Shhh (Chumbawamba album)

Last updated

Shhh
Shhh (Chumbawamba album - cover art).jpg
Studio album by
Released1992
Recorded1990–1992
Genre
Length45:34
Label Agit-Prop Records/Southern Records (UK) Reprise Records (France)
Chumbawamba chronology
Slap!
(1990)
Shhh
(1992)
Anarchy
(1994)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Spin positive [2]

Shhh is the fifth studio album by British band Chumbawamba. It was originally written and recorded as Jesus H. Christ, an album that relied heavily on samples. [3] The band was unable to procure rights to a number of the songs they sampled, however, and the album was largely re-worked to defend artistic intent and criticize censorship. [4] The album sleeve artwork itself incorporated various rejection letters received by the band denying the rights to the Christ samples. [3] Shhh is considered by many to be a "genre landmark." [5]

Contents

The album was re-released with Slap! in the compilation Shhhlap!, released by MUTT Records on July 15, 2003. [1] [6]

Track listing

All songs written and produced by Chumbawamba, except where noted.

#Song NameLengthNotes
1"Shhh"4:59Samples "Shopping" by the Pet Shop Boys [7]
2"Big Mouth Strikes Again"5:36Features rap by MC Fusion; Not a cover of The Smiths' song, but about controversial comedian Lenny Bruce.
3"Nothing That's New"3:06
4"Behave!"3:03Different version of "Behave" released as single.
5"Snip Snip Snip"2:55Contains brief sample of piano from ABBA's song "Money Money Money" during the first break
6"Look! No Strings!"5:34
7"Happiness Is Just a Chant Away"6:37The final chant is parody of Hare Krishna mantras, instead chanting name of cop killer Harry Roberts. "Harry Roberts is our friend" is a popular non-sectarian anti police chant at British football matches and is also occasionally heard at political demonstrations; Contains references to several Beatles' songs, including backwards a guitar solo like in "Tomorrow Never Knows", lyrics from "I've Got a Feeling" and a trumpet part mimicking the horn solo from "For No One"
8"Pop Star Kidnap"1:26
9"Sometimes Plunder"5:04Features rap by MC Fusion; The title is a reference to the line "sometimes wonder" from Slap! song "Ulrike," changing it to be an attack on the music industry's attack on sampling, pointing out that bands like the Beatles and Rolling Stones stole from African American music, yet they made "a living sometimes plundering"
10"You Can't Trust Anyone Nowadays"4:58
11"Stitch That"2:10Uncredited cover of the Mike Waterson/Martin Carthy song "A Stitch in Time"; Contains samples from the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," with a drum beat similar to that song's reprise, and the final piano chord from "A Day in the Life". Alternate live arrangement appears on Showbusiness! . Folk version appears Get On With It! Live album.

Original Jesus H. Christ track listing & notes

1. "Intro"

2. "Alright Now"

3. "Don't Fence Me In"

4. "Money Money Money"

5. "Solid Gold Easy Action"

6. "Silly Love Songs"

7. "Get Off My Cloud"

8. "Stairway to Heaven"

9. "Big Mouth Strikes Again"

10. "Street Music"

11. "I Should Be So Lucky"

12. "Stitch That"

Other Shhh-era tracks

Personnel

with

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References

  1. 1 2 Nickson, Chris. "Shhhlap! review". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  2. "SPIN Oct 1992 "Stolar Tracks"". Google Books. October 1992. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Shhh" album booklet
  4. Ankeny, Jason. "Chumbawamba Biography". MTV. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  5. Misanthropee. "Chumbawamba Tubthumper (1997) review". PunkNews.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. "Chumbawamba Shhh Tracklist". MTV. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  7. Tennant, Neil; Lowe, Chris. "Shopping lyrics". PetShopBoys. Retrieved 20 November 2016.