Music Review: Gang of Four - C O N T E N T - Page 3

But not every song is in full attack mode, as they give listeners a much needed break now and then. However, just because the music is little bit mellower, the message is still pretty pointed. Take " A Fruitfly In The Beehive", where the music is less funk and a little more soulful, but lyrics like "And when the true believers die/more and more get born again/If the queen can't cope at all there's a number she can call." are as biting as ever.

We're all just buzzing around in our little beehive, and the only way it keeps running is because we're all willing to play the game. It doesn't matter which game it is either: religion, social networks, or believing that working 40 hours a week for 50 years and then retiring is a definition of a life well lived, if we didn't play along, none of it could exist. We're all just little worker bees in the hive following orders, and if the leaders ever have doubts, they're not about to show them to us.

You always worry a little bit when bands you admired 30 years ago put out new albums. First of all, you wonder at your own motivations for wanting to listen to them-are you only trying to recapture your misspent youth? Then you have to wonder if the band aren't doing the same thing by putting out a new release. Thankfully, in the case of C O N T E N T from Gang Of Four, what you'll find is a recording far more musically and lyrically interesting than most of what's being released today, played with enthusiasm and more than a little passion.

You might not want to sit down and listen to it all the time, but when you feel the need for a jolt to bring you back to reality, or you're tired of people oversimplifying a complicated world, you'll be amazed at how much better it will make you feel. The Gang Of Four are proof that expressing anger at the system can be done creatively without being violent or mean spirited. It is a lesson a good many in our world need to learn these days.

Article Author: Richard Marcus

Richard Marcus is the author of the What Will Happen In Eragon IV? and The Unofficial Heroes Of Olympus Companion, both published and commissioned by Ulysses Press. He has had his work published in print and online all over the world including the …

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