Blow Monkeys - Limping For A Generation (1984) [320 MP3]

Blow Monkeys - Limping For A Generation (1984) [320 MP3]
Ripped from Vinyl - MP3 320k



Limping for a Generation was the 1984 debut album by the British band, The Blow Monkeys.

In the booklet to 1999 Atomic Lullabies - Very Best of the Blow Monkeys, lead singer Dr. Robert (born Robert Howard) stated that, even if it was "Digging Your Scene", from the band's second album, Animal Magic, "that opened the door. From being a glam jazz obscurity we were on the TV, in the papers, getting thrown out of clubs and playing Wembley with Rod Stewart (...) the first album, Limping for a Generation, has some of our best stuff on it". The singer and guitarist also billed the record as jazz-punk, and defined The Blow Monkeys' early production by simply stating, in the same source: "Our early music was raw".

Formed in 1981, the group, after a one-off indie single, signed to RCA, and released Limping for a Generation, an album that in retrospect is considered a masterpiece but which did not attract commercial success at the time. This strange work was at times sensual and sinister, skronky and soulful, dreary and delirious; its tunes are solid, but lacked many singalong hooks. The album is hard to categorize, then, although comparisons might be drawn with contemporaries such as ABC and The Style Council; or Paul Weller during late period Jam, matched to the confused sexual lyrics of Morrissey (from The Smiths).

Indeed, some of Robert's couplets are reminiscent of those of Morrissey: "Says he wants to be an anti-Christ/But God knows, that boy is too nice" (from the title-track, "Limping for a Generation") or "You can bury me alive and jump on my head/But I'm a real Wildflower, chained to your bed" (from "Wildflower", the last single to be issued from the album), or "I see a boy/He must be a prince/Who is he I desire?/Who am I to be shy?". Dressed in impeccable suits on the sleeve, The Blow Monkeys had only one external helper for this album: Pete Wilson, for production, string arrangements and additional keyboards).

"He's Shedding Skin" (Howard) 4:04
"Wildflower" (Howard) 3:00
"Atomic Lullaby" (Howard) 5:02
"Fat Cat Belusha" (Howard/Anker) 4:15
"Go Public" (Howard) 4:30
"Professor Supercool" (Howard) 4:00
"Man from Russia" (Howard/Anker) 3:15
"Waiting for Mr. Moonlight" (Howard) 4:22
"Limping for a Generation" (Howard) 3:32
"Trashtown Incident" (Howard) 4:10