Gang of Four reconnects with 'intensity and aggression' that defined 1979 masterpiece
If Gang of Four had a dollar for every band that it influenced, the members wouldn’t necessarily be rich, but they’d probably be able to make a hefty down payment on a new house. In the last few years, bands such as Franz Ferdinand, the Rapture, Bloc Party, Radio 4 and Futureheads have all picked up major elements of the Gang of Four sound, R.E.M. covered its songs, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have joked that they ripped off the British band and deserve to be sued.
Gang of Four emerged from the British punk scene of the ‘70s with a sound unlike any other, a mixture of aggressively loud guitar that embraced noise as texture and favored a staccato rhythmic attack, funk-influenced bass and drums, and vocals that frequently functioned as dialogues about how human relationships are reduced to commercial transactions. It was heavy, heady stuff that you couldn’t help but dance to, and Gang of Four’s 1979 debut, “Entertainment!,” remains one of the landmark albums of the last 35 years.
The band has been inactive for long stretches over the last two decades, but founding members Jon King and Andy Gill recently reconvened with a new rhythm section to record “Content” (Yep Roc), the band’s first studio album of new material since 1995. (Original drummer Hugo Burnham and bass player Dave Allen, key players on the band’s first two albums, both joined Gill and King when they first reunited a few years ago, but have since left to pursue careers in academia and digital technology, respectively.)