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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Elephant Song |
| 2. No Time For Tears |
| 3. 51st State |
| 4. Sing When You're In Love |
| 5. Last Goodbye |
| 6. Nation Of Checkout Girls |
| 7. Be Somebody |
| 8. Don't Break The Red Tape |
| 9. Keep Losing |
| 10. Silver Spoon |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
If the title hadn’t already given it away, the appropriately heavy opener "Elephant Song" makes their intentions clear from the off. Music For The People is a big stadium ready rock album, miles from the relatively parochial approach of the Enemy’s chart-topping 2007 debut We’ll Live and Die In These Towns. That record’s downbeat lyrical approach rankled with some, who wondered just what a band of young men who left school to sign a record deal were so grumpy about. But it was full of good tunes. And the Enemy remain aggrieved--the sparky, piano-led "51st State" bemoans a fading democracy while the witty "Be Somebody" is the sharpest comment on Britain’s enduring class system in years, echoed by the thumping closer "Silver Spoon". Cheerful they are not. The heroically resigned "Keep Losing" bears the definitive Enemy song title. Even the catchy "Sing When You’re In Love" is as gloomy as Glasvegas. Music For The People isn’t perfect. "Last Goodbye" could fit seamlessly on any Richard Ashcroft record--not a strong recommendation--and "Nation of Checkout Girls" lifts its melody straight from Pulp’s classic "Common People". But as an exercise in populism, a record that manages to combine the rowdiest moments of the Clash and Jam with the proven commercial potential of Stereophonics (and some slick harmonies oddly evocative of old Def Leppard tunes), Music For The People actually lives up to its title. --Steve Jelbert
Review
Comprising triumphant Glastonbury appearances, a no.1 debut album (2007's We'll Live and Die in These Towns), a support slot with the Rolling Stones and even a song licensed for Guitar Hero: World Tour, Coventry three-piece The Enemy have enjoyed a rapid rise since signing a major label deal in 2006. All that work won't necessarily be undone by the release of their terrible second album, but it certainly represents a knockback.
Rather than the vaguely socialist call-to-arms its title is probably meant to taken as, Music For The People instead sounds like the sort of album that would result if a government committee was charged with manufacturing a bestselling band to help the ailing economy. The resulting mess - some Oasis here, a bit of Pulp there, a pinch of Verve, a dollop of The Jam - is derivative and indigestible.
Frontman Tom Clarke can be an engaging interviewee, but his facility with words appears to seize up when it comes to writing lyrics. A couplet from opener Elephant Song, ''Concrete up to the sky/A million people living a lie'' - is indicative of the general quality.
Musically, this is a karaoke album. The aforementioned Elephant Song is half Verve, half Led Zeppelin. No Time For Tears, with its baggy-era drumming and gospel-diva backing vocals, is reminiscent of Give Out But Don't Give Up-era Primal Scream. Nation Of Checkout Girls sounds like Kelly Stereophonic doing an impression of Paul Weller singing Common People. You probably never imagined you'd want to hear something like that, and you were quite right.
So much for originality, although to be fair modern British indie bands aren't currently where to look for that. Don't Break The Red Tape oversteps the mark, however, by actually being The Clash's London Calling. Even penultimate track, Keep Losing - an acoustic ballad with a sweet melodic line that doesn't immediately remind you of something done better by someone else - is ruined with a string and woodwind section and dramatic backing vocals that, rather than adding gravitas, make the song's message of continual disappointment laughable rather than affecting. What did the people ever do to deserve this? --Chris Power
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I think that this is a pretty good album. I really liked the first album and listened to that dozens of times. Having listened to this album a couple of times now and I do like it. The songs are all different, a problem which bands these days can't seem to get over but with them all sounding different they begin to sound a lot like other bands. "Don't Break the Red Tape" stands out as a carbon copy of "London Calling" I guess that is just how they are influenced though. I heard a lot of people coparing "Nation of Checkout Girls" to "Common People" personally I am yet to see a huge resemblance.
I saw then live at T in the Park last year and was highly impressed, I know that songs like "Elephant Song" and "No Time For Fears" would only improve their live show, they are energetic and thumping songs which are brilliant to listen to.
I saw then live at T in the Park last year and was highly impressed, I know that songs like "Elephant Song" and "No Time For Fears" would only improve their live show, they are energetic and thumping songs which are brilliant to listen to.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
For some reason when I really like a Debut Album I find the second album an anti climax. I loved "We'll live and die in these towns". Though this album has lost some of the raw fighting aggression that the first ablum had, its gained maturity and an even more refined sence of humor! Think this might be stuck in the car CD player for the next month or so!
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
this is an awesome album. great tunes, catchy with some familar sounds thrown in. Oasis, The Clash, The Jam with aires of Kasabian. This is what it is - a great guitar band that's produced a great 2nd album. it's a lot better than the skinny jean culture and music that seems to be churned out these days. being in my 30's perhaps I'm not down with the kids or something! but this reminds me of the brit pop heyday of my younger days. Top music, great album
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Echoes of classic punk...
I am a great fan of the 1970s english punk scene and when I listened to this album at a party I knew I'd have to buy it. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Loonatic
Could do so much better
So disappointed with this after their amazing debut. There's a couple of really good tunes on this but the rip off of Common People and London Calling is so blatent. Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by TopMod
Incredible Album
This is one of the best albums of 2009, easily, and one of the best I have heard in a long time. Their first album left a lot of expectations which have more than been fulfilled. Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2010 by Matthew Green
as good as houchens header!
got fifa 10 to thank for getting "music for the people" coz the brilliant enemy song "be somebody" is on the soundtrack. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2009 by zidanny blanc
Music FROM other people more like!!
The first Album was great. angry, punchy pop songs, so the second album was always gonna be an issue: do they come out with the same style or change it up a bit? Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2009 by Swiss
Music FROM other people more like!!
The first Album was great. angry, punchy pop songs, so the second album was always gonna be an issue: do they come out with the same style or change it up a bit? Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2009 by Swiss
Enemy of the people
Bitterly disappointing second album. On their debut, the Enemy showed that they had the potential to be the new Jam. With this set they have turned into Bon Jovi. Read more
Published on 20 Sep 2009 by Simon F.
Stay with it
Music For The People took a few listens to appreciate fully but now I really like it - the influences are obvious and worn proudly on The Enemy's sleeves (Oasis on the early tracks... Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2009 by Steve Horsfall - Author / Writer
The People are You!
If I'm not playing this, then most likely I'm humming it. All the way to the rock pomp of 'Elephant Song' to the backhanded lip curling growl of 'Silver Spoon', there's not a... Read more
Published on 9 July 2009 by Weaver
Time for tears...this could be...
I heard the first album and thought The Enemy were brilliant! I loved the slightly acoustic yet strong electric style songs, which still had lots of power in them. Read more
Published on 2 July 2009 by J. Williams
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