The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four out now
THE PROBLEM OF LEISURE: A CELEBRATION OF ANDY GILL AND GANG OF FOUR – Out Now!
A new compilation album featuring new interpretations of Gang of Four songs by major artists with original artwork by Damien Hirst
New website – www.theproblemofleisure.com
All rights reserved, DACS 2021
It’s finally here. Two years before his passing, iconic guitarist, producer and Gang of Four founder Andy Gill embarked on a project very close to his heart. The result, out today, is The Problem of Leisure, a double album of tracks written by Andy Gill and Gang of Four, all newly reinterpreted and recorded by artists whose own unique contributions to music were enriched by listening to the band. The album features songs from across Gang of Four’s 40-plus year career, each individually chosen by the artists’ who covered them.
Originally conceived by Andy to mark the 40th anniversary of Gang of Four’s extraordinary 1979 debut long player Entertainment!, an album widely heralded as a classic (“the fifth best punk album of all time” – Rolling Stone), The Problem of Leisure quickly expanded beyond that remit when several participating artists chose tracks from different albums and periods. Every musician who committed to the project was given the freedom to create new versions of whichever Gang of Four songs they wanted to cover, with Andy overseeing some of the earlier productions but largely leaving artists to create their own interpretations.
The final 20 track double-album features an extraordinary roll call of global talent, with artists from seven different countries and four continents, demonstrating the breadth and scale of Andy and Gang of Four’s influence.
When Andy died, on February 1, 2020, his widow, Catherine Mayer, was determined to finish the project.
“There was never any question in my mind about getting this record finished,” she says. “It was far advanced, with many tracks already submitted and a wish-list of artists Andy still intended to approach. He was so passionate about making progress that on the day he was taken into hospital, he delayed the ambulance while I fetched his computer and noise-cancelling headphones. In intensive care he listened to mixes and selected the wonderful, playful cover art by Damien Hirst.”
Credit – c. 2016 oneintenwords.com
The album, distributed by Ingrooves and out on the Gill Music label, is available to download and stream and is also presented in a variety of physical formats with all artwork variants created by Hirst. There are three gatefold double vinyl formats – the “dogluxe”, available only from The Gang of Four store (www.gangoffour.uk), is heavyweight red vinyl with a red sleeve and contains a six-sheet poster and a special googly eye on the front; the yellow vinyl and matching sleeve is only available from independent music retailers worldwide; and the black vinyl with the green sleeve is on sale everywhere. There are two CD formats – a limited edition case-bound book with a googly eye and a gatefold digipak version. There is also a limited edition C90 cassette, with a pink body.
Catherine says: “Andy would be delighted with every aspect of this album, including the critical response to it. His ashes are in the flat we shared, in a wine flagon, and the reviews have been so good that I’ve been reading them out to him.”
Last year, obituarists struggled to sum up Andy’s profound impact on music. He had co-founded Gang of Four and remained at the time of his death its only original member. As co-writer or writer of all the band’s songs and through his unmistakable and much emulated guitar style, Andy influenced generation after generation of musicians, and that effect was amplified by his work as a composer and producer. This album speaks to that impact and influence.
The album campaign started with the release of a new version of “Natural’s Not In It” by Tom Morello & Serj Tankian, on January 8, 2021. This was followed by 3D’s updated (Redux) version of “Where the Nightingale Sings” on February 12, 2021 which featured vocals from alt rock duo Nova Twins and was co-produced by Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack (as 3D) and Andy Gill. Singles by Warpaint (“Paralysed”), Helmet (“In the Ditch”) and Herbert Grönemeyer (“I Love a Man in a Uniform”) have been released subsequently, showcasing the breadth of artists who have contributed to the album. IDLES version of “Damaged Goods” was the last single to be released before the album, generating acclaim and excitement in equal measure.
The new website for the album – www.theproblemofleisure.com – contains more information about the project including the stories behind the connections of many of the contributing artists to Andy Gill and Gang of Four.
The Problem of Leisure: CD One
Vinyl One, Side A
IDLES – Damaged Goods (UK)
Tom Morello & Serj Tankian – Natural’s Not In It (USA)
Helmet – In the Ditch (USA)
3D* x Gang of Four feat. Nova Twins – Where the Nightingale Sings (UK)
Hotei – To Hell With Poverty (Japan)
Vinyl One, Side B
Gary Numan – Love Like Anthrax (UK)
Gail Ann Dorsey – We Live as We Dream, Alone (USA)
Herbert Grönemeyer feat. Alex Silva – I Love a Man in a Uniform (Germany)
LoneLady – Not Great Men (UK)
JJ Sterry – 5.45 (UK)
The Problem of Leisure: CD Two
Vinyl Two, Side C
La Roux – Damaged Goods (UK)
Everything Everything – Natural’s Not in It (UK)
Dado Villa-Lobos – Return the Gift (Brazil)
The Dandy Warhols – What We All Want (USA)
Warpaint – Paralysed (USA)
Vinyl Two, Side D
Flea & John Frusciante – Not Great Men (USA)
The Sounds – I Love a Man in a Uniform (Sweden)
Hardcore Raver in Tears – Last Mile** (China)
Killing Joke x Gang of Four – Forever Starts Now (Killing Joke Dub) (UK)
Sekar Melati – Not Great Men (live version) (Japan)
* 3D is the remix name of Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack
** “Last Mile” is the new title for this cover of “Broken Talk”, reflecting new lyrics sung in Mandarin by Hardcore Raver in Tears
Gang of Four’s Socials
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Helmet’s Socials
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