Inflammable Material | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 2, 1979 | |||
Recorded | November 1–13, 1978 at Spaceward Studios, Cambridge (Apart from "Alternative Ulster" recorded Island Studios, London May 1978) | |||
Genre | Punk rock | |||
Length | 41:08 | |||
Label | Rough Trade | |||
Producer | Geoff Travis, Mayo Thompson, Doug Bennett, Ed Hollis (B4) | |||
Stiff Little Fingers chronology | ||||
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Inflammable Material is the debut album by the Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Released in 1979, at the height of The Troubles, most of the album's tracks detail the grim reality of life in Northern Ireland in times of polarisation and conflict, with songs containing themes such as teenage boredom, deprivation, sectarian violence and police brutality.
Stiff Little Fingers were formed in 1977, just as the punk movement was rising in the UK. Frontman Jake Burns' previous band, named Highway Star (which also included SLF members Henry Cluney and Brian Faloon), had been a rock covers band. However, as the band discovered punk they reoriented, renaming themselves to Stiff Little Fingers and altering their line-up. In a 2019 interview, Burns said he 'loved the visceral power of [punk]' and the '[Middle] fingers up to the rock establishment aspect.' He was particularly inspired by the Clash 'writing about their lives in a way that really hit home', highlighting their song Career Opportunities as a prime example. [1] Another event which caused SLF to reorient towards punk rock was the 'Battle of Bedford Street', a riot outside of Ulster Hall in October 1977 which erupted due to the cancellation of a Clash performance. In terms of the band realising they were 'not alone' in the Ulster punk scene, the aborted Clash show was 'huge'. [1]
The album was recorded in 1978, mostly at Spaceward Studios in Cambridge, except for 'Alternative Ulster', which was recorded at Island Studios in London. The process was described by Burns as being done 'very quickly' and 'as if we were playing a live gig', due to the band's lack of knowledge in studio recording. [1]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [3] |
Q | [4] |
Rolling Stone | [5] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
Sounds | [7] |
On its initial release, Paul Morley of the NME declared that "even more so than Never Mind The Bollocks – which turned out to be comedy – much more so than The Clash – which turned out to be quaint – as astonishing in its impact as The Ramones, Inflammable Material is the classic punk rock record." [8] Morley went on to note the album was a "crushing contemporary commentary, brutally inspired by blatant bitter rebellion and frustration" concluding that "There are parts of Inflammable Material that are not just exciting or stimulating but quite humbling. It is a remarkable document." [8] Garry Bushell of Sounds also praised the album, declaring it "a magnificent slice of vintage punk played fast and frantic, and loaded with powerful lyrics and forceful hooks barked out with anger and conviction by the man with the permanent sore throat, vocalist/lead guitarist Jake Burns." [7] Bushell concluded that "Stiffs to be one of the most impressive old style punk bands to have broken surface in recent times, and my worries are mostly for the future: will their music progress or stagnate?" [7]
All tracks composed by Jake Burns and Gordon Ogilvie; except where indicated
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Suspect Device" | 2:36 | |
2. | "State of Emergency" | Jake Burns | 2:29 |
3. | "Here We Are Nowhere" | Henry Cluney | 1:00 |
4. | "Wasted Life" | Jake Burns | 3:10 |
5. | "No More of That" | Henry Cluney | 2:04 |
6. | "Barbed Wire Love" | 3:33 | |
7. | "White Noise" | 1:57 | |
8. | "Breakout" | Jake Burns | 3:04 |
Total length: | 19:53 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Law and Order" | 3:14 | |
2. | "Rough Trade" | 2:41 | |
3. | "Johnny Was" | Bob Marley | 8:12 |
4. | "Alternative Ulster" | 2:45 | |
5. | "Closed Groove" | 4:25 | |
Total length: | 21:17 |
The 2001 EMI CD reissue added the following tracks:
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Suspect Device (single version)" | 2:44 |
2. | "78 RPM" | 2:38 |
3. | "Jake Burns Interview Pt. 1" | 17:41 |
Total length: | 23:03 |
The reissue includes the first part of an interview of Jake Burns by Alan Parker (the second part is included in the reissue of Nobody's Heroes ).
Chart (1979) | Peak position |
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14 |
This was the first album on an independent record label to enter the UK Top Twenty. [9]
with:
Stiff Little Fingers are a Northern Irish punk rock band from Belfast. They formed in 1977 at the height of the Troubles, which informed much of their songwriting. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star, doing rock covers, until they discovered punk. They were the first punk band in Belfast to release a record – the "Suspect Device" single came out on their own independent label, Rigid Digits. Their album Inflammable Material, released in partnership with Rough Trade, became the first independent LP to enter the UK top 20.
My Aim Is True is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, originally released in the United Kingdom on 22 July 1977 through Stiff Records. Produced by Stiff artist and musician Nick Lowe, the album was recorded from late 1976 to early 1977 over six four-hour studio sessions at Pathway Studios in Islington, London. The backing band was the California-based country rock act Clover, who were uncredited on the original release due to contractual difficulties. At the time performing as D.P. Costello, Costello changed his name to Elvis after Elvis Presley at the suggestion of the label, and adjusted his image to match the rising punk rock movement.
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and is affiliated to Beggars Group.
James G. Reilly is the second drummer for the Northern Ireland based punk band Stiff Little Fingers, with whom he played from 1979 to 1981. He played on the LPs Nobody's Heroes, Go for It and Hanx. In 1981, he moved to the United States, where he played in two bands, Red Rockers, followed by The Raindogs. In the late 1980s, he lived in Boston and worked as a band manager. He has since moved back to Northern Ireland. For a time in 2004, he played in SLF tribute band Little Fingers, and later led Jim Reilly's Alternative Soldiers, after which he played in a new band called The Dead Handsomes. In July 2013, he and Henry Cluney, also formerly of Stiff Little Fingers, began playing live together under the name XSLF in a 3 piece with Ave Tsarion.
John "Jake" Burns is a singer and guitarist, and is best known as the frontman of Stiff Little Fingers, although he has also recorded with Jake Burns and the Big Wheel, 3 Men + Black, and as a solo artist.
Henry Cluney is a guitarist and former member of the band Stiff Little Fingers. He remained with the group until lead singer Jake Burns disbanded them in 1983.
Nobody's Heroes is the second album by Irish punk rock band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1980.
Brian Faloon is a musician born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He played drums for Highway Star, who were to become Stiff Little Fingers, having met two of the other band members at Belfast Boys' Model School. Faloon stayed with SLF long enough to record their first album Inflammable Material but decided the rock 'n' roll lifestyle wasn't for him, so left the band, inspiring the words to SLF's single "Wait and See". In the nineties, Faloon occasionally performed as a guest drummer with the SLF tribute band Hanx who went on to become minor Punk band 'The Red Eyes'.
Alistair Jardine "Ali" McMordie is a bass guitarist, best known as a founding member of Stiff Little Fingers, playing with the band from 1977 until they broke up in 1983, and joined them on the first few years of reunion tours five years later.
Hanx! is a live punk album by the band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1980. Originally intended for the American market, in order to introduce the band before they toured there, it was subsequently released at a budget price in the UK, for the band were concerned that a lot of their fans would insist on buying the album on import anyway for a higher price. Jake Burns remarks on the sleeve notes for the CD reissue that only "Johnny Was" came from the Rainbow Theatre show, with the remainder recorded at the Aylesbury gig.
Go for It is the third album by Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1981. "Just Fade Away" was released as a single.
Now Then... is the fourth album by the Northern Irish band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1982. It was produced by Nick Tauber. Some songs employed a horn section. The band broke up after the release of the album.
All the Best is a compilation album by the band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1983.
Flags and Emblems is a studio album by the band Stiff Little Fingers, released in 1991.
Germfree Adolescents is the 1978 debut album of English punk rock band X-Ray Spex. It contained the UK hit singles "The Day the World Turned Dayglo", "Identity" and "Germ Free Adolescents" which reached No. 18 in November 1978. Upon release, the critics noted it was not all new material: five songs on the twelve tracks had already been released on A-sides and B-sides of singles.
Mayo Thompson is an American musician and visual artist best known as the leader of the experimental rock band Red Krayola.
The Undertones is the 1979 debut album by the Undertones. The album was recorded at Eden Studios in Acton, West London in January 1979 and was released in May that year. The original release included just one single release: "Jimmy Jimmy" and an album version of "Here Comes the Summer", which was never released as a single.
No Going Back is the tenth studio album by punk band Stiff Little Fingers. It was released on 15 March 2014 for a limited time through Pledgemusic, a website where fans can pledge/donate money to purchase the album in various forms. The album was released to the general public on 11 August 2014 through the band's Rigid Digits label and elsewhere through Mondo Recordings/INgrooves. The album is the band's first studio release in eleven years since 2003's Guitar and Drum. It reached No. 1 on BBC Radio 1's UK Top 40 Rock Album Charts on 14 September 2014.
"Alternative Ulster" is the second single by the Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers. Originally released as a single on 17 October 1978, the song later appeared on the band's 1979 debut studio album, Inflammable Material.
"Suspect Device" is the debut single by Northern Irish punk band Stiff Little Fingers, released on 17 March 1978.