Since Stiff Records unleashed a wealth of talent upon us back in the changing musicscapes of the late ’70s, we still remember many of them with warm memories. One of them was the inimitable Ian Dury. With his band, The Blockheads, he released an album that still periodically finds its way into my consciousness – New Boots and Panties. (I was fortunate to see him in a concert back in the late ’70s at the timeless Park West in Chicago.) In his career, Ian Dury released ten studio issues, four of them on Stiff Records, three of them best-sellers. He is best known for his classic song, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll”.
On October 16, BMG will release a ‘best of’ set named Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury. The title is a lift from his hit, “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” from his second album, Do It Yourself (1979). Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury will be issued on CD, DD, and 180g-weight vinyl 2LP gatefold and pressed on white vinyl. The 2LP package only includes 20 tracks from the 3CD collection of 50 songs drawn from all recordings over his career (which includes a live track, a 12″ single cut, and a demo track).
The set will include a booklet with new notes, along with previously unseen photos. The collection was put together with the Ian Dury estate assistance.
Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury – Ian Dury 3CD
CD1
01 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
02 Wake Up and Make Love With Me
03 Sweet Gene Vincent
04 Clevor Trever
05 Billericay Dickie
06 My Old Man
07 I’m Partial To Your Abracadabra
08 Plaistow Patricia
09 Blockheads
10 Pam’s Moods
11 If I Was With A Woman
12 Upminster Kid
13 Billy Bentley (Promenades Himself In London)
14 Rough Kids
15 The Mumble Rumble and the Cocktail Rock
16 The Roadette Song
17 Crippled With Nerves
18 Blackmail Man
CD2
01 Reasons To Be Cheerful, Pt. 3 (12” Version)
02 Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
03 What A Waste
04 Inbetweenies
05 I Want To Be Straight
06 This Is What We Find
07 There Ain’t Half Been Some Clever Bastards
08 Waiting For Your Taxi
09 Razzle In My Pocket
10 You’re More Than Fair
11 Quiet
12 Common As Muck
13 Dance Of The Screamers
14 Don’t Ask Me
15 Mischief
16 Lullaby For Francies
CD3
01 Mash It Up Harry
02 Dance Little Rude Boy
03 Superman’s Big Sister
04 Spasticus Autisticus (Live)
05 You’ll See Glimpses
06 Fucking Ada
07 Hey, Hey Take Me Away
08 Dance Of The Crackpots
09 Bed O’Roses No.9
10 O’Donegal
11 Itinerant Child
12 Geraldine
13 Jack Shit George
14 I Believe
15 One Love
16 England’s Glory (Demo)
Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury – Ian Dury 2LP White Vinyl
LP1 Side A
01 Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)
02 Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick
03 I Want to Be Straight
04 Billericay Dickie
05 I’m Partial To Your Abracadabra
LP1 Side B
01 What A Waste
02 Inbetweenies
03 Superman’s Big Sister
04 There Ain’t Been Some Clever Bastards
05 My Old Man
LP2 Side A
01 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
02 Wake Up and Make Love with Me
03 Sweet Gene Vincent
04 Clevor Trevor
05 This Is What We Find
LP2 Side B
01 Mash It Up Harry
02 Dance Little Rude Boy
03 Rough Kids
04 Upminster Kid
05 Blockheads