Debate Me: “Now Then...” is the best Stiff Little Fingers record

[JohnS]

1) Inflammable Material
2) contemporary singles
3) Nobody's Heroes
...then I lost interest, I'm afraid, I was getting into more arty stuff like Gang of 4, Wire, Cure, various indie no-hit wonders. Although I know SLF produced lots of fine tracks afterwards!
But in 1979-80, SLF were my favourite band and I was addicted to Inflammable Material, literally compelled to listen to it in its entirety (well, maybe skipping 'Closed Groove'!) at least once a day, usually more.
Gotta Getaway/Bloody Sunday were a bonus, could have slotted into the LP easily. Same with Straw Dogs to some extent.
I was such a fan I happily paid the astonishing sum of £2 to buy a copy of the 'Suspect Device' single - the original version - off a mate's sister's older boyfriend, one of the 'original' punks in town!
So I was perfectly primed for Nobody's Heroes on its release and I just devoured that too - I liked the more polished production, although still preferred the choppier guitar sound on the 1st LP; the re-recorded Gotta Getaway was good, I also liked Bloody Dub! But the overall impression on me was 'it's not as good as the 1st LP' But bearing in mind how I fell for that record, it's not surprising.
When they released Hanx I thought, oh well, a live album, that's a bit of a cop out, they're run out of steam!

[Guest1]

1) Inflammable Material
2) contemporary singles
3) Nobody's Heroes
...then I lost interest, I'm afraid, I was getting into more arty stuff like Gang of 4, Wire, Cure, various indie no-hit wonders. Although I know SLF produced lots of fine tracks afterwards!
But in 1979-80, SLF were my favourite band and I was addicted to Inflammable Material, literally compelled to listen to it in its entirety (well, maybe skipping 'Closed Groove'!) at least once a day, usually more.
Gotta Getaway/Bloody Sunday were a bonus, could have slotted into the LP easily. Same with Straw Dogs to some extent.
I was such a fan I happily paid the astonishing sum of £2 to buy a copy of the 'Suspect Device' single - the original version - off a mate's sister's older boyfriend, one of the 'original' punks in town!
So I was perfectly primed for Nobody's Heroes on its release and I just devoured that too - I liked the more polished production, although still preferred the choppier guitar sound on the 1st LP; the re-recorded Gotta Getaway was good, I also liked Bloody Dub! But the overall impression on me was 'it's not as good as the 1st LP' But bearing in mind how I fell for that record, it's not surprising.
When they released Hanx I thought, oh well, a live album, that's a bit of a cop out, they're run out of steam!

Have you bothered checking out their subsequent records now that you’re older? Idk about Now Then, but Go for it is like an improved nobodies heroes, polished arena punk with much better songs IMO. Roots radicals, silver lining, picadally circus, just fade away all classics.

[Guest1]

I feel like Stiff Little Fingers were like Coldplay in many ways. Read into my reasoning before you kill me. Coldplay piggybacked off the success of Radiohead as they went in a more experimental direction with the likes of Kid A. Much of the fan base of the latter jumped ship and ended up in camp Coldplay, who were essentially like the Bends redux. Stiff Little Fingers is clearly a better band than Coldplay, let me get that out of the way before I get killed here. But similarly, I feel like they came about at sort of a weird transition time in punk music. Inflammable material was released in 1979, by which time most of the initial punk acts had either completely imploded (Sex Pistols) or started treading more experimental grounds (The Clash with London Calling being the most famous example). They were able to garner a lot of fans from this cultural diaspora seeking old school 77” style punk. That’s why I think a lot of them were a lot less keen to the change in sound heard on albums like “Now Then...”. These people probably then moved onto Cock Sparrer or the 4Skins or some shit. Idk. But it’s funny, when I was younger I only really dug the more polished pop centric artsy punk stuff like the Clash, Buzzcocks, Joy Division Etc... but more and more I’m loving the three chord thrashy shit. I’ve been unironically bumping the exploited a lot recently. Lol.

[Guest1]

It is crazy how much Oi and UK82 bands embraced boneheaded nationalism. Subsequently, I can’t understand football hooligans listen to the smiths and the happy Monday’s. Is Manchester just really that bizarre? I’ll never fully understand British culture, despite how much I admire it as an American.

[revbob]

I feel like Stiff Little Fingers were like Coldplay in many ways. Read into my reasoning before you kill me. Coldplay piggybacked off the success of Radiohead as they went in a more experimental direction with the likes of Kid A. Much of the fan base of the latter jumped ship and ended up in camp Coldplay, who were essentially like the Bends redux. Stiff Little Fingers is clearly a better band than Coldplay, let me get that out of the way before I get killed here. But similarly, I feel like they came about at sort of a weird transition time in punk music. Inflammable material was released in 1979, by which time most of the initial punk acts had either completely imploded (Sex Pistols) or started treading more experimental grounds (The Clash with London Calling being the most famous example). They were able to garner a lot of fans from this cultural diaspora seeking old school 77” style punk. That’s why I think a lot of them were a lot less keen to the change in sound heard on albums like “Now Then...”. These people probably then moved onto Cock Sparrer or the 4Skins or some shit. Idk. But it’s funny, when I was younger I only really dug the more polished pop centric artsy punk stuff like the Clash, Buzzcocks, Joy Division Etc... but more and more I’m loving the three chord thrashy shit. I’ve been unironically bumping the exploited a lot recently. Lol.

So you changed your board name from Flex to RockNRollWhore?

[Dr. Medulla]

I feel like Stiff Little Fingers were like Coldplay in many ways. Read into my reasoning before you kill me. Coldplay piggybacked off the success of Radiohead as they went in a more experimental direction with the likes of Kid A. Much of the fan base of the latter jumped ship and ended up in camp Coldplay, who were essentially like the Bends redux. Stiff Little Fingers is clearly a better band than Coldplay, let me get that out of the way before I get killed here. But similarly, I feel like they came about at sort of a weird transition time in punk music. Inflammable material was released in 1979, by which time most of the initial punk acts had either completely imploded (Sex Pistols) or started treading more experimental grounds (The Clash with London Calling being the most famous example). They were able to garner a lot of fans from this cultural diaspora seeking old school 77” style punk. That’s why I think a lot of them were a lot less keen to the change in sound heard on albums like “Now Then...”. These people probably then moved onto Cock Sparrer or the 4Skins or some shit. Idk. But it’s funny, when I was younger I only really dug the more polished pop centric artsy punk stuff like the Clash, Buzzcocks, Joy Division Etc... but more and more I’m loving the three chord thrashy shit. I’ve been unironically bumping the exploited a lot recently. Lol.

So you changed your board name from Flex to RockNRollWhore?

Two open Exploited fans here? Okay, board meeting everyone, we have a problem!

[Guest1]

I feel like Stiff Little Fingers were like Coldplay in many ways. Read into my reasoning before you kill me. Coldplay piggybacked off the success of Radiohead as they went in a more experimental direction with the likes of Kid A. Much of the fan base of the latter jumped ship and ended up in camp Coldplay, who were essentially like the Bends redux. Stiff Little Fingers is clearly a better band than Coldplay, let me get that out of the way before I get killed here. But similarly, I feel like they came about at sort of a weird transition time in punk music. Inflammable material was released in 1979, by which time most of the initial punk acts had either completely imploded (Sex Pistols) or started treading more experimental grounds (The Clash with London Calling being the most famous example). They were able to garner a lot of fans from this cultural diaspora seeking old school 77” style punk. That’s why I think a lot of them were a lot less keen to the change in sound heard on albums like “Now Then...”. These people probably then moved onto Cock Sparrer or the 4Skins or some shit. Idk. But it’s funny, when I was younger I only really dug the more polished pop centric artsy punk stuff like the Clash, Buzzcocks, Joy Division Etc... but more and more I’m loving the three chord thrashy shit. I’ve been unironically bumping the exploited a lot recently. Lol.

So you changed your board name from Flex to RockNRollWhore?

Two open Exploited fans here? Okay, board meeting everyone, we have a problem!

I mean don’t get me wrong. I see them for what they are. Just dumb thrashy hardcore punk with Motörhead influences. They’re no Husker Dü certainly, but sometimes you need some McDonalds junk food in your life.

[Olaf]

I quite like "Get a Life." Especially with the added acoustic tracks.

[Olaf]

I'd probably rank the first five albums like that:

Inflammable Material
Hanx
Go For It/Now Then
Nobody's Heroes

Not a big fan of the Nobody's Heroes LP. The single/live versions are just so much better.

[Guest1]

I'd probably rank the first five albums like that:

Inflammable Material
Hanx
Go For It/Now Then
Nobody's Heroes

Not a big fan of the Nobody's Heroes LP. The single/live versions are just so much better.

Yeah it’s just way too polished and dry sounding. Gang of Four sounds good with that production, not SLF.

[Dr. Medulla]

I feel like Stiff Little Fingers were like Coldplay in many ways. Read into my reasoning before you kill me. Coldplay piggybacked off the success of Radiohead as they went in a more experimental direction with the likes of Kid A. Much of the fan base of the latter jumped ship and ended up in camp Coldplay, who were essentially like the Bends redux. Stiff Little Fingers is clearly a better band than Coldplay, let me get that out of the way before I get killed here. But similarly, I feel like they came about at sort of a weird transition time in punk music. Inflammable material was released in 1979, by which time most of the initial punk acts had either completely imploded (Sex Pistols) or started treading more experimental grounds (The Clash with London Calling being the most famous example). They were able to garner a lot of fans from this cultural diaspora seeking old school 77” style punk. That’s why I think a lot of them were a lot less keen to the change in sound heard on albums like “Now Then...”. These people probably then moved onto Cock Sparrer or the 4Skins or some shit. Idk. But it’s funny, when I was younger I only really dug the more polished pop centric artsy punk stuff like the Clash, Buzzcocks, Joy Division Etc... but more and more I’m loving the three chord thrashy shit. I’ve been unironically bumping the exploited a lot recently. Lol.

So you changed your board name from Flex to RockNRollWhore?

Two open Exploited fans here? Okay, board meeting everyone, we have a problem!

I mean don’t get me wrong. I see them for what they are. Just dumb thrashy hardcore punk with Motörhead influences. They’re no Husker Dü certainly, but sometimes you need some McDonalds junk food in your life.

Ha! No worries, man. Just jerkin' you around.

[Heston]

I'd probably rank the first five albums like that:

Inflammable Material
Hanx
Go For It/Now Then
Nobody's Heroes

Not a big fan of the Nobody's Heroes LP. The single/live versions are just so much better.

Yeah it’s just way too polished and dry sounding. Gang of Four sounds good with that production, not SLF.

it has a weird kind of boxy sound which I can't put my finger on. Still sounds better than the debut, though.

Going back to Go For It, I have to single out Henry's songs. The Only One and Kicking Up a Racket are totally brilliant, what a solo from Jake in the former. Gate 49 is fun as well. The title track should probably have been a b-side, and definitely not as early in the album. Probably should have swapped places with Mr Fire Coal Man, which is another great track.

[gkbill]

I feel like Stiff Little Fingers were like Coldplay in many ways. Read into my reasoning before you kill me. Coldplay piggybacked off the success of Radiohead as they went in a more experimental direction with the likes of Kid A. Much of the fan base of the latter jumped ship and ended up in camp Coldplay, who were essentially like the Bends redux. Stiff Little Fingers is clearly a better band than Coldplay, let me get that out of the way before I get killed here. But similarly, I feel like they came about at sort of a weird transition time in punk music. Inflammable material was released in 1979, by which time most of the initial punk acts had either completely imploded (Sex Pistols) or started treading more experimental grounds (The Clash with London Calling being the most famous example). They were able to garner a lot of fans from this cultural diaspora seeking old school 77” style punk. That’s why I think a lot of them were a lot less keen to the change in sound heard on albums like “Now Then...”. These people probably then moved onto Cock Sparrer or the 4Skins or some shit. Idk. But it’s funny, when I was younger I only really dug the more polished pop centric artsy punk stuff like the Clash, Buzzcocks, Joy Division Etc... but more and more I’m loving the three chord thrashy shit. I’ve been unironically bumping the exploited a lot recently. Lol.

So you changed your board name from Flex to RockNRollWhore?

Two open Exploited fans here? Okay, board meeting everyone, we have a problem!

I mean don’t get me wrong. I see them for what they are. Just dumb thrashy hardcore punk with Motörhead influences. They’re no Husker Dü certainly, but sometimes you need some McDonalds junk food in your life.

Ha! No worries, man. Just jerkin' you around.

Hello,

If he's worried about what people think around here, he's new. Give him time - he'll soon be jaded, cold, and indifferent (JCI - trademark applied for) as everyone else.

[Dr. Medulla]

Hello,

If he's worried about what people think around here, he's new. Give him time - he'll soon be jaded, cold, and indifferent (JCI - trademark applied for) as everyone else.

Well, *I'm* unicorn farts and the hopes of wide-eyed children.

[Wolter]

AHEM, there a three open Exploited fans on here.