A Grand Don't Come For Free

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Rough minimalism would be best to describe the music. clanging drums, atari-ish bleeps and samples snatched from records you've not heard of. a bit like what UNKLE was doing at that time, but mike does it more effectively... cleaner.

But comparisons with drama aren’t too far off the mark. ‘Get Out Of My House’ is as much an audio drama as it is a song. A thrilling argument between girlfriend and boyfriend, Skinner reveals with a dramatist’s cunning that Mike’s contentious stash of pills isn’t ecstasy but medication for his epilepsy. Is stood up at a nightclub by Simone, but passes the time drinking alcohol and taking ecstasy. He thinks he sees Simone kissing Dan but the drug-induced high distracts him before he can think about it properly. ("Blinded By the Lights") Petridis, Alexis (7 May 2004). "A Grand Don't Come for Free, The Streets". The Guardian Friday Review. p.17 . Retrieved 4 February 2014. as much as i adore this album, time hasn't been fair, not because of lyrics referring to nokia's or the nonsense that was often offensively referred to as the 'chav lifestyle' but because it was released in 2004, a time when loudness was a desired thing in the latest records.Simon Rogers (19 November 2009). "NME's top 50 albums of the noughties revealed". The Guardian. London. Dimery, Robert (2009). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group, London. p.920. ISBN 9781844036240 . Retrieved 23 September 2012. Snodgrass, James (1 May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't Come For Free". NME. p.47. Archived from the original on 4 June 2004 . Retrieved 15 September 2015.

The first single from the album, " Fit But You Know It" reached number four on the UK Singles Charts with the second single, " Dry Your Eyes" entering the UK Charts at number one. The album itself reached number one in the UK Album Charts, number eleven in Australia and number eighty-two in the United States. Moves into Simone's house and finds himself comfortable smoking marijuana there, rather than drinking with his friends at the pub. ("Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way") Pitchfork staff (28 September 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200–151". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009 . Retrieved 1 October 2009.On first listen, ‘Fit But You Know It’ is the obvious single. Nothing else is as immediate as ‘Don’t Mug Yourself’ or ‘Weak Become Heroes’ from his debut. A great first single, it takes a guitar chug and a boozy rant and combines them to joyous effect. Close your eyes, put four moptops in suits in the picture, and you could easily imagine it as an early Beatles song. It captures the naivety of tunes like ‘She Loves You’ or ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ but transplants it to an era when ‘innocent’ means not yet having your brown wings. Sinclair, Tom (21 May 2004). "A Grand Don't Come for Free". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016 . Retrieved 4 February 2014. Starts seeing a girl called Simone who works in JD Sports with his friend Dan. ("Could Well Be In") British album certifications – Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". British Phonographic Industry.

Christgau, Robert (6 July 2004). "Consumer Guide: Squirt You". The Village Voice . Retrieved 15 September 2015. In his book The Story of the Streets, Skinner explained his decision to create a story that ran through the album:Lynskey, Dorian (May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free". Blender (26): 130. Archived from the original on 4 May 2006 . Retrieved 23 September 2016. Renshaw, David (24 May 2014). "Anatomy of an Album – The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free". NME. p.17. Adrien Begrand (14 May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't come For Free Popmatters Music Review". Popmatters . Retrieved 10 March 2010. The front cover of the album features Skinner posing in a bus shelter at night, taken by British photographer Ewen Spencer. [4] Singles [ edit ]