The Defamation of Strickland Banks
RRP: £11.99
Our Price: £6.34 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, the second LP from Forest Gate-bred singer/musician Ben Drew, will be a surprise for anyone who spent meaningful time with his 2006 debut Who Needs Actions When You’ve Got Words. That album cast him as a potty-mouthed rapper, threatening to stab you with a biro over choppy acoustic guitar. Now, following a quick makeover, he re-emerges as blue-eyed soul singer, fronting a suite of bittersweet love songs steeped in vintage Stax and Motown. What might seem a rushed rebranding makes more sense if you know a little about Drew's creative drive, though; obsessed with cinema and narrative, Plan B is a storyteller at heart, and …Strickland Banks' songs trace a tale through the London underworld, Drew playing a soul singer from the East End jailed for a crime he didn’t commit. It's a concept that works, thanks largely to Drew’s voice--surprisingly strong, and more than capable of handling everything from upbeat Northern soul to fraught numbers like "Welcome To Hell". The narrative never overwhelms the quality of the songs, though, and for anyone disappointed such an impressively angry man has gone a bit Paolo Nutini on us, there's the occasional rap delivered with anger more savage for its infrequent deployment. –-Louis Pattison
Can't stop listening!
Review date: 2010-09-05 Rating: 10 out of 10
I shouldn't like this but I do like a range of music and . . . this is so varied I can't stop playing it.
I understand what Plan B means by a story telling. Not an original story but each song tells a story of its own and is part of a wider story.
Reviews
PLAN B THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKSReview date: 2010-09-03 Rating: 10 out of 10WORTH EVERY PENNY, REFRESHING NEW SOUND, GREAT FOR THE CAR WITH SOME FANTASTIC UP BEAT SOUNDS AS WELL AS SOME DEEP SING A LONG TUNES. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTEDFab CDReview date: 2010-08-31 Rating: 10 out of 10
Cannot remember when I last enjoyed a CD as much as this one. The whole idea of the story, lyrics, music etc. is gripping and I think Ben Drew a huge talentSensational CD!Review date: 2010-08-31 Rating: 10 out of 10What an amazing CD! My daughter bought it for me and I haven't stopped playing it since. It is reminiscent of a Curtis Mayfield album that I had years ago which featured Moving on Up, Freddys Dead and Superfly as that too is a concept album. In places, Drew's voice bears a marked simularity to Mayfield's. When I listened to it first, I wondered whether the story would wear a bit thin after a while but that hasn't happened yet. Ben Drew's voice is so beautiful, plaintive, emotive. His rapping is also very cool, most interestingly in Stay Too Long where it becomes frantic in line with the story. Best songs? Praying, the Recluse - you know, they're all good! Check it out!Plan BReview date: 2010-08-26 Rating: 8 out of 10I had only heard a couple of songs from Plan B before buying this album but had heard how good others thought it was and they were right. There is just 1 song which is a bit loud for my taste (even my son was shocked)but I usually skip that one!
Product Details/Specifications
Artist(s):
Plan B
Recording label: 679/ Atlantic Manufacturer: 679/ AtlanticEAN: 5051865847120Binding: Audio CDFormat: CD, Release date: 2010-04-12Number of discs: 1Disc 1 Tracks: 1. Love Goes Down2. Writing's On The Wall3. Stay Too Long4. She Said5. Welcome To Hell6. Hard Times7. The Recluse8. Traded In My Cigarettes9. Prayin'10. Darkest Place11. Free12. I Know A Song13. What You Gonna DoPublishers: 679/ Atlantic
