... It's a fast-paced high-adrenaline song, making you want to dance, although the style of singing make you want to start a fight whilst you're at it!
The last track of the album, and the title track, Stars of CCTV, is self-explanatory really. A perfect choice to end the album, due in part ... Read review
Road-tested in a car speeding the mean streets of Staines,Stars Of CCTV- the debut album ... more
from Middlesexs Hard-Fi consciously sets out to update the sense of frustrated tension and suburban dread that powered second-wave ska acts like The Specials and ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Road-tested in a car speeding the mean streets of Staines,Stars Of CCTV- the debut album ... more
from Middlesexs Hard-Fi consciously sets out to update the sense of frustrated tension and suburban dread that powered second-wave ska acts like The Specials and ...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Road-tested in a car speeding the mean streets of Staines, Stars Of CCTV - the debut album ... more
from Middlesexs Hard-Fi consciously sets out to update the sense of frustrated tension and suburban dread that powered second-wave ska acts like The Specials an...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: One of the better albums of the year Disadvantages: Some may find it samey, no variation of instruments
...album, and the title track, Stars of CCTV, is self-explanatory really. A perfect choice to end the album, due in part to it contrast with Living for the weekend (this has a much slower tempo), but also by carrying on the theme of the whole album. It about how we're constantly being watched, dressing up for the government, and holding up shops for the sake of fame. Like many other songs on this album, it sounds beautiful superficially, but once heard ... ...quite difficult to sit through.
This album is, in my opinion, the best of the year so far, and had I any say, it'd win Mercury by a mile. You can probably tell just how much I loved this by the volume I've written, but please, if you've read this, buy it! Everyone need to own this album, it's the "Definitely Maybe" for the ASBO generation!
... more
Hard-Fi are a group of four lads from Stains, and have just recently had their debut LP nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. If they win it, they'll be awarded £20,000 - more than 20 times the cost that this album (expanded from a self-financed EP produced earlier in the year) cost them to make!
This album reflects life is a boring suburbia, living within the prison wall of the M25, these are the products of Tony Blair's campaign for respect, his constant help of the middle classes. All the most important acts of recent times have fed off the political climate of the day, and this is no exception. It's a gritty peek at suburban England, with Stains in mind, but it could just as easily be about any shi**y satellite town in the UK.
First track, Cash Machine, is about how everything that can go wrong does so. All cash machines set to empty, and your girlfriend's pregnancy test set to blue. "Go to a cash machine/to get a ticket home/a message on the screen/say don't make plans you're broke", the call from the working classes on minimum wage, slogging their guts out for little or no reward, in capable of getting anything. The backing on synth and something that sounds like a harmonica, quite haunting, is perfect for this song.
Track 2, Middle Eastern Holiday, about what those hard-up youths do when the cash machine says no - take a trip to Iraq for Tony and his new right-wing Labour Party. Every lyric is fantastic, perfectly capturing the opinion of the war, but particularly poignant are "Going on my Middle Eastern holiday/give me a gun, hope I see my mum again" and "Back at home, politicians sit/over lunch discussing this/in the desert the fuse is lit/I'm the one who had to deal with it". The guitars are relatively heavy, and the song is very much drum-driven, leading to a sense of euphoria, but because of the lyrics, you feel uncomfortable in enjoying this song.
Tied up too Tight is track 3, starting much slower in pace than the end of Middle Eastern holiday, with a beautiful piano intro, but about a minute and 15 seconds in, the guitars pick up, and this becomes a dance song. At the end, the guitar solos kick in heavy, and the riff is fantastic throughout. This is about escaping the M25, but still feeling tied to London and its satellites, and the desperation in the vocals is palpable.
Track 4, Gotta Reason, and track 5, Hard to Beat, are straight up love songs. The former about meeting a new girl, and suddenly your life has reason, and you can now see a point in getting up in the morning. This is still tinged with their typical cynicism and realisation of how sad it is that it takes a woman to give life meaning. Here we have another dance song, the guitar riff reminiscent of Hot Hot Heat. The latter is these songs, the single which made them big, has a beautiful riff behind it, and is about meeting a beautiful girl in a club, and then leaving with her. Again, it seems every so slightly self-deprecating, and almost childish, using the word "love" quite early.
Unnecessary Trouble is Hard-Fi's fight song, "just make sure you cause trouble when it's necessary". The dirty, lingering guitar chords in the background giving way to a screaming guitar at the end, and leading, by way of an almost choral "woah-oh" into track 7, Move on Now, the get-away song. A beautiful piano, more Nick Drake than Keane, with just a touch of synth, and Richard's cathartic vocals leading the way, looking at the planes flying overhead, wondering where they're going, and wishing he was there - anywhere but here. This is a massive surprise on this usually driving album, and one of the high points.
Better do Better is a big f*ck off to his (presumably ex-) girlfriend. The chorus; "You think I'm gonna take you back?/You'd better do better than that/I'll tell you how it's gonna be/don't you ever ever come near me", something most of us are familiar with. It's about a girl who left him for another guy, and now she's been kicked out, she wants him back. It's harsh, ugly and dirty, but will mean something to all of us, it's edgy guitars and angry vocals serve to stir up the emotion.
Feltham is Singing Out follows, and employs a rather bizarre choir! The lyrics start off being about wanting to go out and have fun every night of the week, as often as you can, and get drunk and high on everything going, but the second verse is darker, more about having to sell your possessions and cutting off the utilities to keep the loan shark off your back, and eventually turning to crime, from you family and friends, and then from local shops, until you get caught, and go to jail. Darker still as we delve into the third verse, where now we're stuck in jail. You can't take it, so you hang yourself. The guitars here are jagged and angular, quite uncomfortable to listen to. The storyteller then goes on to reminisce about you in jail, and how hard it must be for you to live in that hell. This is probably the least comfortable track on the album.
Living for the weekend is reminiscent of Kinesis' "A Generation devoid of Inspiration" from their Handshakes for Bullets LP. It's about working all week in a job you hate, just because you know that at the end of the week, when all the pressure's gone, you can go and cut loose with you mates, and it'll not matter. You're so determined to get into a place, you'll break in, just to let your hair down. It's a fast-paced high-adrenaline song, making you want to dance, although the style of singing make you want to start a fight whilst you're at it!
The last track of the album, and the title track, Stars of CCTV, is self-explanatory really. A perfect choice to end the album, due in part to it contrast with Living for the weekend (this has a much slower tempo), but also by carrying on the theme of the whole album. It about how we're constantly being watched, dressing up for the government, and holding up shops for the sake of fame. Like many other songs on this album, it sounds beautiful superficially, but once heard a few times, the true meaning comes through, and it's quite difficult to sit through.
This album is, in my opinion, the best of the year so far, and had I any say, it'd win Mercury by a mile. You can probably tell just how much I loved this by the volume I've written, but please, if you've read this, buy it! Everyone need to own this album, it's the "Definitely Maybe" for the ASBO generation!
Advantages: One of the best new bands Disadvantages: short
A greatly convincing first album, stars of CCTV jumps out with its excellent music; it sounds nothing like other bands what you have heard before and the current bands you are are hearing. The sound of hard-fi comes as a massive surprise. It was HMV which I bought this disc with my gift card. The disc is common one to buy with the gift cards; It is like the new future of money since the last time I used gold coins.
The CD I buy - Stars of CCTV starts ... ...that it becomes slightly loose. Stars of CCTV is like the above but I will say it has a hard sound with of a surface much like punk music of the late 70's only the very late ones, and it also breaks out like you would hear of the time when it was the early 90's. Its is an integration of the elements belonging to the two different styles like a cross of independent rock and independent dance. The singers voice is a vibrating mixture, an unashamed ...
lovelyben 19.09.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi
Advantages: If you like rock music, you'll love this. Disadvantages: Not much variation; songs are very similar.
***INTRODUCTION***
I bought the Stars of CCTV album the other day because of the seemingly unstoppable flow of adverts on channels 3 and 4. The "Q" magasine describes Hard-Fi as "the next major British band," and I have to agree with them. I bought the album in one of my study periods (tut tut!) in the supermarket, Tesco. I couldn't wait to get home and play it because of the great things TV ( and television NEVER lies) and my friends had told me ... ...The four lads in Hard-Fi are Richard Archer, Ross Kemp, Kai Stephens and Ross Phillips. They are from a very poor background, and indeed some of their songs express what it is like to have no money. ***FURTHER DEPTH***
But don't get me wrong, this is no melancholony gothic-type CD only for those hell-bent on being miserable. No, this album appeals to anyone with a sense of rhythm! Each song provides a strong riff pattern that renders the listner ...
Hardyhardnut 29.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi
Advantages: High tempo social commentary put to an indi music back drop Disadvantages: It ends
...me that was any decent Stars of CCTV by Hard-Fi was probably the best (the rest of the time it was take take take), so with memories (and my phone playing the album) I've decided to share with you one of the gems of the indie revolution of the early 21st century in Britain. Hard-Fi were formed in 2003 in Staines (yes the home of Ali G), as a 4 piece ( Richard Archer (vocals and guitar), Kai Stephens (bass guitar), Ross Phillips (guitar) and Steve ... ...has been mooted yet).
Stars of CCTV featured 11 tracks of which 5 found their way onto the UK singles chart between 2005 and 2006 and all getting into the top 20 (1 top 10 hit too). Which faired significantly better than the follow up album which featured 3 top 50 singles, 2 top 40 and 1 top 10.
The album opens with Cash Machine which tells the story of a cash strapped protagonist living life by scraping the barrel, from not having money for a ...
iamasadlittleboy 21.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi
Advantages: Fantastic album, even for beginners. Disadvantages: Some sounds are dreary
...his weekend is saved.
Stars of CCTV (3.58)
This last track from which the album gets it’s name is about the role of CCTV cameras on the streets and how the youth see these are there cameras. The song is very mellow and does not have the loud or fast tune that the others song have. It is very acoustic and the ability to end on this song is a triumph to the boys. The album offers intense (but not punky) alternative rock as well as incorporating influences ...
Davidhutt 22.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi
Advantages: Catchy Indie Band Disadvantages: Some songs do sound very similar
...fool and like shouting
Stars of CCTV - The intro takes you to a Mexican bar doing tequila shots - I don't like this song solely because falsetto vocals freak me out big time. It does have a catchy chorus though Overview:
If half way through this album you think - this sounds like its been recorded in a taxi rank - you are right - it was! Puts all those production fiends to shame.
This is a great album and deserves all the recognition it got at ... ...is a good thing - being their signature sound, or bad - meaning they aren't maximising their potential. It doesn't seem like a very long album either - I downloaded mine and got 3 bonus videos with it, so if you aren't bothered about having the physical CD in your collection it may be worth looking into that (plus ladies you get to see Archers sexy smouldering eyes!)
I would definitely recommend this album, before they release a mediocre follow ...
beckle_82 14.01.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi
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Reviews which might be of interest for "Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi"
Advantages: One of the best indie rock albums of the year Disadvantages: A couple of weak tracks
This is definitely one of the best indie rock albums of the year, and in my opinion one of the best albums of the year in general. Some very catchy guitar, and some great lyrics. Nothing ground-breaking or exceedingly profound with the lyrics, but very good. They tend to write about local experiences (they're from Staines), but where the references are local (Feltham young offenders instuitute for example) the things they sing about are reflected all over the country. In this respect they're a bit like early Stereophonics (from the Word Gets Around era).
Some great tracks on here, not just the singles Cash Machine and Hard to Beat, but tracks like Move on Now, which is a great slow ballad (just piano and vocals), and Better Do Better are certainly more than album fillers. Better do Better and Middle-Eastern Holiday are especially good ...
Advantages: Brand New, exciting & vibrant Disadvantages: Couple of tracks not up to scratch
This CD i had eagerly awaited for a while, as i was getting a bit bored of my Killers album!! Its been nominated for a Mercury Music Award and its not surprising. At least 4 tracks stand out:
Cash Machine
Tied Up Too Tight
Move On Now
& and probably the best known and my personal favourite Hard to Beat.
These tracks are perfect for getting ready for a night out or just chilling out. Living for the weekend ( 4th single off the album) is also a good track - so much so that Sky Sports are using it as background music for their football specials!!!
The weak links on the album must be Gotta Reason and Feltham Is Singing Out - listenable but a bit bland compared to their singles.
However, overall this album is excellent and I would definately recommend it to anyone, particularly if you've into your britpop and indie rock ...
Advantages: Additional tracks in the new release Disadvantages: Subject matter a little too subjective sometimes
I like this album - I didn't want to when I saw the video of Hard To Beat, because generally I will shy away from 'Indie', but this reminds me of bands like the Streets and the Ordinary Boys. I like the alternative angsty guitar base this comes from.
On the whole this is quite a good album. The subject matter of the songs is quite depressing sometimes as the band draw upon their hometown of Staines experience (songs about joyriding etc) but the more you listen to it, the more you are taken away with the music, rather than the lyrics. The tracks also bounce from catchy, beaty tunes, to ones which are a little more relaxed.
The album grows on me the more I listen to it, but I can't help feeling that towards the end of the album some of the material gets a little thin, and that some of the tracks are fillers, but the quality ...
Product Information for "Stars Of CCTV - Hard-Fi" »
Product details
Title
Stars Of CCTV
Performer
Hard-Fi
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Alternative
Release Date
04/07/2005
Recomended Retail Price
10.99 GBP
Label / Distributor
Necessary/Atlantic / Cinram Logistics
Producer
Wolsey White; Richard Archer
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
5050467869127
Catalogue Number
5046786912
Additional notes
Album Notes
'Stars Of CCTV' is the debut album from Surrey-based indie rockers Hard-Fi. Fusing together a host of influences, including Happy Mondays-esque baggy, sunkissed Ibizan grooves and even classic two-tone ska, Hard-Fi have crafted an album that buzzes with raw energy and enthusiasm, celebrating the best of British pop culture. Includes the singles 'Cash Machine', 'Tied Up Too Tight' and 'Hard To Beat'.
Titles on disc 1
1.
Cash Machine
2.
Middle Eastern Holiday
3.
Tied Up Too Tight
4.
Gotta Reason
5.
Hard To Beat
6.
Unnecessary Trouble
7.
Move On Now
8.
Better Do Better
9.
Feltham Is Singing Out
10.
Living For The Weekend
11.
Stars Of CCTV
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Listed on Ciao since
23/07/2005
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