Stiff Little Fingers - No Going Back
by Tony Gaughan
published: 6 / 5 / 2014
Label:
ASLF.Com
Format: CD
intro
Predictably vitriolic and abrasive but excellent first album in eleven years from Belfast punks, Stiff Little Fingers
'No Going Back' is the tenth studio album from Belfast punks Stiff Little Fingers, and their first studio album in eleven years. It is released on their own label and was funded by fans on PledgeMusic in an incredible five hours, which is impressive even by the punk veterans standards! It predictably opens with Jake Burns' trademark rant and bark on 'Liar's Club', which was written by Burns after he heard Tony Blair and George W. Bush press conference on the Iraq War. Like all Stiff Little Fingers albiums 'No Going Back' embarks on a journey of well-written and typically bulldozing sound. There is no sign of any of the great singles, although 'I Just Care about Me' bears more than a resemblance to the single 'Silver Lining' from the 'Nobody's Heroes' album, which is no bad thing. The album continues as you would expect a Fingers record to do, although 'Guilty As Sin' sounds more traditional and Celtic featuring a whistle and acoustic guitar but it still carries a barbed message from Jake. 'One Man Island' has a poke at the press in the fist-punching style you would expect. 'Throwing It All Away' is clearly the weakest song on the collection, and the only one which Burns doesn't sing on. Guitarist Ian McCallum's vocal does not wash at all and the lyric is pretty cringey with the song being pub rock in style, but, however, the record gets back on track with 'Good Luck With That' with Burns spitting more venom at bankers this time. 'Since Yesterday Was Here' is the pick of the bunch and vintage Stiff Little Fingers. 'When We Were Young' again sounds like it could grace any of their heyday releases, and has one of their biggest hits 'At the Edge' creeping into it for added effect.
Track Listing:-
1 Liar's Club2 My Dark Places
3 Full Steam Backwards
4 I Just Care About Me
5 Don't Mind Me
6 Guilty as Sin
7 One Man Island
8 Throwing It All Away
9 Good Luck with That
10 Trail of Tears
11 Since Yesterday Was Here
12 When We Were Young
Band Links:-
http://slf.com/https://www.facebook.com/StiffLittleFingers
https://twitter.com/RigidDigits
https://www.flickr.com/groups/stifflittlefingers/
https://www.pinterest.com/webbarbie/stiff-little-fingers/
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
most viewed reviews
current edition
Marika Hackman - Big SighSerious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning Dew
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Banter - Heroes
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart