The Streets:
The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living

Release Date: 10 April 2006

Reviewed By: Lloyd Vaughan

1. Prangin' Out

2. War Of The Sexes

3. Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living

4. All Goes Out The Window

5. Memento Mori

6. Can't Con An Honest John

7. When You Wasn't Famous

8. Never Went To Church

9. Hotel Expressionism

10. Two Nations

11. Fake Streets Hats

Babyblue - Out Of The Blue
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Brummy Mike Skinner’s formula of conveying street life in his “mockney” spoken dialect launched 2002’s ‘Original Pirate Material’ to the top of the charts. Mike’s pioneering style made him the poet for the modern day geeza, taking his interpretations of life and mixing it with Oscar Wilde-like, creative deliverance. Mike then prevailed with the 2004’s ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’. The multi-platinum album coupled pertinent production to add interest to a constant narration of losing a grand, thinking it had been stolen only to find it down the back of his broken telly; a unique storyline that transcended into a unique offering. The third instalment and the new chapter in Mike Skinner’s illustrious career sees him at the top of the celebrity food-chain. No more street life; swapping Burberry for Saville Row, but instead of treating the audience to a narration of luxury and stardom, he instead paints a rather different picture.

The album is a self-help guide; an 11-track, 40 minute counselling session for Mike that has seen him become susceptible to the celebrity comedown. The champagne fountain has stopped flowing and the perks of notoriety, the death of his father 2 years ago, and an unsuccessful chase of a same-breed, celebrity starlet has left a bad taste in Mike’s mouth, which needed cleansing during this release.

The opening track ‘Prangin’ Around’ sets the album’s theme and with the opening lines, (“I get back from touring Sunday/It doesn’t seem much fun to be off your face at quarter-to-eleven am”), the listener is instantly captivated by Skinner’s brutal and subversive honesty. Skinner informs the listener that ‘prang’, aka ‘tour support’, aka ‘cocaine’, has been an inanimate but stimulating friend that has led to bouts of paranoia. ‘All Goes Out The Window’ is the equivalent to the successful ‘Dry Your Eyes’, with Mike talking about trust in relationships. Meanwhile, ‘Can’t Con An Honest John’ with its grime-inspired beat informs the listener of a method of conning someone from Mike Skinner’s deepest, secret psyche.

The first single release, ‘When You Wasn’t Famous’ is the true story of Mike’s pursuit of a celebrity girl that knocked him back to square one in the dating game. The track unearths the dark truth behind that petroleum jelly smile and Heat magazine celeb lifestyle with the sentiment, “Considering the amount of prang you’d done you looked amazing on CD:UK”. ‘Never Went To Church’ is the second single release and will leave even a happy-slapper addict crying on his camera phone as Skinner unveils a heart-wrenching track telling of the loss of his father, which is sure to move you - look what happened to ‘Dry Your Eyes’. ‘Hotel Expressionism’ is Skinner’s look at the art of hotel vandalism 'throwing the TV out of the window is nothing but weak cliché', whilst ‘Two Nations’ assesses celebrity culture Stateside. The track details how America grow talent and then maniacs shoot them like Notorious B.I.G., and how we gave them John Lennon…and they shot him too.

The album is a tail of twisted woe, which although lacks the unique edge of his first offering and the immersive, constant narrative of the second, the latest offering completes a trilogy, adds a unique edge and does little to knock Mike Skinner off his throne as a creative, ‘Honest John’.

Rating 4.5 out of 5

Top 3 tracks:
8. Never Went To Church
4. All Goes Out The Window
1. Prangin’ Out

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