A
Certain Ratio – Early
CD Album, UK 2002
Soul Jazz Records
Factory Records hit me hard as a
young man in his super early 20's. Joy Division spoke to me at that
age, and also the visuals were incredibly important as well. Ian
Curtis was so haunted, it made my heart ache. But now, I can barely
listen to their music. Not that I hate it, but more to the fact that
the music doesn't speak for me anymore. I used it, it used me, and I
was satisfied. Next!
For that label, and what a more
lasting effect, is A Certain Ratio. The visuals of the band were
even more striking to me than Joy Division. They had this sort of
Lawrence of the Arabia without the robes look. Military baggy
shorts, 1930's haircuts, thick boy scout or military socks that go
up to the knee, and basically sort of look like British prisoners of
war circa the early days of World War 2. And the music is …. dub
jazz funk. It was like if Miles Davis started a British band in the
late 70's. To me I think this was Factory Records head Tony Wilson's
great discovery.
Early
is
the ultimate collection of all the early and hard to find singles by
A Certain Ratio. The spacey dub effects and the self-obsessed funk
makes this band the bad and slightly darker version of Joy Division's
rock stance. If Ian and company looked up to Iggy, The Doors, and
Velvets, then A Certain Ratio looked up to obscure funk singles and
Miles electric music era. In many ways they perfectly complimented
each other. But the lasting effect for me is A Certain Ratio.
