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Public Enemy No.1

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Fraser McAlpine | 18:54 UK time, Thursday, 5 March 2009

The Enemy

I like the Enemy. I especially like their singer, Tom Clarke, because he has the amazing habit of talking at great length about all sorts of things, while clearly not knowing a right lot about much. It doesn't seem to bother him unduly, so why should it bother me?

He'll make some extravagant claim about what his band is capable of, or what his songs will do to the world, and it'll be so idealistic (and yet preposterous) you can't help but be charmed.

Take the logic which dictates that the Enemy are a great band. It's very flawed, but by golly it does sweep you up in its wake.

The argument goes something like this:

Band: "Hey, we're a great band!"
World: "What makes you say that?"
Band: "Well you know the Jam? You know how they were a great band?"
World: "Yes, that's true. The Jam were indeed a great band"
Band: "And you know the Specials? You know how they were a great band?"
World: "Yes, it's common knowledge that the Specials were a great band..."
Band: "Well, we're from Coventry, like the Specials, and we sound a lot like the Jam...THEREFORE WE ARE A GREAT BAND!"
World: "Uh..."

Or the recent interview Tom gave to XFM, in which he claimed to have revolutionised the recording process, while making the band's new album 'Music For The People'

He said: "Where possible, we just played everything live and put stuff on after, instead of people going in and putting down a drum track first. It's a totally different way of production - and it's all recorded onto tape rather than digital."

Wow...tape you say? And you recorded it live? That IS a totally different, uh, "way of production", isn't it?

In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if someone didn't take this idea, invent a time machine, travel back to the past, and force all the bands in The Olden Days to adopt it right away. That's the kind of innovation we're talking about.

PS: 'Music For The People'? Was your last album aimed at another species, perhaps? Also, while it's a very generous gesture to offer your music to The People, don't be surprised if they try and return the gift. They're really into Lady GaGa at the moment...

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