Gang of Four – Entertainment!
For as much attention as seminal punk acts like The Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Ramones garnered during their fame in the late ’70s British Invasion, the celebrity of Leeds post-punk act Gang of Four dwindled in the aftermath of the up-and-coming pop rush of the 80’s. That despite creating one of the most lasting records from that era with their debut Entertainment! in 1979, which captured the polemical angst of counter-cultural groups like the Pistols, but combined it with gritty riff rock that pioneered a sound that still surfaces in present-day indie bands like Spoon.
Still, the group has managed a slight revival in recent years by being named one of the top ten best albums by Pitchfork – considered the Oprah of underground music – as well as a prominent placement of their song “Natural’s Not In It” during the opening credits of last year’s film Marie Antoinette by director Sophia Coppola.
Reference: AllMusic album overview
Reference: Pitchfork Top 100 Albums of the 1970s
July 9th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Not bad, being able to claim opening credits to a major movie. Yet, I wonder about some of these groups, such as you mentioned here, I guess it just goes to show you how many come and go. But then again, maybe they are more “underground” rather than main stream.