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Hey there Sorry Staters, what’s up?
Writing to you today on Martin Luther King Day here in the US, which is corresponding with the Inauguration Ceremony for the new President. God help us all. Thankfully, I had an excuse to get out of the house and not wallow in despair, as I had my radio show to do, and we made it all about celebrating MLK. Hopefully spinning some Soul and Gospel records and putting that good music and positive messages out into the air can be considered my act of service for the day.
One record I brought along and was glad to include on the show was the album by Arrested Development called Don’t Fight Your Demons, released in 2020.
I missed getting a vinyl copy when it first came out, but a couple of years ago it got a reissue and I made sure to snag myself one. I think around that time I was fortunate enough to see them perform live here in Raleigh at a special one-off benefit show. They were incredible, and just as memorable and impactful as they were when I first saw them some twenty-five or so years ago.
I wouldn’t claim to be a super-fan of theirs, but still have their first couple of records and a few 12”s in my collection. Their brand of socially conscious hip-hop combined with a pop sensibility and good times vibes always hits the spot.
Don’t Fight Your Demons is packed full of great tracks. I played one called Young Americans on the show today, but could have gone with any of several others that would have fitted in and been appropriate for the day. There’s a little bit of something for everyone on this record. You get the politics; this record came out in the tumult of 2020, and coincidentally at the same time as Public Enemy came out with a new record. You get the intelligence, you get humor, you get club bangers and head-nodders, all on the same record. What a good Hip-Hop record is all about. Credit to the group, in particular Speech and to producer Configa, who give the record a contemporary and current sound. Aided by some guest MCs and vocalists, the result is a very satisfying album that was perfect for the moment it was released and still sounds fresh these few years later. Arrested Development certainly do not have any expiration date. They’ve been at it solidly these past thirty years or so, releasing quality records and rocking any stage they perform on.
With what promises to be in our future these next few years, we need groups like Arrested Development more than ever. Pull this one up and give it a listen if you haven’t in a while or let it slip by you first time around.
Cheers – Dom