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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, the second LP from Forest Gate-bred singer/musician Ben Drew, will be a surprise for anyone who spent meaningful time with his 2006 debut Who Needs Actions When You’ve Got Words. That album cast him as a potty-mouthed rapper, threatening to stab you with a biro over choppy acoustic guitar. Now, following a quick makeover, he re-emerges as blue-eyed soul singer, fronting a suite of bittersweet love songs steeped in vintage Stax and Motown. What might seem a rushed rebranding makes more sense if you know a little about Drew's creative drive, though; obsessed with cinema and narrative, Plan B is a storyteller at heart, and …Strickland Banks' songs trace a tale through the London underworld, Drew playing a soul singer from the East End jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. It's a concept that works, thanks largely to Drew’s voice--surprisingly strong, and more than capable of handling everything from upbeat Northern soul to fraught numbers like "Welcome To Hell". The narrative never overwhelms the quality of the songs, though, and for anyone disappointed such an impressively angry man has gone a bit Paolo Nutini on us, there's the occasional rap delivered with anger more savage for its infrequent deployment. –-Louis Pattison
Product Description
PLAN B The Defamation Of Strickland Banks (2010 UK 13-track CD album - Produced by Paul Epworth The Defamation of Strickland Banks is the sound of Motown Stax and Northern soul filtered through the grit of contemporary East London. The switchblade sharp soul sound of the album is perfectly recreated on stage complete with a brilliant sharp-suited band and backing singers. Includes the singles Stay Too Long She Said Prayin The Recluse and Love Goes Down)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a surprise!,
This review is from: The Defamation of Strickland Banks (Audio CD)
I searched for this CD following hearing the track 'Prayin' on the radio. I was hugely impressed by this number but had no idea who the performer was. After having finally discovered the identity of the artist, I did some further research on YouTube. I cannot fully express how good I think this body of work is. It is so refreshing that in this age of manufactured, conveyor-belt, processed pulp, to find that there is a young performer who is offering fresh, thoughtful music. I admit that I am no rap fan, but the quality of the tracks on this CD completely eradicated my fears.
I cannot praise this CD highly enough, every track is high quality and I would urge anyone who may be dithering over this CD to make the leap and invest in it - it will not disappoint!
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Revolutionary concept album,
This review is from: The Defamation of Strickland Banks (Audio CD)
To say Ben Drew has gone through an incredible transformation is now almost a cliche, but in simple English there are no other words to explain it. From his debut `Who Needs Actions, When You Got Words' back in 2006, we've gone from the angry, young londoner to a modern, spotless reenactment of one of the biggest musical movements in history.
Concept albums are hard to come by in the world of pop, Mike Skinner only being the notable artist in hip-hop to achieve that, with good effect in `A Grand Don't Come For Free' and whilst the tales of Strickland Banks aren't quite as lyrically moving and mind-blowing, the journey is still a joy to listen to. Following a love-struck fictional man, who ends up in prison has never been so fun and toe-tappingly good. In his most sucessful release of the album thus far `She Said' captures the pleading of Strickland in a court case, the sound track to that so warmful with the blowing of sax and ever-so-light strings. Prior to that, his next single release `Stay Too Long', upbeat as far as the album is concerned, is a step on from the opening singles `Love Goes Down' and `Writing's on the Wall', almost Lionel Ritchie-esque. To mention these songs in the same breath as such an artist, really is a tribute to Plan B. It doesn't stop there, further displaying is magical ability to sing as well as spitfire harsh lyrics. `The Recluse' without a doubt, is the absolute pinnacle of his work, instantly launching us into the song title and mesmorising violins. The third single release of the album `Prayin' is another example of his soulful works, eclipsing other attempts to capture the sound of the 60's, from artists `Duffy' and `VV Brown'. If you hadn't felt the northern soul influences yet, then `Free' will timewarp you into the Wigan Casino without a doubt, in an almost impossible-not-to-dance record, tinted with a subtle vinyl crackle for effect. This album, if anything really begs the question - is there a genre of music this boy can't touch and master? Thus far, the answer is no. A truly incredible piece of modern artwork.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Nice Surprise,
By Noodle "NW" (Wales) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Defamation of Strickland Banks (Audio CD)
I recently purchased this album as a present for my girlfriend as she was a fan of the first two singles.
I had never been a fan of Plan B and after being cajoled into listening to the album I was convinced that my opinion would not change. However, upon listening to the album I was surprised to see that Plan B had written and recorded one of the best British soul albums in recent memory. Even if you're not sure about Plan B or never liked him before this is well worth a listen. A refined, well-written and emotive piece of work.
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