I wore this album out, I played it so much, and 40+years on, I still never tire of it. It's a classic, a work of genius.

There's no questioning Dury's lyrical genius, but The Blockheads were one of the funkiest bands ever. Clever, indeed!

Norman Watt-Roy is the bass player on " Hit me with your rhythm stick " - by ID & the Blockheads, essential listening.

The Blockheads were an amazing backing band, best savoured live, the perfect match to Ian Dury's personality

What a gem of an album this was and is still

Exquisitely arranged, so laid back yet tightly played.

Ian is an absolute legend; great music & he was such a lovely geezer.

Ian spent several years institutionalized for his childhood polio, he met and lived with a wide variety of "characters". Trevor is developmentally stunted but managing well. Contrast with "Dickey" who is always over his head and not "doing very well", in live performances Ian started bawling his eyes out in the coda to show how Dickey was just hiding pain. Yeah, this is proto-hip hoo, and simply brilliant.

"This is what we find" is another of Ian's phenomenal cuts

The Grandfather of modern London Grime. Great song.

Genius bass groove and guitar solo. Clever wordplay. Solid drumming.

Loved each and every one of your reactions to Ian Dury and the Blockheads, been a huge fan of their's since '77... And so glad to see you appreciate them too. One tight band!! If you get the chance I'd recommend their hit singles too... none of which were on the albums... Hit me with your Rhythm Stick ( with possibly one of the funkiest bass lines ever recorded), I Want to be Straight and There ain't half been some Clever B*stards! 🙂 Enjoy!!

In due time, you'll get to "Reasons to be Cheerful, Pt 3". I hope you listen to it when you are looking for a reason to be cheerful - which could be any time. It may have been a non- album single. I owned it as a blue vinyl 10" extended single.

Agree with the call for Reasons to be cheerful pt3…..a pleasant little ditty 😂😂😂

I bought this album when it first came out, I am that old , Ian left us far to early. RIP Ian

The shop in the background was a men's outfitters opposite Victoria station in London, however it also sold ladies underwear for men who were that way inclined, I believe it was known as Victoria's Secret, hence the title, New Boots and Panties, both of which could be purchased there.

I say it, with clear displeasure, these songs that rhyme with every measure. I cannot understand, why people treasure. I guess I will just have to think about this, later at my leisure! So on with the Blockheads and Mr. Dury, with the groovin' music and lyrical tomfoolery! Peace & Love.

If Dury was alive today, he'd probably call it crip-hop.

The band is just so tight. Amazing playing all around. Always loved this album.

All the band were top musicians in their own right and ians vocals were just perfect all his songs tell a story of his life and people he's seen/met

JUST DO THE WHOLE ALBUM JP ! ! ! EVERY TRACK IS PURE GOLD ! ! !👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Thanks for reacting to this one, glad you enjoyed yourself too. Please, keep doing the album New Boots and Panties, you'll not regret it.

I LOVE this song!

A true gentleman of the UK music industry, singer songwriter,actor producer, record label owner mentor to hundreds of musicians (you can hear the influence) on Madness' records of the time, Elvis Costello, stiff little fingers and so forth a great tongue in cheek is his "Noddy song". "Sex and drugs and Rock'n'roll". "There ain't half been some clever bastards". "What a waste". "I wanna be straight". And of course the brilliant "Spasticus Autisticus" was written in 1981 as a protest against the International Year of Disabled Persons, which Dury considered to be patronising. Dury was himself disabled by polio contracted in his youth. Fed up with repeated requests to get involved with charitable causes, Dury wrote an "anti-charity" song. All very articulate pokes at society of the time in the UK

At the time this was categorised as 'post-punk' or 'new-wave'. The sound evolved from a genre called 'pub rock' which became popular in the early to mid 70s as a no-frills alternative to Yes/Genesis/ELP and the like. Notable bands include Dr Feelgood, Brinsley Schwarz and (until they went commercial) Status Quo.

I enjoyed that! The album cover on _New_ _Boots_ _and_ _Panties_ must have inspired the cover of Morrissey's "Boy Racer" CD single.

What a genius......Great to hear a London accent......top geezer.

love this...nice one JP...superb

Such a great band

The tight musicianship of the Blockheads make this and other tracks highlight Ian's lyrics

So pleased you're back to this.

I'm really enjoying this album and this track is no exception. Truly, clever stuff. Ian may have written it but he still had to recite it!. I would trip up for sure. Fabulous music too, as always. I'm not sure if that sound you mentioned is called oscillation?.

What a slidy, sneakin' and creepin' about funky groove. Ian Dury certainly was not 'alf clever with words.

Excellent piece. Great bass part and swaying drums, and I also love the guitar with the phaser effect on the left and the guitar in fuzzy mode on the right ! Next stop: The funky "If I Was with a Woman".

I loved this. It was so fun. I never thought of it as rap, which I generally bounce off.

Great song. It’s how my day is probably going to go. ;). Thanks.

The effect is a 'flanger'. Typicaly applied to guitar but often on keys aswell. It makes this song for me (along with all the fantastic, tight playing).

Norman Watt-Roy on Bass

Love Ian Dury, saw them play 'Rock 'n' Royal, the free gig in Crystal Palace Park day of Charles and Dianna's wedding, so witty, so cutting and so (the real) London early 1980's. Another band worth listening to, and the album is: 'Let the Tribe Increase' by The Mob. Darker, but great. Suggestions: 'Raised in a prison'; 'I wish'; if you want something way, way out there, 'Roger'; or any of them actually.

Another great Dury song.

Doing a great job translating Ian’s use of cockney rimming slang, sometimes it makes no sense Or that’s the sense it makes. Love it. Had a great opportunity back in the day at Walthamstow art school to see Kilburn and the Highroads with Ian up front in an extra long raincoat and flat cap. Unfortunately the gig was spoilt a bit by unheard support band the Sexpistols Ian left them standing.

Essex forever rip mr Dury

Wasn't Trever(!) a roadie or something for the Kilburns or the Blockheads, hence phrases like "it takes much longer to get Up Norf . . . the slow way" 🤣🤣

My favourite Ian Dury song is, Hit you with your rhythm stick,

Not sure if I've asked before but please do a reaction to 'Wake up and make love to me' JP, great tune and Ian at his cheeky best.

Have I suggested the group JoJo Gunne and the song Run Run Run?

Lots of very English references and slang on this track. I recommend getting a copy of this album with the extra disc with Ian being interviewed over the tracks. It's well worth a listen.

I hope you're going to do "Blockheads" soon, it really rocks !

Billericay Dickie ,, A favourite of mine .. Really nasty .

At the time , in my head, it bordered on Novelty Single territory, but not in the 'Toast' or 'Agadoo' league hof course. I saw him perform live in '84, in a rather conservative Edinburgh Festival Theatre surrounding, and thought that Their Ship had Sailed. But hearing the LP here on Just JP, their artistry shines through. Dare I say though, that it echoes a spirit of Whodunnit or the wondrous "Jilted John" (gordon is a Moron) in it's attitude if not anything else. Superficially that is. and pray, do tell young sir, wot is Pop if not super fiscal? OK I'll admit it, I was a trifle too snobby too really understand Ian Dury.

Do take a listen to 'Arlene' by the wonderful Handsome family-there's a good chap:)

Norman Watts... probably the best bass player ever.

i thought this was the best lp at the time out withe the classh just class

Not the best track on the album by quite a bit, but that just makes it clear what a quality debut this was. Also Justin, many thanks mate!

Dury and the Blockheads were great, some albums a bit weaker than others. You might want to check out one of their last ones, ''Mr. Love Pants.''

Norman Whatt Roy plays bass , you should hear his work on the Glencoe album its exquisite