Stiff Little Fingers “Inflammable Material”
Stiff Little Fingers “Inflammable Material” 1979. Rough Trade Records, the label’s first distributed album and the first indie album to chart in the UK, reaching #14. Northern Ireland punk rock: fiery commentary on young punk life in turmoil (from “White Noise” – ‘If the victim ain’t a soldier why should we care? Irish bodies don’t count. Life’s cheaper over there”). Allmusic’s Thom Jurek says, “Stiff Little Fingers were Ireland’s answer to both the Clash and the Sex Pistols. They had the personal and political stance of the former, and the noisy, pissed off, slash-and-burn musical aesthetic as the latter.” Growling and sneering with sincere anger, Stiff Little Fingers make modern suburban “punk” sound like bubblegum pop. Even a love song like “Barbed Wire Love” has urgent and voice-cracking desperation (“I met you in No Man’s Land across the wire we were holding hands, hearts a-bubble in the rubble, It was love at bomb site”). One of the best and well-known tracks on “Inflammable Material” is “Alternative Ulster,” a call-to-arms protest anthem, reflecting the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland that was pervasive during much of the 20th century.
Seven more hours in Belfast
The pound so old it’s a pity
Okay, there’s the Trident in Bangor
And then you walk back to the cityWe ain’t got nothin’ but they don’t really care
They don’t even know you know
They just want money
We can take it or leave it
What we needIs an alternative ulster
Grab it, change it, it’s yours
Get an alternative ulster
Ignore the bores and their lawsGet an alternative ulster
Be an anti-security force
Alter your native ulster
Alter your native landTake a look where you’re livin’
You got the army on the street
And the R U C dog of repression
Is barking at your feetIs this the kind of place you wanna live?
Is this where you wanna be?
Is this the only life we’re gonna have?
What we needIs an alternative ulster
Grab it, change it, it’s yours
Get an alternative ulster
Ignore the bores and their lawsGet an alternative ulster
Be an anti-security force
Alter your native ulster
Alter your native landAnd they say they’re a part of you
And that’s not true you know
They say they got control of you
And that’s a lie, you know
They say you will never be
Free, free, freeAlternative ulster
Alternative ulster
Alternative ulster
Alternative ulsterGo and get it now
Daily (maybe) pulls from the vault: 33-1/3, 45, 78, old, older, classic, new, good, bad. Subjective. Autobiographical. Occasionally putting a record up for sale.
