Gang of Four: Solid Gold LP

Gang of Four was formed in Leeds in 1976 by bassist Dave Allen, drummer Hugo Burnham, guitarist Andy Gill, and singer Jon King. The band pioneered a style of music that inverted punk's blunt and explosive energies – favoring tense rhythms, percussive guitars, and lyrics that traded in Marxist theory and situationism. They put every element of the traditional "rock band" format to question, from notions of harmony and rhythm to presentation and performance. This original lineup of the band released two monumental albums, Entertainment! (1979) and Solid Gold (1981).

The provocative and bass heavy Jimmy Douglass-produced Solid Gold features a similar socio-political bent as its landmark predecessor, but boasts a much deeper, funkier sound as heard on the band's all-time classic "Paralysed" and the popular singles "Outside The Trains Don't Run On Time" and "He'd Send in The Army." In addition to the release of the stunning Gang Of Four 77-81 box set, Matador Records is also reissuing Gang Of Four's first two albums individually on vinyl LP. The albums have both been remastered from the original tapes by Frank Arkwright at Abbey Road, with supervision by Jon King.