- This essay will inevitably contain spoilers!
'IAN DURY- SEX DRUGS & ROCK & ROLL &
OTHER ASSORTED GLIMPSES' (2010)
- A review by Richard Harrison (2010)
The relationship between childhood and adulthood likes and dislikes is
a very odd one indeed- things we valued deeply in our ‘salad days’ are
sometimes heartlessly discarded once serious adolescence is reached.
Revisiting such pleasures we experienced in childhood is always a
somewhat curious sensation- mingling curiosity with trepidation,
anticipation with fear. It was in almost this state of mind that I
approached Ian Dury- Sex Drugs & Rock & Roll & Other
Assorted Glimpses , being a fan of Hit Me With Your Rhythm
Stick when I was knee-high to the proverbial grasshopper. Now,
older (if not necessarily wiser), I approach the work of Mr. Dury with
caution, so this new release from Odeon Entertainment was an excuse to
re-assess the past as well as the present.
The first question to be asked about any compilation DVD such as this
is related to what it includes. In this case, interviews with Dury
himself provide the foundation for a host of television performances
spanning the breadth of a career which began in the 1970s and lasted
until Dury’s untimely death in the year 2000. Thus, the material flows
as it is anchored by the words of the man himself- a backbone is
established, which makes the accompanying music seem more relevant,
more cohesive. From the outset (with a performance of Rough Kids),
the
rasp of the Dury voice is evident, the timbre that makes Frank
Sinatra’s delivery sound in tune. But, is singing a song perfectly in
tune the essence of Dury’s music? No, at least, not purely. The music
of Ian Dury (not forgetting the Blockheads, who provide admirable
support throughout the footage) is witty social comment coupled with
the aura of performance- Dury himself strikes an enigmatic and
charismatic figure, magnetically drawing your eyes to his presence. The
only downside for the layman is that this visual magnetism does not
translate to the aural sound of the band- thus, seeing Ian Dury is very
different to just hearing him.
One of the notable things about Ian Dury and the Blockheads (and their
fans) is the level of devotion they inspire, a facet that fans of some
more recent bands do not have. Yes, people go to see their favourite
band in concert- but often within a few years CDs are sold off at car
boot sales, the impact of the music forgotten in the dreadfully
fashionable desire to “de-clutter” (surely one of the most
objectionable phrases in current useage). Whatever your perception of
Ian Dury’s music it cannot be denied that his fans are usually a
devoted breed, people who value not only the music but the man
himself, a figure now destined to be a tragic one because of his
early death (he was just 57) and what he stood for (a leading figure of
the post-punk New Wave in British music). With a release such as this
the additional question is how much is essential and how much of the
content is ‘for collectors only’ (= usually bad sound/picture quality,
included for its rarity rather than its ‘watchability’). In this case,
both parties are amply catered for- the hits are there (I did linger
particularly over a live version of Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
which featured Dury chewing gum and barely audible above an insistent
backing) but so is the rare footage- much of it previously unseen,
certainly in a collection such as this. The only downside to what is
wonderful archive footage (the vast majority of it in outstanding
picture quality) is the lack of exact details as to programme and date
of recording, although a reunion concert at Ronnie Scott’s club in 1997
is present.
The extra features on the disc document Ian Dury’s reactions to a
variety of topics culled from archive interviews, and provides welcome
relief from a music dominated main programme. In short, despite its
unwieldy title, Ian Dury- Sex Drugs & Rock & Roll &
Other Assorted Glimpses is heartily recommended, but being a fan
of the music at some level is a pre-requisite. As for me, were
childhood memories re-kindled? Yes. Can I count myself as an Ian Dury
fan? No. Maybe in some ways it is time to discard the past.
Ian Dury- Sex Drugs & Rock & Roll & Other Assorted
Glimpses is available from Odeon Entertainment.
Back
Home