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Rating: Taking it a bit broadly, I decided to review this album after a news event that happened a few months ago, the death of the riot officer Raciti, killed in the Catania-Palermo soccer derby. Many TV show episodes were dedicated to the memory of the aforementioned inspector. One evening, suddenly in a report on Vespa's "Porta a Porta" show, the band 4 Skin was mentioned, blamed for writing and playing ACAB "All Cops Are Bastard." Now, I don't want to ramble, taking this review as a journalistic article, so I will end my current event digression here. Everyone, in their decency and conscience, can understand how music can be blamed and instrumentalized when the world is inhabited by individuals with very weak and impressionable personalities.
The 4-Skins are one of the fundamental bands of the British oi! scene, formed in the late '70s, characterized by a strong apolitical and anti-racist component, so they should not be confused with "nazi skins" or "Skin88". Among the characteristics of the band, we find a strong influence from ska and black music in general, while their lyrics exhibit a significant state of dissatisfaction with society.
In "Clockwork Skinhead," we find wonderful songs, crafted by four determined and self-assured individuals. From the start of the album, it's filled with only great songs, sung with proud honesty and pride. From the title track "Clockwork Skinhead", catchy yet not trivial, to other relentless tracks like "Sorry" or the fantastic "Evil", a burst of explosive choruses and venomous guitars accompanied by the simple but decided drum rhythm. To be honest, I don't find a weak song on this record. Just think, immediately after, we find the song "Justice", a song that engages after just two seconds from the beginning, not to mention the following "Low life", an all-out, adrenaline-pumping, and relentless track. All their Jamaican music influences emerge in "Seems to Me", a piece with upbeat rhythms that smells of smokestacks, as well as "Plastic Gangsters". I want to point out that both songs have anti-racist themes. The album concludes with five live tracks, just to show that the 4 Skin rock even more live.
I've had this album for several years, and I can honestly say that I've never gotten tired of listening to it. You won't find many extravagant virtuoso elements in their tracks, you won't find complicated songs that require numerous listens to remember, nor will you find all those clichés dictated by television. I remain amazed that in such an outright manner, no one knows how to take responsibility even today.
Do you want to have fun with great music? Get this album.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Clockwork Skinhead (02:20)
Wearing braces, the red, white, and blue
Doing what he thinks he ought to do
Used to be a punk and a mod too
Or is it just a phase he's going through
He's a Clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead
Clockwork skinhead- got no choice
He's a Clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead
Clockwork skinhead-One of the boys
Take him to the pub, buy him a beer
Tell him what he wants to hear
Wind him up like clockwork toy
Wants to be a man but he's just a boy
He's a Clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead
Clockwork skinhead- got no choice
He's a Clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead
Clockwork skinhead-One of the boys
Believes everything the papers say
What's he gonna be today
What is it hip to be
Will he be himself or will he copy me?
He's a Clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead
Clockwork skinhead- got no choice
He's a Clockwork skinhead, just a clockwork skinhead
Clockwork skinhead-One of the boys
02 One Law for Them (02:46)
Go to football, throw a brick,
Get no mercy, months in nick
Riot in the ghetto, red alert,
Guilty free, innocent hurt
We've been warned of rivers of blood
See the trickle before the flood
Pretend nothing happened, make no fuss
One law for them, One for us
One law for them, One law for them,
One law for them, and another law for us
No fun, no homes, no job, no use
what else is used as an excuse
Families fighting, familes looting
next theres death, then theres shooting
One law for them, One law for them,
One law for them, and another law for us
Riots in London, blame Old Bill
We've been lucky no ones killed
Violence on the streets, more to follow
Freedom for those freedom fighters
One law for them, One law for them,
One law for them, and another law for us
03 Sorry (03:09)
I won't say sorry for what i've done
I won't say sorry for having fun
I won't take the blame
No i ain't gonna be ashamed
Won't say sorry for what i've done
I don't say sorry to anyone
[Chorus]
Shout it out
Shout it out
I don't give a damn cos im proud of what i am
Shout it out
Shout it out
I don't give a damn 'cos i'm proud of what i am
I don't give a damn 'cos i'm proud of what i am
I won't say sorry to you
If you think i will you know what you can do
I won't apologise
and i won't put up with any of you lies
I won't say sorry to you
You can stuff that up your asshole too
[Chorus x3]
I won't say sorry for what i act
I won't say sorry for the manners i lack
I won't say sorry at all
I won't say sorry 'cos it makes me feel small
I won't say sorry for the way i act
I won't say sorry and thats a fact
[Chorus]
05 Evil (01:34)
I like breaking arms and legs
snapping spines and wringing necks
now i'll knife you in the back
Kick your bones until they crack
I'm Evil, evil, evil, evil
Evil, evil, evil, evil
Jump up and down upon your head
Kick you around 'til your dead
Fill your body full of lead
See the roads turn to red
I'm Evil, evil, evil, evil
Evil, evil, evil, evil
I don't like trendy cunts who pose
Gonna punch you in the Nose
Stick my Marten in your crotch
Don't like you, you're too much
I'm Evil, evil, evil, evil
Evil, evil, evil, evil
I'm Evil, evil, evil, evil
Evil, evil, evil, evil
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