John Cooper Clarke was part of the last great eruption of brilliance in British music, circa 1976 - 1980. The big front end that touched America was the Pistols, Clash, Costello, Pretenders, but behind the more popular faces of British punk/independent were all kinds of one-of-a-kinds like Ian Dury, X-Ray Spex, Stranglers, Jilted John and John Cooper Clarke. John Cooper Clarke came on like a punk/electronic poet with a Dylan circa BlondonBlond era hairdo & shades. He never hit as big in Britain as other lyrical geniuses like Costello and Dury, perhaps because he was wierder, more psychedelic and also more street. Elvis Costello has written a glowing review of Clarke here on Amazon, so he is obviously a fan. Including JCC's "Chickentown" on one of the last Sopranos episodes may ignite more American interest; it's well deserved. Beasley Street, Cycle Sluts, Chickentown, there's no-one else who rhymes quite like JCC on these gems. JCC was streets ahead of the "Streets" way back in '79. Just buy this, you won't be sorry. Michael C Stephens. This has got real Mancunian muck under its fingernails by the bard of Salford himself JOHN COOPER CLARKE.
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