The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free

I first heard of The Streets in the NME, two years back. Though to be honest, I never really sought out the music until my mate Wayne told me it was something I simply had to hear. Wayne and I have always seemed to agree on what we like and dislike when it comes to artists and bands, so I knew if he was recommending me something, and doing it so strongly, then it had to be something special.

I went home, clicked open Kazaa, and downloaded three or four tracks. Although I liked what I heard, I gotta admit, it didn’t blow me away at first. In fact, I deleted the mp3s less than a week later. It was good, but not great. That was my opinion at that time. But then something happened. I read an interview with the man behind The Streets, Mike Skinner, in, you guessed it, the NME, and I couldn’t help but be a fan from that point on. For someone who had huge critical-success, fawning-plaudits at every turn, and seemingly the world at his feet, he still seemed remarkably down-to-earth. Judging by his words, I sensed he was unmoved, untainted, and most importantly, unchanged by the hype and success that surrounded him.

In his interview he talked about the exact same things he did on the record. His mates, girls, boozy-dos, shit-stirring troublemaking twats you see in every pub in Britain, going to a café for a morning-after fry-up, and how music changed his life and meant the world to him. It hit me that the reason my mate liked Skinner’s music, is not simply down to the music, it was the words. It was the words that people truly connected with. He didn’t just talk about real things, he wrote about them, and set them to wonderful pieces of music. He spoke of real issues. The real issues that effect people in our age-group, in this country, in this day and age. The stuff we’d talk about to each other, the things we held dear. The things we loved, the things we hated. Trying to get through this life with a smile on our faces, doing the best we can with what we’ve got. Mike Skinner in a way, had become an extension of our mates. A mate you could listen to late at night, with your headphones on, sucking-up every word. A mate that’d been through all the same things as you, and who’d always be there. Mike Skinner, whether it was his intention or not, had suddenly become the voice of a generation. “ He who dares, wins in the city “.

Two years have passed since the debut album, “ Original Pirate Material“. So what’s changed? And a more pressing question, how the hell do you go about writing a follow-up to that album? Skinner simply did it the only way he knew how. He continued as normal. He lived the same life, with the same mates, pulling the same women, drinking the same Brandy. He promised his fan-base that he’d never “ sell-out “, or let his sudden fame change him. He had found his path, and no one was gonna tell him to walk the other way. Afterall, it was he who had broken down the door. He paved the way for similar, homebred artists to come through, like Audio Bullys, Dizzee Rascal, and Goldie Lookin Chain. None of them have been a patch on The Streets so far, and deep-down I feel Skinner knows this only too well. If anyone was gonna write a classic to sit alongside “ Original Pirate Material “, then there’s only one man who could do it. And that was Skinner himself. And guess what, he has. After all, mates keep their promises, don’t they?

And so in 2004, the second Streets album lands. “ A Grand Don’t Come For Free “ is eleven-tracks and just under an hour in duration. It is, without doubt, gonna be pored-over by his fans for years til the words he speaks take full effect. If anything, it’s even more spiralling, dense, and thought-provoking than the wonderful debut. And that has to be a huge compliment to Skinner’s craft.

The album begins with “ It Was Supposed To Be So Easy “, a short story of a day in the life of Mike, and from the second that familiar voice comes in, it’s like being back with an old mate. It’s a wonderful opener, and sets up the rest of the album perfectly. But what is even more striking is how real the lyrics remain. As Skinner hit’s the “ Fifty squid button “, and is told “ Insufficient funds “, it makes you laugh, cos you’ve been there a million times yourself. The realness of the debut is most definitely still alive here, and it’s great to see.

Second track, “ Could Well Be In “ finds Mike watching daytime TV and wondering if that girl really does rate him or not. Sound-wise it’s another huge shift forwards, as its like nothing he has done before. Its totally pared-down, til its almost so light its non-existant. Slight piano, scattered beats, and a cockney voice speaking directly. Its like a short lullaby, and a million miles from “ Has It Come To This? “. It’ll probably go on to soundtrack Woman’s Own adverts, but for the moment, it’s wonderful. And who else would add the lyric “ she worked in JD’s with Dan “?

“ Not Addicted “, however, would’ve slotted anywhere on “ O.P.M. “ A rowdy tale of betting on the football, it’s all a bit Parklife, but it never onces makes you wanna vomit, unlike some of Messr Alburn’s mockney-missives. It’s a great laugh, and ends with Skinner wanting to “ rethink my betting shit, maybe even bet on the cricket “.

We then find ourselves graced with this album’s first act of true genius. “ Blinded By The Lights “ is, in a nutshell, “ Weak Become Heroes 2004 “, but amazingly, it’s even better. A tale of a night on E, looking for his mates, as people dance around him, this again, sounds like something we’ve all lived through. Rave-synths shudder as “ people push by, and walk off into the night “. This is an absolutely amazing track, and without doubt the absolute highlight of the first half of the album. This is the one that’ll be played in every club from Ibiza to Dundee this summer.

“ Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way “ finds our young hero in love. Mike’s mates are out on the shandy, but he’d rather stay in with the missus, and have a puff. Without doubt the softest track on the album, it’s also what I feel to be the weakest. Its not bad by any means, but at six and a half minutes, it just goes on for far too long. Wouldn’t be bad, but its just the same thing repeated over and over. We get the idea in the first minute, yet it goes on and on. And unless youre in love yourself, it tends to start grating after a bit. And letting his mate ad-lib shite lyrics at the end is just annoying and over-eggs an already sickly pudding. A rare duff-note.

“ I was throwing up all night, there was sick in my hair, and you just don’t fucking care “. Mike’s bird is raging, and it appears the Honeymoon period is over. Pity it didn’t end six and a half minutes earlier. I don’t wanna ruin the story, as there’s a big twist towards the end, but “ Get Out Of House “ brings the album right back on form.

“ See, I reckon you’re about an eight or a nine. Maybe even a nine and a half in four beers time. “ Best lyric ever? You know it. Easily the album’s most upbeat moment, this is another bona-fide classic that’s gonna dominate your summer. A superb rocky riff, coupled with hilarious lyrics make “ Fit But You Know It “ Skinner’s most upbeat moment to date. Fucking orgasmic.

By the time we get to “ Such A Twat “, Skinner is back home and is racked with guilt following his playing-away on holiday. Synths and cinematic bursts bang away, as Skinner condemns his phone which “ keeps cutting out “, and how he has to stand in a certain-part of the kitchen in order for it to work. I can see this track being overlooked by many, as it’s basically only used to bridge the story between “ Fit But … “ and “ What Is He Thinking “, but it’s another great example of why The Streets appeal to so many people. It’s earthy, honest, and speaks directly in a clear language we can instantly identify with.

Now we reach the album’s next masterpiece. “ What Is He Thinking “ is a tale of it’s own within a far bigger story, and it works beautifully. Skinner’s jacket has been stolen, his mates are denying nicking it, and at the same time Mike is worried Simone ( the album’s fictional girlfriend ) has also now been playing away. Again, I won’t give away what happens, but there’s yet another unseen twist at the end, and again, it pulls you right in, and makes you feel like you’re a part of it.

Possibly the most commercial track of the album, is “ Dry Your Eyes “, with it’s heartbreaking lyrics, and catchy repetitive chorus. This is the one that’ll blow everyone away. Truly stunning, and without doubt, the album’s highest peak. Simone wants to end her relationship with Mike, and he’s not taking it well. In fact, he cannot believe what he’s hearing, and tells the listener “ the whole world feels like it’s caved in “, as beautiful orchestras pluck away in the background. If there’s any justice in this world, this will be NO.1 for months on end. You’ll be in tears, but most of them will be of absolute joy at what you’re hearing. This is the point when Skinner becomes a bona-fide legend in my mind. “ You want her to see how much this pain hurts “. Well, the listener can see and feel it clearly, and in terms of song writing, surely there can be no higher compliment. Absolutely amazing.

Back at home, and Mike is hitting the Tennants, and pondering where it all went so wrong. There’s wall-to-wall empty cans, and the TV’s still broke. He calls out a repairman, and being pissed, they start having a fight. “ Empty Cans “ is the final track of an album that you honestly wish would never end, and as the track progresses you start to seriously hope the record is not going out on such a sour note. It just wouldn’t fit next to O.P.M’s finale, “ Stay Positive “, that made every single person who heard it wanna do just that. Again, I won’t spoil the ending, but Skinner masterfully ties up all the loose-ends, and by the end you find yourself actually on the brink of tears. It’s a huge track ( it clocks in at over eight minutes ), and it actually feels like two or three tracks condensed into one. It’s a great closer to a truly wonderful album, that I feel will touch everyone that is lucky enough to welcome it into their lives. And yes, when all is said and done, this is even better than “ Stay Positive “, if you can believe that.

And so we come to the end of The Streets’ second album. The follow-up that no one really believed would ever match-up to the original. Well, it has. And then some. As an album, it certainly gels a lot better than O.P.M. As a follow-up, it certainly pushes all the right buttons, whilst managing to hurtle onwards, into new sounds and experiments. Skinner hasn’t simply relied on the formula of his past efforts, he has actually pushed his whole sound and delivery forward into exciting new territories, and it truly is thrilling to hear.

“ A Grand …. “ has been pigeon-holed in the press as being a “ concept album “. That’s partly true, but whilst Yes and Pink Floyd sang about meadows and the dawning of time, Skinner talks about things the youth of today actually know about. Mates, family, drinking, girlfriends, broken TV’s, fights, falling-out with those mates, that girlfriend, and that family. It’s a fictional story that’s real from start to finish, cos it’s real to us.

“ A Grand Don’t Come For Free “? It doesn’t. But genius does, and this album is brimming with it from beautiful start to messy finish. A untouchable masterpiece. Long may The Skinner reign.

Buffet Rating:

9/10

Fancy a taste? Try these:

Could Well Be In, Blinded By The Lights, Dry Your Eyes.

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