Ian Dury - Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll

by John Clarkson

published: 22 / 11 / 2007

Label: Edsel Records
Format: 7"

Excellently packaged vinyl only thirtieth anniversary re-release of the late Ian Dury's first single with the Blockheads

Review

It has been thirty years since Ian Dury and the Blockheads released their classic debut album, 'New Boots and Panties!!', and to commemorate this Edsel Records, who now own the rights to the bulk of Dury's back catalogue, are releasing an expanded anniversary edition, with a DVD attached of a gig recorded in 1977 for BBC2's 'Sight and Sound in Concert' series. Edsel is also making available a limited-to-1500 copies 7" of 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll', Dury's single of 1977, which, although like 'New Boots and Panties!!' came out just under his own name, was his first release to feature the Blockheads. Like the original record on Stiff Records, it appears on orange vinyl. All these years on, Dury's ode to hedonism with its tongue-in-cheek warmth and jazz-funk music hall charm continues to pack a punch. The real highlight of this new version of 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll' , which comes in a specially colorised version of its original 1977 black and white sleeve, is, however, its B side . Entitled 'Close to Home', it was recorded at the same time as 'New Boots and Panties !!' and, only ever released before on a 1981 NME cassette, is an unheard gem. Slinky in tone and with a genial vocal from Dury about the pleasure of a late night walk through London in the cold towards the warmth of home, it pushes Chaz Jankel's springy-sounding piano to the fore and finishes in a gloriously meandering, but tight workout between him and the rest of the Blockheads. Both songs appear on the new expanded version of 'New Boots...' . For completists, and for those who feel that packaging still has an important part to play in music, this new version of 'Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll' is nevertheless pretty special.

Track Listing:-

1 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
2 Close To Home

Band Links:-

http://www.iandury.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/IanDuryandthe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Dury
https://twitter.com/ianduryofficial

Label Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/Edselrecords/
http://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/DemonMusicGro

Have a Listen:-

Interviews

Interview (2015)

In this archive interview from 1992, Nick Dent-Robinson goes out for lunch with the late Ian Dury at The Savoy in London

Profiles

Ian Dury (2013)

Anthony Dhanendran reflects upon Ian Dury's early 1980s albums on the Polydor label, 'Lord Upminster' and '4,000 Weeks Holiday', which have both just been reissued on CD