The Streets, no not where my little card board box of a home is placed, under the wet skies of Paisley, but the Brummie musician formerly known as Mike Skinner, and his garage music.
Keeping this review to a similar vein as my Katie Melua one (just with out the obvious "I want them" of seething ... Read review
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A Grand Don't Come for Free
How do you follow an acclaimed debut in your own inimitable style without repeating past
... more
glory? The answer is simple--make a concept album. Mike Skinner's (aka the Streets) A Grand Don't Come for Free tells the story of his recent troubles and triumph...
Morgan Nicholls (piano, bass instrument); Johnny Jenkins, Leo Ihenacho, C Mone, Teddy Mitchell, Tony Walters, Jacqueline Rawe (background vocals).Recording informat...
glory? The answer is simple--make a concept album. Mike Skinner's (aka the Streets) A Grand Don't Come for Free tells the story of his recent troubles and triumph...
Morgan Nicholls (piano, bass instrument); Johnny Jenkins, Leo Ihenacho, C Mone, Teddy Mitchell, Tony Walters, Jacqueline Rawe (background vocals).Recording information: 2004.Mike Skinner (AKA the Streets) opens his second record, A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE, with It Was Supposed to Be So Easy, an elaborate story about the difficulties of returning a DVD to a rental shop. This everyday-yet-engaging tale conveys the essence of the lad who took British rap to a new level with his debut, ORIGINAL PIRATE MATERIAL, paving the way for the success of artists such as Ms. Dynamite and Dizzee Rascal.Like his first outing, A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE is packed with Skinner's earnest, unfiltered monologues, related over pulsing beats and a surprising number of melodic hooks. His stories are glorious capsules of his life's minutiae, and observations on women, love, and society are voiced in a casual tone as if sitting over pints at the pub or talking on the phone. In fact, on one track, the beat drops, and he goes on about his cell phone, and how he has to stand in a certain spot in [his] kitchen or it cuts out. A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE feels, in fact, like a satisfying late-night phone call from a longtime friend who can manage to make every story interesting, no matter how mundane.[Reviews]NME - Proof that ORIGINAL PIRATE MATERIAL wasn't one of those happy flukes.n
glory? The answer is simple--make a concept album. Mike Skinner's (aka the Streets) A Grand Don't Come for Free tells the story of his recent troubles and triumphs in a manner that is as much music-hall as it is friends chatting on the phone. The story is simple but the narrative is far more cohesive than a string of songs explaining the plot. His broken television, a pivotal part of the story is referenced throughout, as are warning signs that his girlfriend, Simone, is seeing best mate Dan behind his back. It may sound like a soap opera but is given added depth by the attention to detail in lyrics ("she was with the white-shirted man in McDonalds car park" on "Such a Twat"); the structure of the music as if it were following the dialogue (hi-hats, whooshes and piano stabs as the effects of Ecstasy take hold on "Blinded by the Light); and an openness to wear his heart on his sleeve (the beautiful ode to stoned love "I Wouldn't Have it Any Other Way" and the heart-wrenching break-up song, "Dry Your Eyes"). Musically the breaks and beats are in a similar style to Original Pirate Material; erratic urban drum loops, synths and classical strings except for the lead single "Fit But You Know it" where the punky guitar and steady beat drive the song as much as the content of the lyrics. A Grand Don't Come for free will have much written about it--not only does it stand out for being a latter day concept album, but the complexity of the narrative and the believable swings in emotion provide much food for thought and command attentive listening. --David Trueman
A Grand Don't Come for Free
How do you follow an acclaimed debut in your own inimitable style without repeating past
... more
glory? The answer is simple--make a concept album. Mike Skinner's (aka the Streets) A Grand Don't Come for Free tells the story of his recent troubles and triumphs in a manner that is as much music-hall as it is friends chatting on the phone. The story is simple but the narrative is far more cohesive than a string of songs explaining the plot. His broken television, a pivotal part of the story is referenced throughout, as are warning signs that his girlfriend, Simone, is seeing best mate Dan behind his back. It may sound like a soap opera but is given added depth by the attention to detail in lyrics ("she was with the white-shirted man in McDonalds car park" on "Such a Twat"); the structure of the music as if it were following the dialogue (hi-hats, whooshes and piano stabs as the effects of Ecstasy take hold on "Blinded by the Light); and an openness to wear his heart on his sleeve (the beautiful ode to stoned love "I Wouldn't Have it Any Other Way" and the heart-wrenching break-up song, "Dry Your Eyes"). Musically the breaks and beats are in a similar style to Original Pirate Material; erratic urban drum loops, synths and classical strings except for the lead single "Fit But You Know it" where the punky guitar and steady beat drive the song as much as the content of the lyrics. A Grand Don't Come for free will have much written about it--not only does it stand out for being a latter day concept album, but the complexity of the narrative and the believable swings in emotion provide much food for thought and command attentive listening. --David Trueman
Advantages: Wonderful story, appeals to more than just rap fans, original Disadvantages: 1 weaker track, mockney
...cliche'd.
What is A grand dont come for free?
AGDCFF(ever so slightly shorter) was The Streets second album, released in 2004 Through Vice Records (Which I believe is a subsidary of Atlantic Records). This album was released around 2 years after his debut album "Original Pirate Material" (Far easier title). And about 2 years before his latest album "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living" (they keep getting longer --).
What might we recognise ... ...UK only 4 singles were released:
"Fit But You Know It" (2004, #4 UK)
"Dry Your Eyes" (2004, #1 UK)
"Blinded by the Lights" (2004, #10 UK)
"Could Well Be In" (2004, #30 UK) The first two were pretty much nationally accepted as brilliant songs, and highly acclaimed by both critics and the public. Blinded by the lights and Could well be in were pretty much released too late after the album (with everyone already owning it there was little point ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Great lyrics Disadvantages: Some will hate it
A Grand don't come for free was the second album that I purchased by The Street and having since purchased a third it is still my favourite, originally I had not really got the whole buzz and hype that surrounded The Streets and the critical acclaim that lead singer Mike Skinner attracted however once I saw them perform live I was hooked.
The Streets have a garage style of music that is as much a social commentary on the life of the twenty something ... ...his flat to collect a grand to pay for drugs only to find the money gone. The chorus has a great dead pan delivery where you can sense the mixture or frustration and resignation in the voice.
Track two moves on to his first date, a slow melodic track echoing the thoughts running through his head, the lyrics are a constant stream of spoken word with Will Nichols providing the vocals in the chorus. This is one of my favourite tracks and is a nice ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
Value for Money
very helpful
25.06.2008
Chav Chic! Review ofGrand Don't Come For Free, A [PA] - Streets (The)by
louiseypees
Advantages: Pure Genius! Disadvantages: Not to everyone's taste
...myself a copy of "A Grand Don't Come For Free".
The first time I played the album, I wasn't too keen on it. I had it playing in the background while I was cooking and chattering away to my boyfriend. As background music, the album is a total failure. Because of my bad experience of the album, it took a back seat in my music collection. Then I decided to walk to work with it in my CD player (in the days before I had my beautiful iPod!). Walking to ... ...I'm listening to. Giving "A Grand Don't Come For Free" my undivided attention for the first time, I was completely blown away.
The whole album is full of surprises, little things that make you giggle, and huge wedges of it that ring very uncomfortably true. The honest and unusual lyrics are nothing short of poetry. I have listened to "A Grand Don't Come For Free" countless times now, and every time I notice something else in the music that makes ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: ground breaking concept album Disadvantages: some of the tracks are a bit samey but they all need to be on album!
...This track has quite a grand opening and you almost expect some sort of ground breaking statement about the world, life in general, a political message or something....but no, Mike has to return a DVD, get some money out of the cash point (just a day in the life of any one else right). Basically he gets to the DVD shop, just in time before it closes so he won't get a fine...oh no! The DVD is not in the case arrghhh! Goes to the cash point - insufficient ... ...grand that he left in his house?! It's gone!
Arghh now he's lost his phone...oh there it is, it is in his pocket...arse the battery is dead!
The over all feeling of this track is a bit manic, it is mainly a beat with Mike chatting over the top, you can really imagine him running around trying to get all this stuff done, but everything is going wrong & he is getting a bit frustrated but he is a bit stoned so there is still a bit of a "oh well" kind ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Real, down-to-earth music Disadvantages: Language not suitable for kids
I bought this album from cd-wow as soon as it was released. The cover (a photo of Mike Skinner standing at a bus stop) is not particularly striking, and it wouldn't jump off the shelf at you unless you were looking specifically for this title. There are no lyrics inside the inlay, which I feel is a pity. Instead there are photographs of the lead singer, Mike Skinner.
The CD itself has 11 tracks, 5 of which, in my opinion, are outstanding, 4 good ... ...do not like. The lyrics are so real that everyone would be able to relate to at least one or two of the tracks. He tells everything like it is, with catchy rhymes and basic backing music.
The tracks kind of tell a story, with each one having a slight follow on from the last. I love it!
Track 1: 'It was supposed to be so easy". This track is great! The chorus has fantastic lyrics, "Today I have achieved absolutely nowt, in just being out of the ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Album Reviews: Rolling Stone (p.152) - Included in Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records Of 2004 - "It's a torrent of urgent British slang, twitchy rock loops and half-accidental rhymes..."
Titles on disc 1
1.: It Was Supposed To Be So Easy
2.: Could Well Be In
3.: Not Addicted
4.: Blinded By The Lights
5.: Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
6.: Get Out Of My House
7.: Fit But You Know It
8.: Such A Twat
9.: What Is He Thinking
10.: Dry Your Eyes
11.: Empty Cans
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