caricature of misogyny before you're just doing a misogyny.

I enjoyed this record never knew he was such a success. I mean of course I heard of Sex n Drugs n Rock& Roll. Nice mix of music genres.

Good snotty fun. Somehow still unique, within the pub-punk genre.

A pretty solid debut album by Ian Dury and The Blockheads. It feels like a representation of low class cockney british life. Although the rock aspect is a bit light for me, it still has an upbeat tone that shows a level of positive light when living in 70s britain.

Un petit 4 pour le fun et l’originalité !

Ian Dury was renowned for thriftily buying his clothes secondhand with the hygienic exception of footwear and underpants. Sound advice! For some reason this album got shelved with the punk records back in 1977 but it’s more of a mix of funk and pub rock, with a nod to 50’s rock n roll. Chaz Jankel’s keyboards are a perfect foil for Ian Dury’s cheeky lyrics and earthy Essex accent. Session musicians Norman Watt-Roy and Hugh Charles who played on this record were then later recruited into Dury’s backing band The Blockheads. Highlights for me on this are Sweet Gene Vincent, a tribute to the 50’s rocker, and My Old Man, a tribute to Dury’s dad and the awkward relationship they shared with feelings hidden and unspoken until it was too late. According to the wiki page Dury discovered later that the cover photo (featuring his young son Baxter) was taken around the corner from where his dad had died in a bedsit back in 1968.

Somewhat speak/sing style, with like blues, rock n roll, funk backing. Good stuff. 4

Crazy Cockney accent over funk swing and rock makes for a crazy combination. There's elements of punk and ska in here that make the musing engaging and the lyrics are hilarious. I was tempted to give it a three but I skimmed it this morning and it's just a fun album to hear.

Det her hadde kanskje vært gøy live, eller nokka sånt, men generelt va det ikke helt min greie, nei.

Immediately I LOVED this one! I'm not familiar with Ian Dury, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. I was into it from the get go, as I'm a sucker for new wave rock. Will be listening to more from him!

It's always a bit strange how it sounds fake when people sing in there natural British accent.

Ian you dirty bastard. This was great!

Great stuff. I can understand that if you aren't British and have never heard of this legend, it might be a bit much.

One of the most fun listening experiences I've had! All these songs were super fun.

This is one of those records that if you're into "roots" rock, you should own. This is a "roots" record for new wave, alternative and punk rock that follow it. I'm particularly impressed with the use of rhythm as a lead instrument. The bass and the drums, particularly the bass drums lead the way. This style surely influenced the Punk and New Wave music that followed.

Really enjoyed this one. Added to collection!

I mean you sort of know what to expect from Ian Dury (or at least from the only 2 songs you’ve ever heard), but the first song is a bit of a shock, and interesting in comparison to having Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s get it on’ we had the day before. I can’t help but think Dury’s is a very tongue in cheek version. And that’s what’s this album is really, it’s fun and very playful. Instantly engaging lyrics, and kind of poetic. Backed up also by an oddly funky support band with quite a range; they are way better than I was expecting. All in all, that was a pleasant surprise, and quite the influence on future generations (I’m thinking your Blurs and The Streets etc).

Terrific lyrics, excellent tunes

Funny and observational. With a rhythm section tighter than a camel's backside in a sandstorm. What's not to like? 4*

New Boots & Panties - something Len Houmous has never bought. 4.0 9/11 Plaistow Patricia

Kinda dug it

To jest ciekawa płyta. Pełna energii, emocji, kompozycji, które wpadają w ucho i zostają w głowie. To jedna z takich perełek, które, gdyby nie ta lista, nigdy nie wpadłyby w moje ręce. 7.5/10

One of my older brothers got this for me for my birthday. I'd never heard of him, and they usually bought me a record they wanted for themselves. Lucky for me my brother's have good taste in music. This is a good one.

That's a great album.

I asked Joyce and Vickie, he definitely took the mickey.

Highly education listen for me, had no idea Ian was Baxter Dury's dad, and there's so much innovation going on here, it's crazy how many lines you can draw from this to stuff I love and regularly listen to in the present day. Not saying it's all front to back enjoyable and without potential skips, but there's plenty here musically and, especially, lyrically to hang onto.

Finally some British person not trying to sing in an American accent. Very British. Very good

Très cool les petits passages piano

This project has made me realise that I have a real distaste for misogyny, objectification of women, laddish lyrics etc. So this should have been a no bloody way. But fuck me, musically it's fun as all hell. Lyrically it's dirty, yearning, sweet, funny. Pub rock and music hall. Vulgar and vulnerable. Loved it.

I'm really enjoying this album? It's proper classic English, chill listening with some real funk and rock elements in it? Super addictive, one of my favourite discoveries so far

This is a party I would want to go to.

I honestly had a blast with this one. It’s quirky, rude, and surprisingly creative with the instrumentation. The whole thing feels like a rambling pub story told by the funniest guy at the bar. It wanders into some properly dirty territory, but it’s done in a way that it lands. Unique is an understatement here. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Sweet Gene Vincent - Billericay Dickie - Plaistow Patricia - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

• The only Ian Dury song I know is Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, which is the closer to this album. Other than that, I'm going in blind • Wake Up and Make Love with Me is a really good opening track. • Ian Dury's voice is really nice. It's got a peaceful quality to it. I could imagine him reading a lullaby • Some of these lyrics are pretty wild • I like I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra, especially when the guitar starts doing a call and response with the vocal line • His voice reminds me a bit of Damon Albarn, or Isaac Holman from Soft Play • A lot of these songs feel like something I'd hear on a show I'd watched as a kid (if you ignore the vulgarness). • I find Billericay Dickie slowly fading out over the course of 45+ seconds really funny, it's like the song is never coming to an end and the fade-out hammers that in, and then it just ends anyway. • Even reading along with the lyrics, Clever Trevor is a lot to wrap my head around • If I Was with a Woman is a very good song, but the dissonant ending had me laughing (much like those in the song) • Blockheads feels like a different side of Dury than the rest of the album. It's a much more straight forward rock song than some of the other tracks • The album kinda lost me towards the end, but then Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll brought me right back. In my mind, this is *the* Ian Dury song. I went into this album with no expectations, except that I would like the last song. I was very surprised to discover an album I wholeheartedly enjoyed from start to finish, and even more surprised to check the other reviews and find so many people who had the opposite experience. The whole album was so much fun to listen to, with off the wall, often funny lyrics that capture your attention immediately accompanied with some fantastic instrumentals. This might be the first album I've listened to thus far that I've added songs to my main playlist from. Side note: While reading the other reviews, somebody mentioned a tribute album released in 2001. Hearing artists like Paul McCartney, Sinead O'Connor and Shane MacGowan cover these songs sounds like a blast, so I'll absolutely listen to that in the future. Favourite song: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Fairly interesting music that was a bit boundary pushing when it came out

Very crude and very British. I can see why the humour doesn’t translate well but if you take the witty writing as the tongue in cheek tomfoolery it’s meant to be then this is a very enjoyable album.

A new album and artist for me, I found this pub rock/music hall album very good at my first listen (surprisingly so, as I am usually not into pub rock). The music is tight and punctual, the production is stellar. I read that this album is the missing link between The Kinks and Blur and it's truly so. I need more relisten to understand the lyrics more. For now it's 4 stars.

what a mind

Good stuff. Fun. Weird. Rock-'n'-roll!! 4

I’ve always had a lot of affection for this Ian Dury album. It’s all drums and bass and vocals; and surprisingly it makes you want to dance in a pub rock kind of way. It’s really carefree and loose with a big emphasis on fun / just having a good time. It’s a totally untapped idea to repackage Cockney music hall and blend it with rock, pop and even disco bass / drums. If anyone else out there is doing it it’s certainly not left the mark Ian Dury makes with this record. My copy has Sex & Drugs & Rock’n’roll on it, uncredited, and it does boost the overall tracklist. I don’t know why he was shy about putting singles on the LP, although one of the best tracks has to be the album track Blackmail Man which is pure angry punk energy. Fantastic. My wife told me today that the child on the front cover is Baxter Dury which I didn’t realise - he himself has had a really full music career. You should check out Leak at the Disco if you’ve never heard him.

Great album. Really intresting

What a ripping album!! The Blockheads' rhythm section is a national treasure, as are Dury's sneeringly funny innuendos. Favourite tracks: Wake Up And Make Love With Me, Im Partial To Your Abracadabra (one of the greatest titles/lyrics ever), Billericay Dickie, Blockheads, Plaistow Patricia, Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll

I listened to this on the drive to work today. I'd heard of the album, but knew nothing at all about it nor what to expect, other than every song had an explicit warning on Spotify. Overall I loved much of it, but this was without the lyrics in front of me. Which meant I'm going by what I could decipher as well as the music and the overall vibe. When some of the lyrics came through some were definitely challenging, but I chuckled on a few occasions (as I think I was supposed to). My thought as I was listening is that if I had the lyrics and could follow them this would either be a 5 star or a 2 star album. As it is, and I'm not going to be able to listen again once I'm home later, it'll get a 4.

"Come on, England!" *deepthroats microphone* It sucks reading through all the negative reviews on this website where the only criticism is that "this bloke is annoying and stupid and misogynist and yadda yadda yadda." That's very clearly the point to this record and Ian Dury's whole schtick -- dirty rock n' roll where any semblance of modesty and chivalry are chewed up and spat out. The fact that songs this raunchy and nauseating are as fun and danceable as they are is a very concerning fact, yet that's exactly the type of music that tops the charts. The only thing that sets Dury's work apart is that he's being brutally honest about the type of person who writes these songs, and that makes for an unforgettable project. It's cheeky, irreverent, and very, very British. The only criticism I have is that his vocal performance is very inflexible, and it gets pretty annoying by the second half. Regardless, I believe this album is severely overhated and well worth a listen. Standout Tracks: Wake Up and Make Love With Me, My Old Man, Billericay Dickie, Plaistow Patricia, Blackmail Man Score: B+

This critically acclaimed 1977 album is early new wave/punk and is a bit of a snapshot of 70's British life. It's love stories and character driven narratives with some funk and early electronica. I'm struggling with it a bit on first pass, mostly because I want to listen to the stories but the bassline and musical set up is really interesting. Will probably listen to it again. The standouts on this album: Blockheads and Plaistow Patricia. This album is brand new to me, so I'm already learning.

Punk-funk-bowie-rocknroll? Gillar det mycket. Som Billy Bragg-fantast blir man varm av essex-dialekten. Clevor trever nog favorit. Bra blandning mellan rökig arbetarklass och rätt slicka och snygga jazzfärgningar och funksväng. Kul att höra sex & drugs & rock’n’roll i ett större sammanhang.

Man kan tro att det är Mick the prick eller valfri annan karaktär från "Epping Forest"; eller kanske någon av rånarna från "there goes a tenner"; men det här är ju Billericay Dickie! Där dom förstnämnda prankar, är det här... Också ett prank? Hans riktiga dialekt? Britter verkar iaf alltid vilja göra låtar om Essex Ändå bättre än jag trodde. Tur att man slapp boomsticken! Oi come ere.

FACKING YES!

snuskigt och fräckt och ösigt! i love it

Very enjoyable, surprisingly adept musically and doesn't outstay its welcome

Blockheads is a standout.

A really enjoyed this a high 4 for me an album. So glad of this challenge as it exposes you to artist and albums I would never listen to normally

The dude really grew on my the more I listened. I found myself humming his tunes after listening to the album. I am surprised.

This was an incredibly fun listen. I had zero clue who this guy was but im glad I know now. Maybe thats my American showing but never heard a thing off this before. But I saved a ton of tracks and will be hearing in my shuffle roulette sessions. Some punky tracks, some sort of bubble gum stuff, some bluesy stuff. Its alot of different things and everything is done pretty well. I wouldn't call it a life changing experience but its one that im glad came my way

Am I confused? Yes. Am I very charmed? Yes. Reminds of squeeze/pub rock. But less crass, more funk and better musicianship

I'm already charmed by this album just from the title. The first track was a lot more groovy than I expected, and made me quite excited for what was to come. The album has a lot of energy, and doesn't sound completely polished, which makes the energy a little more relatable/accessible. "I'm Partial To Your Abracadabra" is my favorite track off the album - it has good riffs, and a really catchy beat.

3.8 A fun little listen, will check out more from the catalogue

I had way more fun than I probably should have listening to this album. If you have ever thought about making an album, do it, because this random guy from Essex did it and it worked. His vocals aren't great, but they work perfectly with the album. The jazzy instrumentals help to make a fun listen. I would never recommend this to anyone, but I would listen to this album again.

Послушал с удовольствием, нужно будет повторить.

Freche Pubsongs mit Ska-Charakter. Der Cancel-Culture stehen wohl die Haare zu Berge.

Based on the reviews, I thought this would be horrible, but it was exactly what I was looking for on the day I got this album. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

10/10/2025 The second album wasn't really worth it. So I won't rate it on that, but it wasn't too bad. Spotify listeners: 254.2k

What a fun discovery

Je trouve bien sympathique Ian Dury. Textes intéressants, humour, fusion de genres. C'est mon album préféré de celui-ci. Sur le cover de New Boots, à gauche de Ian, c'est son fils Baxter. ll vient de sortir un nouvel album qui est couci-couça mais certains de ses albums des années 2000-2010 sont à découvrir. Genre It's a Pleasure de 2014.

Oddly I enjoyed much of the album.

Yet another punk artist who discovered fast that punk isn't so attractive over time. So he comes up with groovy funk, disco and the musical hall/varieté style. It's not as eclectic as it sounds but follows are great formula. The musicians definitely save the album because while Dury is a great wordsmith his singing is rather limited. Some limited singers might have not a wide register, but character. Gotta say that Dury lacks both in my opinion. Nevertheless, it's great and fun enough that I rate this above average. It would be a typical 3,5 of 5 though if I could. But when in doubt I'm full of mercy...

A cockney meatloaf? Funk punk? A lot of fun either way.

An absolutely ludicrous album but not in a bad way. The cockney, half spoken vocals describing women / sexual conquests is kind of bizarre but somehow works. The band are actually really tight and the music is interesting and pretty inventive. Funky grooves, fluid bass, jazzy piano and all sorts of soloing going on. The occasional sincere moments sit well amongst all the witty, tongue in cheek stuff. Enjoyed it. Favourite track - Sweet Gene Vincent, My Old Man, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. 8/10

I'd call it outsider music if the guy wasn't firmly entrenched in British punk. He's very unconventional in terms of both music and writing. Borrowed from a wide variety of backgrounds. Definitely had more interesting things to say than most at the time.

This was pretty cool. I knew the name but never listened to es to the music. Which I now did and I really enjoyed it.

Interesting

Brilliant. Guys a genius.

When this came out in 1977I bought it because it was on Stiff Records and that label had already developed a reputation for music that was different. Releases by former Rockpile member Nick Lowe, the Damned!, Elvis Costello, Motorhead, Pink Fairies, made this an easy buy. Then you put the needle down on the first track and go WTF? “I come awake …” And then Side 1 Track 2 Sweet Gene Vincent as the two openers to a very diverse musically inspired album all sung by a man who gives hope to all of us who cannot sing or carry a tune. And yet it all works. Chaz Jankel’s piano work is inspired and the tunes with lyrics that are funny, off-color at times, but all designed to highlight his love for the characters that inhabit his world. Is the album perfect? No, unfortunately. The 3 stand alone singles that followed - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Inbetweenies and Reasons To Be Cheerful Pt. 3 - would have made this complete. It’s all catchy and a mix of pub rock, punk rock and dance hall. And there really was nothing that sounded like this at that time. And there still isn’t.

Not sure why there's an Ian Dury album in this list, but I'm happy there is.

Love a bit of Ian Dury - mad as a box of frogs but brilliant with it. This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, some of his finest work is on show here. If you're of a certain age you'll be singing/nodding/bouncing along with this all the through.

Interesting

I like the accents and the musix

"is also very rude" - a Dury lyric from this album which helps to sum up his charm. Vulgar, frank, uplifting - a great band, too

This album is a bit like a scab. At first blush it’s absolutely repulsive. But then it changes, and it changes often. You start seeing the plight of the scab and you spend enough time with the little guy that you almost start rooting for it- liking it even. Then by the time it’s done you almost feel like you’re missing something from your life, like a little part of you is gone.

This was an roight noice li-ul owlbum, luv 3.5/5

Pretty fun, not what I was expecting, but lots of fun.

Irrepressibly bonkers 🙌🏼🤣🤣🤣🤣

i wish more unknown albums in this list where as catchy, funny and well played/produced as this

Ian Dury was a great and funny man

Interesting album. The musicianship is top notch and the music is mostly a blend of punk, funk and a bit of jazz. The songs are well written and the basslines in particular stand out. Perfectly capture a sleazy, fun loving vibe. Enjoyable stuff.

Understandably nonsense to anyone outside England, I thought this was hilarious and musically great. 4 Stars.

Well once I had convinced you tube that I wanted the original album, not the new covers version, I really enjoyed this album. But then I was always going to, even though I had never heard it before. I do however, know many of the track that are on it. Two of my favourites being Sweet Gene Vincent and My Old Man. Even the tracks I had not heard before were of a high standard so this one is well worth the 4 I'm going to give it.

A Marmite man depending on my mood. Yesterday he was fine, tomorrow could be a different story. This is some sort of an hangover from the pub rock era, but its a good example, clever lyrics and some great tunes.

Quirky and cool

The album starts off slow, kinda leaning more to the folk/pop side of things. Then, once Blockheads starts, the album takes a hard swing into pub rock/punk. I thoroughly enjoy the second half of the album more than the first half. The whole album is surprisingly solid though. Given the album title, I thought I was in for another premium selected pile of shit, but this album is great! Ian's strong cockney accent adds to the grit of the album. I also like his comical, nonsensical lyrics. Favorite songs: Blackmail Man, Blockheads, Plaistow Patricia, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, Clevor Trever, Sweet Gene Vincent, Billericay Dickie, Wake Up and Make Love With Me Least favorite songs: I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra 4/5

Interesting album. Fun music, lots of talent, very cheeky. It's like listening to a guy who stumbled out of the bar and got on a mic. Good tunes. My rating: 4/5

What a mood

Not really my thing but I enjoyed it - like a pub knees up

I think this is a 3.5. I like the silliness, and I could see how this may have helped Brit Pop later, and it is a relatively unique mix of elements, especially for the time it was released. I'm not sure I think it needs to be heard by everyone, but besides the lyrics on the first song, I thought it was a fun and enjoyable enough listen.

Can’t believe how much I liked this. Some really beautiful jazzy moments in the instrumentation. The first 4 tracks were a really strong start. A track like Billericay Dickie should irritate me, and yet it doesn’t, its simplicity feels genuine, as this album on a whole does. 3.9/5

A lot of risqué fun! I enjoyed

Funky band, he's a legend. Glad to hear it again but won't have iton repeat. Would be 3.8 but I'll round it up for Mr Dury

Don’t take it seriously and you’ll enjoy it more, Sweet gene vincent goes unironically hard though.

Need to listen to this. Added to Discogs playlist

The Good: We get new boots! The Bad: You need to walk them in… The Ugly: You picturing me wearing panties… what??? Sex & Drugs & Rock n Roll, it’s good for the soul! I remember being a little kid and singing the first part of the song, and not understanding the meaning behind it. Same goes for Rhythm Stick, which I found on an anniversary version of this album, but not the original… The two afore mentioned songs brought me back to my pre-teen years, the rest of the album, on second listen, made me reflect on all the years after, and that was not what I would have expected when I listened to the first song on this album. Ian Dury not an easy life lived. Ian Dury with words had a gift. Ian Dury bound to repeat again. Ian Dury found his dad the same. I will be listening to this album several times again. Not because the songs are the greatest, nor Ian’s voice, nor the production value. I will be listening to this album because it is so damn creative and stirs up emotions, and that’s what good music should do. 4 1/2* which I’d like to bump to 5, but my conscience will not let me...

great stuff

enjoyed this one, will probably come back to it.

Мне понравился : необычный креативный чувак с таким приятным паб-роком, рок-н-роллом, регги и простой дворовой английской песней.

Ian Dury is a legend. very enjoyable album. Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll! 4/5

I like this album a lot. Kind of a proto punk sound. A lot going on and good energy. Adding to my collection.

quando você escuta uma faixa mediana a próxima compensa e muito

what a funny man

You know the feeling when you are out and your friends convince you to go karaoke. You go there but the only people singing are choir people and theater kids that just sing ballads to show off their talents to each other. So you sign up, you are going to take karaoke back to the people who can’t sing but have the energy, and balls, to do it anyway. This is the type of album you would put on. A big “fuck you” to anybody trying to sound “good”. Honestly, this album shouldn’t work. Heavy cockney accent and limited singing ability, but man does it work. For whatever this album lacks, it makes up in raw energy and stage presence. I was hooked from the start with “Wake up and make love to me” which is such an oddball song that you can’t help but smile. Funk and cockney accent just creates something truly memorable. There are other, just legitimately good songs, on this album like “Blockheads” which is just raw energy. I am really impressed with Ian Dury and how many times he can scream “Blockheads” and make it sound good. I was struck that this sounds like something my dad should like, as he really likes the Stranglers, then “Sex and Drugs and Rock’n’roll” came on, and you know what, he played that song a lot when I was a kid (together with The Strangler’s “Peaches”, no sure if that was too smart honestly, but I’m glad I got to listen to them as a kid). This album put a smile to my face, and is different enough from the rest of this list to be worth a listen. 4 star.

Ian Dury's charming working class accent and ribald rhymes over a surprisingly groovy backing band - what's not to love?

Starts off with two absolute bangers and finishes with one with some pretty good ones in between. Americans obviously don’t get him but Ian Dury was a bonafide musical phenomenon, pure class what a geezer!!

A fun and often funny hyper-British proto-punk romp. Kinks meets Madness with a touch of Gary Glitter. Good times.

Already a fan of Ian Dury, so this made my morning. Just good songs to bop to, and lyrically amusing throughout.

I enjoyed this album way more than a decent bloke should.

Hmm. I’ve never encountered a song in the wild that I share a name with, not sure how I feel about this being the first, lol. But I’m not mad at it. You do your thing, Plaistow Patricia. And the song has cool horns. Serendipitously, I was also freshly born when this was released. Plus the guy liked to thrift shop! My obvious kinship to the album before I’d even heard it may have clouded my judgment and helped me enjoy it more than I would have otherwise. I thought it was fun and quirky, sometimes unseriously raunchy, with a lot of creative lyrics and instruments. Feels like it’s in a little world all its own. Standouts were Sweet Gene Vincent, Billericay Dickie and PP. For its uniqueness and other reasons stated, 4 it is.

Loved it. First time I'd heard it.

An Essex shagger's rockabilly-jazz-funk odyssey, with some nifty wordplay. A peculiar kind of genius at work here

Really wanted to give this 3.5. It started off so well, has so much going for it and definitely had more songs that I'm lively to go back to rhan most new things to be here, but some of it was a little rough. As with the little I already knew, the bass in the first track pushes this up for me not down.

4. funny

Enjoyable continuation of the Kinks sound.

This is the kind of album that would usually send me into an expletive laden rant, but somehow it works for me

Fantastic album, interesting lyrically, diverse musically and very individual.

I think this might be the definition of an album that doesn’t travel well If you’re British you’ll recognise the tongue in cheek lewd humour of Dury’s lyrics. That he was disabled after childhood polio adds an extra layer to a lot of his lyrics as he was very much in the category of person who wasn’t “supposed” to have sexual proclivities If you’re not British I can see how some of this might go over your head (in which case seek out the excellent Andy Serkis film about him called Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll) But what I can’t understand is how it wouldn’t be obvious to everyone that the Blockheads were one of the tightest bands to ever lace their boots

Ian Dury is yet another artist I hadn’t heard of before. His music is quite unlike anything I’ve heard before too - it’s rocky and funky, but also feels charmingly amateurish. Particular, the vocals are very simple, despite the lyrics being very interesting. I’ve said this before, but lyrics are usually one of the last things my brain takes notice of, but this album had be engaged from the start. It’s very witty and tongue in cheek, and it’s always good when people don’t take themselves too seriously.

surprisingly crass and creatively musical album - am not used to music like this from the 70s, but i honestly did not mind it and thought it was playful and fun.

I really like this, except for the vocals.

Vid de första noterna kände jag, "aahhh yeah". Sen kom den episka engelska dialekten och det kändes lite som curve ball. Och texten! Men jag korrigerade förväntningarna och tycker efter flera genomlyssningar att detta är riktigt bra. Det är en del plojlåtar, men jag gillar stämningen. Ian verkar vara en "skön snubbe". Avspänd. Men det räcker inte bara och jag tycker att det musikaliskt är grymt. Väldigt varierat. Sen blir jag glad att få veta att det är Ian som sjunger "hit me with your rhythm stick", som jag nynnande på som liten (helt utan aning varifrån det kom). Synd att den inte var med på denna skiva dock. Utan verkar ha släppts som nån fristående singel. Kul!

4/5

Fun, blues and funk

Love it! It has a nice cozy vibe around it.

I first heard of Ian Dury from Madness- Drip Fed Fred so I was curious about this album. It didn't disappoint. Weird and fun, reminding me of the risque British humor like Benny Hill.

You should never hold a candle If you don't know where it's been Heaps of fun!

This is one of my Dad's favourite artists, we've been to see the Blockheads live a number of times. I think the irony has largely been missed by reviews on this site. For me, although some of my favourites are here, this is perhaps not the best introduction to the group. The recordings of the tracks here aren't even the best versions I've heard. Chaz Jankel is an excellent song writer and Dury is a fantastic lyricist if you can permeate the irony. Ian Dury is an important character in the development of the music scene in the late seventies and is worth looking into. He was also in the Judge Dredd film with Stalone, so he's judgement wasn't always sound.

Sleaford Mods but old and gay and retarded

Zuerst war ich ein wenig überrascht, aber die Texte sind sehr interessant und es lohnt sich meiner Meinung nach, gut zuzuhören.

Really enjoyed this one! Terrible voice, but the songs were just so enjoyable you just kind of forget about it. Funny in parts, very entertaining. Some great guitar in there too I can see why this has a lot of low reviews - this was probably baffling to non-Brits lol 4 ⭐️

This has to go squarely in the guilty pleasure folder for me. I love British stuff and this oozes it to an embarrassing degree. There were times I was chuckling at myself for liking some of these stupid songs. The front half I liked a lot and second half was a little above meh. I can see myself returning to these more than I care to admit Rating: 4.4

Another artist that I've never really got into. I don't particularly like any of his big hits. ...But I think I really like this. Loved how it goes from 50s rock n roll influences to punk and to everything in between. It's weird, and at times I think it's bad weird. But overall, I think it's good weird. If I had listened to this on a day where I was in a bad mood, I suspect the bad weird could have won the battle and I might have only given it ⭐⭐, but I was in a good mood so I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did.

This guy tells it as it is, although sometimes the lyrics are quite unexpectedly poetic. A bit punk, rock and roll, and sometimes kinda sweet. Overall some catchy tunes.

Come off it! Global reviews for this are wild. This is fun and cheeky and good!

Wait a gd second this slaps

Hay algo eh

Sweet Gene Vincent is a classic. I love how he brings in so many funk and soul elements to an otherwise punk record. I also love the humour in songs like Billericay Dickie. My dad used to play a lot of Ian Dury when I was young and he was always one of my favourites of my dad’s favourites, but this is the first time I’ve heard this full album.

None more English. It's like, you can't get more English than this. The musicianship is off the charts and teh cheeky chappy lyricism of Dury belies the intelligence within. It's all good fun and a definite inclusion. Best Tracks: Wake Up and Make Love To Me; Blockheads; Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Cockney singer-songwriter with a punk attitude

Groooovy

now this is fun i like this

what the fuck haha this is what Americans hear in their head when they see Brits eating beans on toast. update : these are some of the hardest lyrics of all time, Billericay Dickie and sweet gene Vincent are generational bangers (I do really dislike partial to your abracadabra) I ended up listening to this TWICE and yk what it grows on you.

Very funny and obscene. I really like the funky bass lines, which add a lot of variety and interest to the more pub rock side of it.

“You should never hold a candle, if you don’t know where it’s been.” Probably my favourite line from the album. ‘Wake up and make love with me’ is my favourite song, something about it seems very familiar. Fart noises combined with some space synth was also a highlight. His lyrics are actually pretty smart and it’s a pretty fun listen on the whole. Music isn’t bad for the most part too. Pleasantly surprised as there have been a few albums so far that I have gone into blind and been let down. Not this one though, I had fun with it.

Very good

85% Best: Wake Up and Make Love with Me; My Old Man; Clevor Trevor; If I Was with a Woman; Blockheads Must-Hear? Sure. I fail to see how the users on here give it a 2.7 overall.

I like when he says bad words.

Wow- so 80s before the 80s

I fully get why it gets less than 3 stars on average. This, however, is what I came here for. Random unexpected gems. It's everything everyone says. Just happens to be I like it.

Very interesting album. I knew I was in for a ride when I saw that all of the tracks were explicit on Spotify. It has aspects of 70s pop rock for half of it and the other half is punk music. I really like classic punk so it was cool to listen to some that I hadn't even heard of before. I would listen to this album again, but the vocals stop me from liking it *too* much. The vocalist's voice is very rough. His voice works well in most of his songs but in some it sounds like late night bar karaoke.

Solid album

Unrepentant, honest, unpretentious, and funny. I can’t really say that I *love* it, but there is a certain charm about it that grew on me. Sometimes it sounds like nursery rhymes which is grating. But impossible to deny it takes a certain something to simply say things like he simply says them. Technically, that is punk as fuck. I can respect that if nothing else.

If I Was With A Woman - I’d show them this album This is unapologetically British. And it would not work otherwise. It’s funny, horny, crass at times, and just all around the cliche punk Londoner. And while those traits may be off putting to some, it isn’t hard to find a layer of genuine emotion underneath and relatable feelings under all that, even if they are presented with a sheet of sarcasm and nihilism at times. It also just slaps musically. Perhaps not the strongest start, but he really gets things going and by the end you could probably convince me that some of them were performed by The Clash. Best - My Old Man Worst - Wake Up and Make Love To Me

Had Benny Hill been a rocker, he'd have made a record like this. Rounding up for sheer unPC, cheekiness of it all very much including clever Trevor and Tina the Hyena.

Oh there's like, outsider music on here too? Is that what you could call this? I didn't love it-love it, but I was certainly charmed and enjoyed it more than I expected based on the first song. He touches a lot of rock genres here and does it all confidently. Not all of it has aged super well, but that's true of several albums on this list. 3.5 if I could, but I'll round up for being pleasantly surprised and actually entertained. Highlights: My Old Man, Clevor Trever, Blockheads, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

Utterly original, a slightly sleazy top jazz-funk-punk combo fronted by the East End casanova that was Drury. 8 gold-plated singles would be a better representation, but this is still compelling from start to finish.

This was a pretty solid listen for me. It’s got that 70’s Zappa irreverence vibe, though def not as fantastically musical/virtuso. Love the humour and raunch - prob won't put it on again soon but it was a fun listen and a bit of history I didn't know about prior.

High 3 low 4, catchy album, enjoyable hits

I love this album, not sure if anyone outside the UK would get the very British references and humor. The lyrics are a bit tongue in cheek at times but Ian Duty delivered them in that cheeky chappy cockney accent that he gets away with it, but it's just great stories set to great music what more do you need.

Ian Dury is a funny man with funny lyrics, such as on the final 2 tracks. His voice isn't conventionally pretty, but this half talking half singing voice works well for the songs. Album just seems to fly by, but its a really fun listen if not a very conventionally beautiful album.

I’m at a 4, but for a while, I think I was honestly pretty close to a 5. It’s just a very, very British album. I’ve seen enough Taskmaster over the course of the past 3 and a half years to find a charm in this sort of thing, though. People are giving this 1’s and 2’s, and I genuinely don’t hear it at all – maybe if you really fucking hate his vocals and his British-isms, but at that point, you’re sort of just not having any fun at all. I thought the instrumentation here was pretty good – great variance of styles, switching around from Disco tones, to straight rock, to punk rock, a bit of pop, and it blends itself together in a pretty sincere way. The lyricism is the part that’ll split this album in two, but for my money’s worth, it reminded me a whole lot of “Thank Goodness You’re Here!” – that extremely British indie game that’s making great headway for YouTubers in need of a cozy comedy game. Yes, sometimes, the insults go a bit too far (namely Blockheads, where it gets just a bit too mean spirited, & Blackmail Man, where he gets so into character he starts using actual slurs), but for the most part, a lot of this just strikes me as extremely British banter that hits a certain comedy niche that was probably prevalent to pubgoers & the Monty Python crowd at the time. I dunno, I just had a lot of fun with it. It’s charming, it’s well-written (save for those two tracks), and it’s very melodically and compositionally sound. The instrumentals are great, his vocals have a fun flow that switches to whatever the soundscape calls for, and when this album hits its stride, it feels about as confident as any other album of its era, despite how goofy it is, straight from the title and beyond. I liked it, sue me. I’m fine giving it a 4.

sex & drugs & rock and roll. What else is there?

I like this! Not a perfect album but lots of fun. Favorite tracks include: Wake Up and Make Love to Me, Blockheads, Clever Trevor 3.5 stars but rounding up to 4 on this project.

uhh geile ahfang AHHH FUNNY SYNTHIII het mi gad an manfred man erinnered hahahaha sweet gene vincent isch ja mal geil, abwechsligsrich und wenner tüüf singt erinneret er mich an elvis? jaa jz sinds chli goofy lieder, fun aber jo es plätscheret chli für mich blockheads isch funnn FURZSYNTHI???? mengisch ischer mega unhinged and I like it ja es wird wieder keis album wo ich ständig wird lose aber hans gnosse für das wos isch

I like this album

Cheeky

Great album.

.....I like this. idk if it deserves 4 stars but I like it 4 stars.

Fantastically fun album.

Wow that was something. The vocals aren't, like, good, but they work for the album. And the instrument work is quite good. Overall this is just fun.

A cracker of a debut, from a real one-off of an artist. Doesn't have his two biggest songs, but still packed full of stories and interesting musical ideas. The song "my old man" is especially touching.

Ian Dury’s debut is creative and eclectic, yet feels indebted to the era he was born into, but that’s not a bad thing

Lyrics are goofy and nonsensical as hell but the music tho... that bass line slaps

Sex drugs rock n roll

Ome Ian ken ik, omdat ik zo'n vinyl-singletje heb van Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Gekregen natuurlijk. Officieel staat dat nummer niet op dit album dus ik zal dat nummer buiten beschouwing laten verder. Maar ik ken, dat is al heel wat. Ik vind zijn stem ook wel prettig om naar te luisteren. Ongegeneerd Brits, maar hij doet vaak wel de moeite om een beetje fatsoenlijk te zingen. En dat valt te waarderen. Hij heeft een prettige stem. De muziek is een mengelmoes van punk, ska (zonder het hardcore getoeter), blues (want alle muziek grijpt terug op blues geloof ik) en vreemd genoeg disco. De meeste nummers op dit album zijn gewoon goed. 'Billericay Dickie' is teveel kermis of Mary Poppins en het einde van 'If I Was With A Woman' is ontzettend dodelijk, maargoed, we maken allemaal wel eens een schuivertje. En onverwacht nog een sample in het wild: Die eerste zin van "Plaistow Patricia" herken ik als sample uit jaren '90 hardcore gabber. Wellicht komt het door een wat tegenvallende streak, maar ik vind dit wel een 4 waard. Een leuk album, maar het is natuurlijk geen Californication of Eigen Wereld.

Sex and drugs and rock and roll are very good indeed!

What an interesting sound…not quite punk, not quite…I don’t even know? Entertaining lyrics and faster paced songs, which I appreciate.

Awesome musically - well paced, well balanced - almost a perfect record but for the rather pervy lyrics. Up to a point it is almost chalkeable as a little tongue in cheek and naughty charm but after a while it starts getting a bit too much. Still good songs and still a cool record - but it loses a star as you’re not sure if you’re complicit - and heaven forbid you listen to some of this record too loudly in 2024.

A strange and eccentric record but certainly worth listening to. The music is interesting and occasionally catchy but I was more impressed with the lyrics, which are sarcastic, humorous, biting, and so very British.

Stiff.

Surprisingly sad in places like My Old Man. If I Was With A Woman is sad and terrifying. It reminds me of that Margaret Atwood quote "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." It's also funny and funky and angry. It's got range.

I really liked this, despite the fact that the music wasn't exactly my thing. I would like to listen again to pay more attention to the lyrics, which seem pretty great.

I don't know if this was good, but it sure was fun.

Overtly sexual, silly and all around fun. A few of the songs I recognized which I always thought were blur songs. Who knew!

My kind of Tom Waits/ Todd Rundgren weirdness. But - it’s also pretty jam-tastic.

When I got the Stiff box set in college, my eyes and ears lit up. So much great stuff and most was new to me at the time. Ian Dury was one of those gems, with Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Razzle In My Pocket and My Old Man featuring on the discs. My first listen to the rest of the album and I love it. His thick cockney accent and penchant for speaking in limericks, while backed by super clean, funky drum and bass lines. Love this.

A few weeks ago I started thinking the quality of albums on this list had started to decrease, and then I hit a rich seam of good albums ... and this is another very good album. So many different influences on here, so much that it's difficult to pigeon-hole it. It was very much a product of it's time, but nearly 50 years later it still sounds great.

This album is really stupid, but also very catchy and fun. I dunno I think it’s getting a lot of unwarranted hate, if this was Captain Beefheart or Frank Zappa a bunch of you would love this

I’m so in the bag for Ian Dury’s dry, wry, Cockney tales delivered over punk-funk grooves fringed with music hall flair.