Rude Corps - Bad Dream 2009

Hear The Track Here

Like most English people of a certain (working) class, my upbringing brought with it a political dimension and while the Love Generation cavorted and got right off their faces, others would fan the flames of revolution. On the whole, England has an incredibly aware population when it comes to politics and in one aspect in general: the far right. Fascists, proto-fascists and would be Hitler-ite leaders dot Englands recent history. Right at this moment we are experiencing a marked upsurge in racist/fascist behaviour using ammunition supplied by both Government botch jobs on immigration and on 'the war on terror' Makes me wonder why Rude Corps - who has always been a very political musician - reworked this track (originally written in 2004) into this remastered version. Is it because of this, if so this is very timely.

Recent readers will already know that I spent a bit of time yapping about the Rude Corps/Stained Art collabs during my Stevies review and this is actually the first of his tracks I have heard in a long while. Thats the problem with collabs, y'see. 'There's a nazi on my doorstep, talkin' 'bout rights for whites' is pretty much the first thing you hear in Bad Dream, and it gets into a lot more of the same in this tale of modern day UK politics. In essence, the song is broken down into two parts, the nazi's justificationary rant for his ideas, and Rude Corps comments on them, told with a wry Northern accent that - I guess - many may find hard to understand. Especially for those of you across the pond. Shouldn't let that put you off though because - understanding the words or not - the power and anger of the song come through pretty plain enough.

It's important, I think, that you understand that this is a conversation going on on someone's doorstep. Certainly Rude Corps pulls no punches with the nationalist rhetoric, I've heard the same rant myself a million times down the years. The track musically is a combination of electronica and analog sound (there's a guitar at least), with a meandering sub bass sound that winds around the beat behind the opening vocals. The vocals overall are 'noisy' but believe me, I know that is intentional. Stylistically this has a lot of Stain's rap style - or maybe it's just the same accent that's throwing me. Nonetheless, this is a terrific track, even more so because it does shine a light into a dark corner of England's green and pleasant land.

Agit-rock. Remember that? Rude Corps rocks!! Highly Recommended.