IDLES have given their spin on Gang of Four‘s ‘Damaged Goods’ for an upcoming tribute album celebrating the post-punk legends and late guitarist Andy Gill.
- READ MORE: Andy Gill – the NME obituary, 1956-2020: The guitar hero who made radical politics danceable
The Bristol outfit’s version stays relatively faithful to the original – taken from 1979 debut ‘Entertainment!’ – with frontman Joe Talbot’s distinctive vocals lending some grit to their rendition.
“IDLES does not exist without Gang Of Four,” the band commented in a statement. “’Damaged Goods’ still sounds new and exciting after the millionth listen. We jumped at the chance to just to play it, let alone record it. It was an honour, a joy and a privilege.”
Listen to IDLES’ cover of ‘Damaged Goods’ below:
‘The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four’ is set to arrive June 4, with a star-studded list of contributors. The compilation was announced earlier this year alongside a cover of ‘Natural’s Not in It’ by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello.
Since then, it’s been previewed with a remix of ‘Where the Nightingale Sings’ by Massive Attack‘s 3-D and Nova Twins, a cover of ‘Paralysed’ by Warpaint, and Helmet giving their take on ‘In the Ditch’.
Other artists confirmed to appear on the compilation include Gary Numan, La Roux and Red Hot Chili Peppers bandmates Flea and John Frusciante. In March, Flea discussed the impact Gill left on him, saying the guitarist, who died last year aged 64, “shaped [his] aesthetic and approach to music profoundly”.
IDLES released their latest album, ‘Ultra Mono’, in September of last year. In a four-star review, NME‘s Jordan Bassett called the band’s third record “a breakneck ride that roars through sarcasm, defiance, compassion and controversy.”
“The band want to take you on a trip and for you to enjoy the ride, and for the destination to be serene. Hold on tight.”
IDLES recently appeared as part of Glastonbury’s virtual Live at Worthy Farm festival, and earlier this week were announced on the Primavera 2022 lineup alongside the Strokes, Tame Impala, Lorde and more.
The post Listen to IDLES cover Gang of Four’s ‘Damaged Goods’ appeared first on NME.
