| Buy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 30:08 39:47 (Bonus tracks) | |||
| Label | ZE | |||
| Producer | James Chance | |||
| Contortions chronology | ||||
| ||||
Buy is the debut studio album by American no wave band Contortions. It was released in 1979 through ZE Records following the band's inclusion on the 1978 compilation No New York .
Fashion designer and band manager Anya Phillips photographed Terence Sellers wearing an outfit designed by Phillips for the album's cover artwork. [4]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| DownBeat | [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [6] |
| Mojo |  [7] |
| Record Collector | [3] |
| Spin Alternative Record Guide | 7/10 [8] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [9] |
| The Village Voice | B+ [10] |
For The Village Voice , critic Robert Christgau stated that "in theory James White's music is better without the words: you get the jagged rhythms and tonic off-harmonies without being distracted by his 'ideas,'" but added that "in fact the music is so (deliberately) stunted it needs a voice for sonic muscle, and James's lyrics do have a certain petty honesty and jerk-off humor." [10]
All About Jazz critic Trevor MacLaren wrote that "through the anger and aggression Chance made a solid record that had a sound like nothing before or since," describing the album as "a great disc that sounds as original and cutting edge as when it was released." [11] Dean McFarlane of AllMusic stated that Chance "never quite topped the warped distillation of punk, funk, and free jazz presented here, making Buy a pivotal recording of the New York post-punk era." [2]
All tracks are written by James Chance
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Design to Kill" | 2:48 |
| 2. | "My Infatuation" | 2:21 |
| 3. | "I Don't Want to Be Happy" | 3:23 |
| 4. | "Anesthetic" | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Contort Yourself" | 4:25 |
| 6. | "Throw Me Away" | 2:45 |
| 7. | "Roving Eye" | 3:10 |
| 8. | "Twice Removed" | 3:05 |
| 9. | "Bedroom Athlete" | 4:17 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Throw Me Away" (Live) | 3:04 | |
| 11. | "Twice Removed" (Live) | 3:12 | |
| 12. | "Jailhouse Rock" (Live) | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 3:23 |
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James Chance, also known as James White, is an American saxophonist, keyboard player, and singer.
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Punk jazz is a genre of music that combines elements of jazz, especially improvisation, with the instrumentation and performance style of punk rock. The term was first used to describe James Chance and the Contortions' 1979 album Buy. Punk jazz is closely related to free jazz, no wave, and loft jazz, and has since significantly inspired post-hardcore and alternative hip hop.
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George Scott III was a bass player for several New York City bands during the No Wave era. He was a founding member of 8-Eyed Spy and the Raybeats, and he worked with James Chance and the Contortions, James White and the Blacks, Human Switchboard, and John Cale, among others.
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