Mall (album)

This article is about the Gang of Four album. For the 2014 film soundtrack, see Mall (soundtrack).

Mall
Studio album by
Gang of Four
Released1991
Recorded1990–91
StudioMaison Rouge, Fulham Broadway; Power Plant, London; Strongroom, Shoreditch
Genre
Length48:53
LabelPolydor[1]
ProducerAndy Gill
Gang of Four chronology
A Brief History of the Twentieth Century
(1990) 		Mall
(1991) 		Shrinkwrapped
(1995)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

Mall is the fifth studio album by Gang of Four.[5]

Seven years after Gang of Four's breakup, founding members Jon King and Andy Gill reteamed for Mall. Slickly produced, with a heavy emphasis on synthesizers and ersatz funk rhythms, the lyrical focus returns the group to the political arena. As suggested by the title, Mall is laced with the usual examinations of consumerism and the economy, while the sample-heavy "F.M.U.S.A." is an essay on the Vietnam War.

The album features a cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Soul Rebel", from their 1970 album Soul Rebels.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone wrote: "An adventurous, often gripping album that flirts with commercial appeal while indicting American consumer culture, Mall more than justifies the Gang’s return to active duty."[4]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Andy Gill and Jon King; except where indicated

  1. "Cadillac" - 5:29
  2. "Motel" - 3:34
  3. "Satellite" - 3:58
  4. "F.M.U.S.A." (Gill) - 5:01
  5. "Don't Fix What Ain't Broke" (King) - 4:02
  6. "Impossible" - 0:54
  7. "Money Talks" (Gill) - 3:36
  8. "Soul Rebel" (Bob Marley) - 4:05
  9. "Hiromi & Stan Talk" - 0:43
  10. "Colour from the Tube" - 3:45
  11. "Hey Yeah" - 3:42
  12. "Everybody Wants to Come" - 4:01
  13. "World Falls Apart" - 6:08

Personnel

  • Andy Gill
  • Jon King

with:

Technical
  • Bob Kraushaar, Chad Jackson, Jeremy Allom, Mike Dignam, Jim Abbiss, Jock Loveband, Mike Pela - mixing

References

  1. ^ Jenkins, Mark (26 July 1991). "'80S GANG OF FOUR TRYING TO RECOUP" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  2. ^ "Mall - Gang of Four | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert. "Gang of Four". Robert Christgau.
  4. ^ a b Robbins, Ira (8 August 1991). "Mall". Rolling Stone.
  5. ^ "Gang of Four". Trouser Press.


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