Our Favourite Shop is the second studio album by the English group the Style Council. It was released on 9 May 1985, on Polydor, and was recorded ten months after the band's debut Café Bleu. It features guest vocalists, including Lenny Henry, Tracie Young, and Alison Limerick. The album contained "Come to Milton Keynes", "The Lodgers", "Boy Who Cried Wolf", and "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" which were all released as singles, with corresponding music videos. The three singles that were released in the UK all reached the top 40 on the UK charts. On release, the album was received favorably by the majority of music critics, although opinions have become more negative in subsequent decades. The Style Council's most commercially successful album, it was an immediate commercial and critical success, and remained at the top of the charts for one week, displacing Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. The album was the Style Council's first and only number one album in the UK. According to the BPI, the record sold over 100,000 copies, and was certified gold. The multigenre album incorporates diverse stylistic influences, including soul, rap, jazz and rock styles. Recording was completed in March 1985. The cover, depicting the band posing inside a shop, was designed by Paul Weller and British artist Simon Halfon.
Contents The album features fourteen original compositions (eight by Paul Weller, four co-written by Weller and Mick Talbot, and one co-written by Weller with Steve White), with one instrumental from Talbot, in its original British form. Lyrical targets include racism, excessive consumerism, the effects of self-serving governments, the suicide of one of Weller's friends and what the band saw as an exasperating lack of opposition to the status quo. All of this pessimism is countered with an overarching sense of hope and delight that alternatives do actually exist—if only they can be seen. They also took a more overtly political approach than The Jam in their lyrics, with tracks such as "Walls Come Tumbling Down", "The Lodgers", and "Come to Milton Keynes" being deliberate attacks on 'middle England' and Thatcherite principles prevalent in the 1980s. "A Man of Great Promise" was Weller's eulogy to his school friend and early Jam member - Dave Waller - who had died from a heroin overdose in August 1982.
No peace for the wicked - only war on the poor They're batting on pickets - trying to even the score It's all inclusive - the dirt comes free And you can be all that you want to be Oh an equal chance and an equal say But equally there's no equal pay There's room on top - if you tow the line And if you believe all this you must be out of your mind
There's only room for those the same Those who play the leeches game Don't get settled in this place The lodger's terms are in disgrace
Getcha brains blown out - in a captain's mess Stand for the Queen if you can stand the test It's all thrown in and the lies come free And you can be all that they want you to be
Oh if you work hard you can be the boss But if you don't work at all then that's nobody's loss There's room on top - if you dig in low And the idea is what they reap you sow
With an old school tie and a reference You can cover up crimes in their defense It's all thrown in and the lies come free And you can be all that they want you to be
Our Favourite Shop is the second studio album by the English group the Style Council. It was released on 9 May 1985, on Polydor, and was recorded ten months after the band's debut Café Bleu. It features guest vocalists, including Lenny Henry, Tracie Young, and Alison Limerick. The album contained "Come to Milton Keynes", "The Lodgers", "Boy Who Cried Wolf", and "Walls Come Tumbling Down!" which were all released as singles, with corresponding music videos. The three singles that were released in the UK all reached the top 40 on the UK charts.
ResponderEliminarOn release, the album was received favorably by the majority of music critics, although opinions have become more negative in subsequent decades. The Style Council's most commercially successful album, it was an immediate commercial and critical success, and remained at the top of the charts for one week, displacing Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits. The album was the Style Council's first and only number one album in the UK. According to the BPI, the record sold over 100,000 copies, and was certified gold.
The multigenre album incorporates diverse stylistic influences, including soul, rap, jazz and rock styles. Recording was completed in March 1985. The cover, depicting the band posing inside a shop, was designed by Paul Weller and British artist Simon Halfon.
Contents
ResponderEliminarThe album features fourteen original compositions (eight by Paul Weller, four co-written by Weller and Mick Talbot, and one co-written by Weller with Steve White), with one instrumental from Talbot, in its original British form.
Lyrical targets include racism, excessive consumerism, the effects of self-serving governments, the suicide of one of Weller's friends and what the band saw as an exasperating lack of opposition to the status quo. All of this pessimism is countered with an overarching sense of hope and delight that alternatives do actually exist—if only they can be seen. They also took a more overtly political approach than The Jam in their lyrics, with tracks such as "Walls Come Tumbling Down", "The Lodgers", and "Come to Milton Keynes" being deliberate attacks on 'middle England' and Thatcherite principles prevalent in the 1980s. "A Man of Great Promise" was Weller's eulogy to his school friend and early Jam member - Dave Waller - who had died from a heroin overdose in August 1982.
No peace for the wicked - only war on the poor
ResponderEliminarThey're batting on pickets - trying to even the score
It's all inclusive - the dirt comes free
And you can be all that you want to be
Oh an equal chance and an equal say
But equally there's no equal pay
There's room on top - if you tow the line
And if you believe all this you must be out of your mind
There's only room for those the same
Those who play the leeches game
Don't get settled in this place
The lodger's terms are in disgrace
Getcha brains blown out - in a captain's mess
Stand for the Queen if you can stand the test
It's all thrown in and the lies come free
And you can be all that they want you to be
Oh if you work hard you can be the boss
But if you don't work at all then that's nobody's loss
There's room on top - if you dig in low
And the idea is what they reap you sow
With an old school tie and a reference
You can cover up crimes in their defense
It's all thrown in and the lies come free
And you can be all that they want you to be