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.
| Inflammable Material | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| ||||
Background
editStiff 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]
Reception
edit| 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]
Track listing
editAll 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 Position
edit| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
14
|
This was the first album on an independent record label to enter the UK Top Twenty.[9]
Personnel
edit- Stiff Little Fingers
- Jake Burns – vocals, guitar
- Henry Cluney – guitar, vocals
- Ali McMordie – bass, vocals
- Brian Faloon – drums
with:
- Andy Kelly – bassoon on "Alternative Ulster"
- Technical
- Geoff Travis – producer
- Mayo Thompson – producer
- Mike Kemp – engineer
- Doug Bennett – producer
- Ed Hollis – producer on "Alternative Ulster"
References
edit- ^ a b c Rabid, Jack (18 February 2019). "Inflammable Material at 40". Rock and Roll Globe. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Inflammable Material – Stiff Little Fingers". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
- ^ Sinclair, Tom (11 April 2005). "EW reviews the latest album reissues". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material". Q. No. 185. December 2001. p. 165.
- ^ Fields, Gaylord (2 June 2005). "Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material". Rolling Stone. No. 975. p. 79.
- ^ Swenson, John (1983). "Stiff Little Fingers". In Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Record Guide (2nd ed.). Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 491. ISBN 0-394-72107-1.
- ^ a b c Bushell 1979.
- ^ a b Morley 1979.
- ^ Cranna, Ian (1979) "Rough Charm", Smash Hits, EMAP National Publications Ltd, 4–17 October 1979, p. 6–7
Sources
edit- Bushell, Garry (10 February 1979). "Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material (Rough Trade)*****". Sounds. Retrieved 7 December 2021 – via Rock's Backpages.
- Morley, Paul (10 November 1979). "Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material (Rough Trade)". NME. Retrieved 7 December 2021 – via Rock's Backpages.