Comments:

Interesting. For what is essentially the soundtrack for a mockumentary which makes fun of society during the 1980s through music, 24 Hour Party People is true to form and its subject.

The performers on the album are the subjects of the film due out on August 9th which tells the story of the birth, orgasm and death of Factory Records and the Manchester Music scene during the greatest era of music history (that's a bit of my own mockery).

When it comes to bad music, "disco sucks" seems to be the most common cliché, well I think the following decade usurped that title, on both sides of the Atlantic.

The spin sheet put out the PR firm for this record purports "the album is a must-have for all music fans," well, I beg to differ. I think for those who enjoy this period of electronic mish-mash and anarchy, the sound is a revolution in style to be appreciated. But, if you're not into discordance or a cacophony of half-drunk guys who rant out-of-tune about having to conform and who inspire head-banging and bad hairstyles, sardonic commentary on fashion and horrid makeup jobs, than you can presume this collection is not for you.

Granted, there is a softer recovering side to this raucous inebriation which inspired tolerable dance tunes from groups like New Order, ABC, Soft Cell, The English Beat, and the like. I certainly listened to them, watched their videos on MTV attentively, and even owned a formidable collection of 45s from the lot. But I would NOT count them amongst the musical must-haves that survived my transition out of college into my boring life as an obligated adult.

There is one personal piece of saving grace I must admit: track 14 showcases one of the granddaddy hits that introduced the house music scene, Marshall Jefferson's Move Your Body. This is a gem amongst the coal of this record. Perhaps, not a tune to make you swoon, but its impact was truly monumental and it does carry a nostalgic beat which will prompt those who remember to sway accordingly.

Hence, what have you, might you ask? Well, if you like the movie, buy the music. But otherwise I would not recommend buying the album before you've endured it through its proper context. Personally, I exhibit a strong bias, and therefore leave it to the masses to make the Final Judgment.