The album would be the last studio album he would make before his death in 2000 of colorectal cancer. It was his first studio album for five years following The Bus Driver's Prayer & Other Stories in 1992 and his first studio album with The Blockheads for 17 years since Laughter in 1980 and is considered by many to be the true successor to his 1977 album New Boots and Panties!! - on his BBC documentary Dury dismissed all of the albums between Do It Yourself and Mr. Love Pants as inferior. The album took around four years to complete and the writing commenced at Acre Farm, Twyford, near Reading, Berkshire, in 1993. Initially Chaz Jankel worked with Ian Dury after returning from living in America for most of the eighties, but arguments between the two and soundman Ian Horne led to Jankel leaving. However, at least two songs, "Itinerant Child" and "Bed O' Roses No. 9", were written before he left. Deserted, Dury called Merlin Rhys-Jones who had been in the Music Students. They wrote ten songs together before arguments over money caused Rhys-Jones to leave. Two of these would eventually make the album: "Jack Shit George" and "Cacka Boom". It is generally considered that Ian Dury's first bout with cancer is what prompted him to reform The Blockheads and work with them solely, which he would do for the rest of his life. Ian Dury's new minder, Derek Hussey a.k.a. Derek the Draw, managed to get Jankel and Dury talking again, if only for a bizarre phonecall from Dury regarding touring America and a fictitious uncle of Jankel's. This led to Jankel having his solicitor write to Dury and Mickey Gallagher saying he would never play with the band again, though he relented after discovering Dury had cancer. The album was recorded at Air Studios, which was also being used by Michael Jackson and was surprisingly trouble free compared to the troublesome recording sessions usually caused by Ian Dury, again his personality changes are attributed to his first bout with cancer - the only major incident being Dury randomly deciding to replace new drummer Steve Monti with Bernard Purdie but after constant opposition from his band Dury relented. "Itinerant Child" was to be released as Ian Dury & The Blockhead's first single in 17 years and a video was recorded but East Central One nixed the idea. In the end "Mash it Up Harry" was released instead on both CD and 12" record.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Ian Dury and Chaz Jankel; unless otherwise stated
