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Radio 4 Album Reviews 3out of 5
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Stealing Of A Nation

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With 'Gotham!', Radio 4 added a new sense of life to The Clash's often overlooked early-80's work. It proved to be one of the most rewarding albums of 2002, therefore a successor can be justifiably looked forward to, if only to see which direction these New Yorkers would take next. A little disappointingly, they have added an electronic element to the mix so that where once the riffs and the rhytms were raw and mean, now they are smoothed around the edges. It's hardly a soul-destroying experience, but it's clear from the opening exchanges of 'Party Crashers' and 'Transmission' that the power in the message has been diluted; almost as if Radio 4 can't decide whether to organise a political rally or just get drunk. Most disconcertingly of all, they even attempt the kind of electronic synth pop that the Alpinestars favour; clearly it doesn't suit a band who are much more convincing when performing fist-clenching anthems. Thankfully they rediscover their muse for the excellent 'Nation'; an outstanding cut of apocalyptic action bolstered by dub soundscapes and an air of industrial paranoia, whilst 'Affirmation' reclaims their gift for constructing modern post-punk anthems and 'Shake The Foundation' is a deeply satisfying display of twitchy funk. A patchy record, but certainly one with its fair share of redeeming moments.
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  Track Listing
01 Party Crashing
02 Transmission
03 State Of Alert
04 FRA Type I & II
05 The Death Of American Radio
Standout Track Nation
07 No Reaction
08 Absolute Affirmation
09 (Give Me All Your) Money
10 Shake The Foundation
11 Dismiss The Sound
12 Coming Up Empty

Standout Track = Standout Track

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Weblink:
http://www.r4ny.com/
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Also Recommended:
Clash, The - The Story Of The Clash (Volume I)
Radio 4 - Gotham!, Enemies Like This
Ruts, The - Bustin' Out - The Essential Ruts Collection
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