Ian Dury's primary appeal lies in his lyrics, which are remarkably clever
sketches of British life delivered with a wry wit. Since Dury's accent
is thick and his language dense with local slang, much of these pleasures
aren't discernable to casual listeners, leaving the music to stand on
its own merits. On his debut album, New Boots and Panties!, Dury's music
is at its best, and even that is a bizarrely uneven fusion of pub rock,
punk rock, and disco. Still, Dury's off-kilter charm and irrepressible
energy make the album gel, with the disco pulse of "Wake Up and Make
Love With Me" making perfect sense next to the gentle tribute "Sweet
Gene Vincent," the roaring punk of "Blockheads," and the
revamped music hall of "Billericay Dickie" and "My Old
Man." (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG)
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