Strip and Singles

More Adam. A tape that has on one side, Strip, and on the other side, the Antmusic EP (hands up all those under thirty who even know what an EP is), and various B sides.

Strip continues that jazz funky thang started on Prince Charming. Strip could almost be described as a concept album in that it has an ongoing theme running through it - erotic or even kinky sex. Except for the one track that was released as a single, Puss 'N Boots (and maybe there was a subliminal message there). But, in the end, Strip was a pretty forgettable album.

It is educating and liberating when you are about fifteen or whatever to hear this kind of stuff and know that however salacious the words, the music makes it seem really quite pleasant.

The B sides (and this is really just for the aficionados are:

• Juanito the Bandito
• Kiss the Drummer
• Physical (You're So)
• Red Scab
• Press Darlings
• Christian D'Or
• Beat My Guest
• Whip In My Valise

Listening to some of these now, I wonder whether it was a deliberate strategy by Adam to teach the teeny boppers like me a lesson or two. Adam and the Ants had spent years doing the circuit of grotty clubs as a punk band late Seventies, then Kings of the Wild Frontier propelled them onto Top of the Pops in October 1980 and suddenly they were the latest Boy Band, with a large contingent of 11-14 year olds going completely gaga about them. It must be one of the weirdest transformations in the history of pop music. Whatever Adam felt privately, he never gave the impression in his many interviews in Smash Hits, Swap Shop etc that he felt any contempt for us. but I think that the B sides, and the kinky sex tracks were probably his way of making it clear that he really wanted to make music for grown-ups.

During the punk era - or New Wave or whatever - I read something in the Sunday Telegraph saying that the Youth like this loud music because their hearing is at a different frequency to adults, and it's not surprising that adults don't really like it, because of changes in the frequency of hearing. I don't know how true that is, I'm certainly prepared to believe it. However, despite my relatively advanced age, I am absolutely delighted to report that the music still gives me that same adrenaline rush of raw unbridled emotional nihilism and the urge to mosh is irresistible. (Mind you I suddenly realised earlier that I was headbanging to Beethoven's 9th earlier).

I feel sorry for today's youth being spoon-fed safe bland manufactured pop devoid of emotion. But I wish I could have been a bit older and been a proper Punk...