A Grand Don't Come for Free

A Grand Don't Come for Free
Studio album by
The Streets
Released17 May 2004
Recorded2003–2004 in Stockwell, London
GenreAlternative hip hop, electronica, rap opera
Length50:42
LabelLocked On, 679
ProducerMike Skinner
The Streets chronology
All Got Our Runnins
(2003) 		A Grand Don't Come for Free
(2004) 		The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
(2006)
Singles from A Grand Don't Come for Free
  1. "Fit But You Know It"
    Released: 26 April 2004
  2. "Dry Your Eyes"
    Released: 19 July 2004
  3. "Blinded by the Lights"
    Released: 27 September 2004
  4. "Could Well Be In"
    Released: 29 November 2004

A Grand Don't Come for Free is the second studio album by English rapper and producer Mike Skinner, under the music project the Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004 and is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[1] It is a rap opera and concept album that follows the story of its protagonist's relationship with a girl named Simone, alongside the mysterious loss of £1,000 from his home (the eponymous "grand").

Plot

In the story, the protagonist loses £1,000, or a "grand" in slang terms, and strives to recoup the money.

In his book The Story of the Streets, Skinner explained his decision to create a story that ran through the album:

"The reason I decided to write A Grand Don't Come for Free as episodes from a single unfolding narrative was because I'd got so into my songwriting manuals and books by Hollywood screen-writing gurus – not just Robert McKee but Syd Field and John Truby as well – and I wanted to try and put what I'd learnt from them into practice. Every song needs a drama at the centre of it, and once you have the drama, the song writes itself – that's what I firmly believed, and still do believe. I'm not alone in this conviction, either. It's something pretty much all rappers seem to be sure about."[2]

In the first track on the album, "It Was Supposed to Be So Easy", Skinner attempts several tasks during a day but they do not go according to plan. When he comes home he cannot find the £1,000 he has saved and his television is broken. In the process of trying to recover the money he:

  • Starts seeing a girl called Simone who works in JD Sports with his friend Dan. ("Could Well Be In")
  • Tries to recover the £1,000 by gambling on football. After a series of wins, he frustratingly cannot get to the bookmakers in time to make a big gamble. Fortuitously, the prediction is wrong — it is his lucky day. ("Not Addicted")
  • Is stood up at a nightclub by Simone, but passes the time drinking alcohol and taking ecstasy. He thinks he sees Simone kissing Dan but the drug-induced high distracts him before he can think about it properly. ("Blinded By the Lights")
  • Moves into Simone's house and finds himself comfortable smoking marijuana there, rather than drinking with his friends at the pub. ("Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way")
  • Argues with Simone and gets kicked out of her house. ("Get Out of My House")
  • Poses to impress a girl in a take away restaurant during a heavy night drinking on holiday. ("Fit But You Know It")
  • Flies back from the holiday and remorsefully reviews the events of the previous night during a phone call to a friend, realising he still wants to be with Simone. ("Such a Twat")
  • Suspects his mate Scott of stealing his coat, money, and girlfriend but discovers that Simone is actually having an affair with Dan. ("What is He Thinking?")
  • Tries to cope with his girlfriend breaking up with him. ("Dry Your Eyes")
  • Deals with the events of his life in one of two ways; the final track, "Empty Cans", features two endings to the plot, a bitter ending and a happy ending (the former where he and a TV repairman get into a fight over the repairman's fee, and the latter in which he reconciles with his mates and finds the £1,000 had fallen down the back of the TV, making it malfunction).
  • The B-side of the UK single release of "Fit But You Know It" is the song "Soaked by the Ale". The story of this song takes place between the events of "Fit But You Know It" and "Such a Twat". It documents one of Skinner's mates being annoyed at Mike for stealing a tub of ice cream whilst on holiday in Spain as a result of his excessive drinking. The chronological order is identified in "Such a Twat" where Skinner raps "And that incident with the ice cream I forgot, it all ended in our vodka".[citation needed]

Like the Streets' debut album Original Pirate Material the album was recorded in a flat in south London, but this time in Skinner's own flat in Stockwell which he had bought using the money he had received upon signing his publishing deal.[3]

Artwork

The front cover of the album features Skinner posing in a bus shelter at night, taken by British photographer Ewen Spencer.[4]

Singles

The first single from the album, "Fit But You Know It" reached number four on the UK Singles Charts with the second single, "Dry Your Eyes" entering the UK Charts at number one. The album itself reached number one in the UK Album Charts, number eleven in Australia and number eighty-two in the United States.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic91/100[5]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Blender[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB[8]
The Guardian[9]
Los Angeles Times[10]
NME9/10[11]
Pitchfork9.1/10[12]
Q[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
The Village VoiceB+[15]

Critical response for the album, like for his previous album, was near universally positive. It currently scores 91/100 on Metacritic,[5] slightly higher than his previous album, which scored 90/100.[16]

Critics noted the difference in style compared to Skinner's debut album. In Q, Garry Mulholland said that instead of thinking of the record as a concept album, it was more like "a spoken-word opera, or a short story with an exquisitely crafted pop soundtrack". Calling it "the best album of 2004 so far, and by some distance", Mulholland concluded that "if [Skinner] sees a darkness in the private hell of the everyday, it's an inspiring one", and that the album "puts forth a musical argument that our own lives are more important and relevant than the aspirational celebrity imagery that dominates 21st century pop."[13] The Guardian said that the album "raises the stakes to such an extent that it sounds literally unprecedented: there isn't really any other album like this", and PopMatters stated that Skinner "is now in a class all his own; nobody else is making music like this."[17] Trouser Press said that "Skinner seems both edgier and more contemplative".[18]

Pat Blashill of Rolling Stone called A Grand Don't Come for Free "the best British hip-hop concept album ever" and stated that "it is both simpler – in sound and scope – than Pirate and more ambitious". He was impressed by Skinner's ability with "tickling and tearing vowels, adverbs and lexicons", but, above all, "his real gift is literary". He concluded that the story was "thoroughly mundane ... yet Skinner's ear for language and detail keeps it vivid, and hilarious".[14] "In a previous decade, A Grand Don't Come for Free would have been a rock opera, and it would have taken itself very seriously," observed Blender. "But Skinner isn't interested in pinball wizards or ancient alien races ... [It] demands the same attention as a movie, and that's why some people will hate it while others will find it uniquely riveting."[19] The Austin Chronicle named the album "the first hip-hop classic of the new millennium."

Online music magazine Pitchfork placed A Grand Don't Come for Free at number 129 on their list of top 200 albums of the 2000s.[20] Music magazine NME placed the album at number 16 on their list of "top 50 albums of the noughties".[21]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mike Skinner

No.TitleLength
1."It Was Supposed to Be So Easy"3:56
2."Could Well Be In"4:24
3."Not Addicted"3:40
4."Blinded by the Lights"4:45
5."Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way"4:36
6."Get Out of My House" (featuring MC C-Mone)3:52
7."Fit but You Know It"4:14
8."Such a Twat"3:48
9."What Is He Thinking?" (featuring Wayney G)4:41
10."Dry Your Eyes"4:31
11."Empty Cans"8:15

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ^ Dimery, Robert (2009). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Octopus Publishing Group, London. p. 920. ISBN 9781844036240. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  2. ^ Skinner 2012, p. 142.
  3. ^ Skinner 2012, p. 130.
  4. ^ Renshaw, David (24 May 2014). "Anatomy of an Album – The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free". NME. p. 17.
  5. ^ a b "Reviews for A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  6. ^ Bush, John. "A Grand Don't Come for Free – The Streets". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  7. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free". Blender (26): 130. Archived from the original on 4 May 2006. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  8. ^ Sinclair, Tom (21 May 2004). "A Grand Don't Come for Free". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  9. ^ Petridis, Alexis (7 May 2004). "A Grand Don't Come for Free, The Streets". The Guardian Friday Review. p. 17. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  10. ^ Kuipers, Dean (23 May 2004). "A striking kind of storytelling". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  11. ^ Snodgrass, James (1 May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't Come For Free". NME. p. 47. Archived from the original on 4 June 2004. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  12. ^ Plagenhoef, Scott (17 May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free". Pitchfork. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  13. ^ a b Mulholland, Garry (April 2004). "Prole Model". Q. No. 213. p. 92.
  14. ^ a b Blashill, Pat (27 May 2004). "Streetwise!". Rolling Stone. No. 949. p. 80. Archived from the original on 8 July 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  15. ^ Christgau, Robert (6 July 2004). "Consumer Guide: Squirt You". The Village Voice. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Original Pirate Material reviews Metacritic". Metacritic CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 14 February 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  17. ^ Adrien Begrand (14 May 2004). "The Streets: A Grand Don't come For Free Popmatters Music Review". Popmatters. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
  18. ^ Baker, Michael. "Streets". Trouser Press. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  19. ^ Lynskey, Dorian: "Game Boy", Blender, May 2004, p.130
  20. ^ Pitchfork staff (28 September 2009). "The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s: 200–151". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 16 October 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2009.
  21. ^ Simon Rogers (19 November 2009). "NME's top 50 albums of the noughties revealed". The Guardian. London.
  22. ^ "Australiancharts.com – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  23. ^ "Austriancharts.at – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free" (in German). Hung Medien.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free" (in French). Hung Medien.
  26. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  27. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  28. ^ "The Streets: A Grand Don't Come for Free" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  29. ^ "Lescharts.com – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  30. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts.
  31. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 20, 2004". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  32. ^ "Charts.nz – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  33. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  34. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  35. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  36. ^ "Swisscharts.com – The Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". Hung Medien.
  37. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  38. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company.
  39. ^ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  40. ^ "The Streets Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  41. ^ "The Streets Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard.
  42. ^ "The Streets Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  43. ^ "The Streets Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.
  44. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums Chart 2004". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  45. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2004". Ultratop. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  46. ^ "UK Year-End Chart 2004" (PDF). Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  47. ^ "The Official UK Albums Chart 2005" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  48. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2004 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  49. ^ "British album certifications – Streets – A Grand Don't Come for Free". British Phonographic Industry.

Bibliography

Read other articles:

Józef Gosławski

Józef GosławskiLahir(1908-04-24)24 April 1908 Polanówka , Gmina Wilków, Powiat Opolski, Kekaisaran RusiaMeninggal23 Januari 1963(1963-01-23) (umur 54) Warsawa, PolandiaKebangsaan PolandiaKarya terkenalMonumen Frédéric Chopin di Żelazowa Wola, Monumen Never war, patung The Music , Monumen Adam Mickiewicz di Gorzów Wielkopolski, Monumen Józef Piłsudski in Turek, Medali Perayaan Dasawarsa Rakyat Polandia, Medal za Ofiarność i Odwagę (medali dan bintang jasa untuk orang yang be...

 

 

The Mark of the Angels – Miserere

2013 French filmThe Mark of the Angels – MiserereLa marque des anges – MiserereDirected bySylvain WhiteScreenplay by Laurent Turner Sylvain White Luc Bossi [fr] Yann Mège Based onMiserere (novel) [fr]by Jean-Christophe GrangéProduced byStéphane Sperry [it]Starring Gérard Depardieu JoeyStarr CinematographyDenis RoudenEdited bySébastien de Sainte CroixMusic byMax RichterProductioncompanies Liaison Films Pathé TF1 Films Production Brio Films Saga ...

 

 

Tarcisio Bertone

Italian prelate and Vatican diplomat (born 1934) His EminenceTarcisio BertoneSDBCardinal Secretary of State EmeritusBertone in Slovenia (2010)Appointed15 September 2006Term ended15 October 2013PredecessorAngelo SodanoSuccessorPietro ParolinOther post(s)Cardinal-Bishop of Frascati (2008–present)OrdersOrdination1 July 1960by Albino MensaConsecration1 August 1991by Albino MensaCreated cardinal21 October 2003by John Paul IIRankCardinal-BishopPersonal detailsBornTarcisio Pietro Evasio ...

Professional wrestling in China

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Expansion and improvement. Please help improve this article if you can. (October 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Part of a series onProfessional wrestling History History of professional wrestling By year Early wrestling championships Gold Dust Trio 1980s boom Black Saturday 1994 NWA World Title Tournament Monday Night War Attitude Era 2000 All Japan Pro Wrestling mass e...

 

 

Wales national rugby union team

National rugby team This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Wales women's national rugby union team. WalesEmblemThree feathersUnionWelsh Rugby UnionHead coachWarren GatlandCaptainDafydd JenkinsMost capsAlun Wyn Jones (158)Top scorerNeil Jenkins (1,049)Top try scorerShane Williams (58)Home stadiumMillennium Stadium First colours Second colours World Rugby rankingCurrent10 (as of 18 March 2024)Highest1 (2019)Lowest10 (2007, 2023, 2024)First international England 8�...

 

 

Aire d'attraction de Pézenas

Aire d'attraction de Pézenas Localisation de l'aire d'attraction de Pézenas dans le département de l'Hérault. Géographie Pays France Région Occitanie Département Hérault Caractéristiques Type Aire d'attraction d'une ville Code Insee 345 Catégorie Aires de moins de 50 000 habitants Nombre de communes 8 Population 16 545 hab. (2021) modifier  L'aire d'attraction de Pézenas est un zonage d'étude défini par l'Insee pour caractériser l’influence de la comm...

SOAP

Messaging protocol for web services This article is about the computer network protocol. For the IBM 650 assembly language, see Symbolic Optimal Assembly Program. For surfactants used for cleaning, see Soap. For other uses, see Soap (disambiguation). SOAPFamilyMessaging protocolDesigned byDave WinerDon BoxBob AtkinsonMohsen Al-GhoseinFirst appearedInitially as XML-RPC in June 1998; 25 years ago (June 1998)Stable release1.2 / 27 April 2007; 17 years ago ...

 

 

Uttarā (Mahabharata)

Character in Mahabharata For the brother of Uttarā, see Uttara (Mahabharata). Fictional character UttarāAbhimanyu consoles Uttarā before leaving for the war.InformationFamilyVirata (father), Sudeshna (mother), Uttara, Shankha (elder brothers) Vishalaksha, Shatanika, Madirashva, Suryadatta (paternal uncles) Kichaka (maternal uncle)SpouseAbhimanyuChildrenParikshit Uttarā (Sanskrit: उत्तरा, romanized: Uttarā) is a princess in Hindu mythology. In the Mahabharata, she is desc...

 

 

Пугачёва, Алла Борисовна

Запрос «Пугачёва» перенаправляется сюда; см. также другие значения. Алла Пугачёва На фестивале «Славянский базар в Витебске», 2016 год Основная информация Полное имя Алла Борисовна Пугачёва Дата рождения 15 апреля 1949(1949-04-15) (75 лет) Место рождения Москва, СССР[1]...

A Fantastical Meal

1900 French filmA Fantastical MealA frame from the filmDirected byGeorges MélièsProductioncompanyStar Film CompanyRelease date 1900 (1900) CountryFranceLanguageSilent A Fantastical Meal (French: Le Repas fantastique) is a 1900 French silent trick film directed by Georges Méliès. Plot Two women and a man, attempting to have dinner, find themselves confronted with magical happenings: the chairs move, the soup tureen grows, boots appear from it, the table legs change length, the table a...

 

 

Toots and the Maytals

Toots and the Maytals Frederic Hibbert lors d'un concert à Ris-Orangis (Essonne) en juin 2006Informations générales Autre nom The Maytals Pays d'origine Jamaïque Genre musical Reggae, ska, rocksteady Années actives 1962 jusqu'au début des années 1980Début des années 1990 jusqu'à aujourd'hui Labels Beverley'sTrojan RecordsV2 MusicMango Records Site officiel Site officielMySpace Composition du groupe Membres Frederick Toots HibbertPaul DouglasCarl HarveyJackie JacksonLeba ThomasMarie...

 

 

Asarhaddón

Asarhaddón Rey de Asiria y BabiloniaRey de los reyes de Egipto Asarhaddón representado en su Estela de la Victoria, Museo de Pérgamo.Reinado 681 a. C. - 669 a. C.Predecesor SenaqueribSucesor AsurbanipalInformación personalNombre completo Aššur-aha-iddinaOtros títulos Rey de Babilonia“Rey de los reyes de Egipto”“Rey del Universo”“Rey de los Cuatro Bordes de la Tierra”Nacimiento Siglo VIII a. C.Fallecimiento 26 de octubre de 699 a. C., ...

Redbridge

Disambiguazione – Se stai cercando altri significati, vedi Redbridge (disambigua). Questa voce sull'argomento Londra è solo un abbozzo. Contribuisci a migliorarla secondo le convenzioni di Wikipedia. RedbridgeUna tipica strada residenziale di Redbridge Stato Regno Unito    Inghilterra RegioneGrande Londra Città Londra DistrettoRedbridge Altri quartieriAldborough Hatch, Aldersbrook, Barkingside, Chadwell Heath, Clayhall, Cranbrook, Fairlop, Fullwell Cross, Ga...

 

 

Chapel in the Hills

Chapel in the HillsReligionAffiliationEvangelical Lutheran Church in AmericaYear consecrated1969LocationLocationRapid City, South Dakota, United StatesGeographic coordinates44°02′54″N 103°17′55″W / 44.048398°N 103.298714°W / 44.048398; -103.298714ArchitectureArchitect(s)Spitznagel and PartnersStyleStave churchGeneral contractorDilly Construction CompanyGroundbreaking1968Completed1969 Chapel in the HillsU.S. National Register of Historic Places Location3788...

 

 

أساطير فارسية

تحتاج النصوص المترجمة في هذه المقالة إلى مراجعة لضمان معلوماتها وإسنادها وأسلوبها ومصطلحاتها ووضوحها للقارئ، لأنها تشمل ترجمة اقتراضية أو غير سليمة. فضلاً ساهم في تطوير هذه المقالة بمراجعة النصوص وإعادة صياغتها بما يتناسب مع دليل الأسلوب في ويكيبيديا. هذه واحدة من سلسلة ...

Mollie Burke

American politician For the Canadian YouTube personality and motivational speaker, see Molly Burke. Mollie BurkeMember of the Vermont House of RepresentativesIncumbentAssumed office 2009Preceded byDaryl Pillsbury (Windham-2-2)ConstituencyWindham-2-2 (2009-2011) Windham-3-2 (2011-present) Personal detailsPolitical partyVermont ProgressiveOther politicalaffiliationsDemocraticSpousePeter GouldChildren3EducationMarymount Manhattan College (BA) Goddard College (MFA) Mollie S. Burke is an Ameri...

 

 

Rachel Heck

American golfer Rachel HeckHeck in 2017Personal informationBorn (2001-11-22) November 22, 2001 (age 22)Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)Sporting nationality United StatesCareerCollegeStanford UniversityStatusAmateurBest results in LPGA major championshipsChevron ChampionshipCUT: 2019Women's PGA C'shipDNPU.S. Women's OpenT33: 2017Women's British OpenDNPEvian ChampionshipT44: 2018Achievements and awardsHonda Sports Award2021Annika Award2021WGCA Player of ...

 

 

Pertempuran Wizna

Battle of WiznaBagian dari Invasi PolandiaTanggal7–10 September 1939LokasiWizna, dekat Łomża, PolandiaHasil Kemenangan JermanPihak terlibat  Jerman PolandiaTokoh dan pemimpin Heinz Guderian Władysław Raginis †Kekuatan 42.200 infanteri 350 tank 657 mortir dan howitzer serta dukungan udara ~700-1.100 infanteri.[1] 6 senapan 76 mm 42 senapan mesin 2 senapan anti-tankKorban 900[butuh rujukan] infanteri terbunuh 10+ tank hancur 716 terbunuh 40 ditawan 40 kaburTemp...

Pemilihan umum Wali Kota Pematangsiantar 2015

Pemilihan umum Wali Kota Pematangsiantar 2015201020209 Desember 2015Kandidat   Calon Hulman Sitorus Wesly Silalahi Teddy Robinson Siahaan Partai Demokrat PDI-P NasDem Pendamping Hefriansyah Sailanto Zainal Purba Suara rakyat 59.445 25.899 19.282 Persentase 54,49% 23,74% 17,67%   Calon Sujito Partai Independen Pendamping Djumadi Suara rakyat 19.282 Persentase 17,67% Peta persebaran suara Peta lokasi Pematangsiantar Wali Kota petahanaHulman Sitorus Demokrat Wali Kota terpil...

 

 

Margny-lès-Compiègne

Margny-lès-Compiègnecomune Margny-lès-Compiègne – Veduta LocalizzazioneStato Francia RegioneAlta Francia Dipartimento Oise ArrondissementCompiègne CantoneCompiègne-1 TerritorioCoordinate49°26′N 2°49′E49°26′N, 2°49′E (Margny-lès-Compiègne) Superficie6,65 km² Abitanti8 011[1] (2009) Densità1 204,66 ab./km² Altre informazioniCod. postale60280 Fuso orarioUTC+1 Codice INSEE60382 CartografiaMargny-lès-Compiègne Sito istituzionaleModifica ...