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Revolt Against An Age Of Plenty

by The Great Leap Forward

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  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    You also get a PDF download of the CD 16-page lyrics booklet.
    Purchasable with gift card

      £6 GBP  or more

     

  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Unfortunately we now only have B-stock available, in which the two vinyl discs are in pristine condition but the gatefold sleeves have very slight damage to a corner or corners, due to poor in-transit care by the postal courier (see examples in the photo).

    ** HENCE REDUCED PRICE **

    A 13-track vinyl extravaganza in gatefold sleeve with the lyrics on the inside. The blue (first plate) and orange (second plate) are 180g heavyweight and superbly match the artwork and colour scheme.

    Please note that this album is shipped from the UK and payment is now in British Pound Sterling.

    ALL NON-UK SHIPPING INCLUDES INTERNATIONAL TRACKING - HENCE THE COST.
    If you don't require tracking, let us know and we can reduce the cost and will refund the difference. By the way, we will ALWAYS refund you the difference if you end up paying more than the actual shipping cost.
    Also, if you buy a combination of merch e.g. Vinyl and T-shirt, then we will always look to combine shipping costs and refund you any difference.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Revolt Against An Age Of Plenty via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days

      £12 GBP or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    The limited CD edition comes in environmentally superior 6-panel gatefold sleeve and houses the 16 pages lyrics booklet.

    Please note that this CD is shipped from the UK and is now payable in British Pounds Sterling.


    ALL NON-UK SHIPPING INCLUDES INTERNATIONAL TRACKING - HENCE THE COST.
    If you don't require tracking, let us know and we can reduce the cost and will refund the difference - by the way: we'll ALWAYS refund the difference if you pay more than actual shipping costs.
    Also, if you buy a combination of merch e.g. CD and T-shirt, then we will always look to combine shipping costs and refund you any difference.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Revolt Against An Age Of Plenty via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 2 days

      £7 GBP or more 

     

1.
Play the songs, the ones that spur me on The ones that break my heart and liberate my soul I want to hear the songs - the ones that lay me low Just want to sing along with songs to die to All those tunes I remember As Vincent said: “There is no god – please remember” Play the songs, the ones that give me hope The ones that linger on and won’t let go I want to hear the songs - the ones that make me smile The ones that make me cry - my songs to die to All those tunes I remember As Vincent said: “There is no god – please remember” All those tunes I remember As Vincent said: “There is no god – please remember” Play the songs, the ones I grew up on The ones that touch my heart and galvanise my mind So put the needle on and turn the volume high You’ll never be alone with songs to die to I want to sing along with songs that make me strong Or songs that make me tired and all emotional I want to sing the songs that never let me d own My inspirationals - my songs to die to Come on and sing those songs – these are my songs from life These were my happy times, these were my crappy times I want to sing along - my god, what have we done? Je suis Le Moribond My songs to die to. Help me love, for when my brain gives up Just want to sing along with Songs for Life Please remember.
2.
Things that make me happy Things that make me glad Kids that make me chuckle Friends that make me laugh Stuff that leaves me hanging Invariably in the lurch But smiling through adversity works I can see you’re happy I can tell you’re glad These simple things in life Are just the best for mental health If this makes you happy If this makes you glad Then we have a future to shout about And as I grow much older Will those vinegar-ed chips on my shoulder Waste and fall away..? Things that make us happy Things that make us glad Things that make us wish We’d an extra ten years in the bag In a simpler life of bliss All we want is this: Lasting peace and happiness Smiling through adversity works.
3.
I don’t need your skin-deep, on-the-cheap, bullshit fairy tales I don’t need your phoney empathy or your bribes What I need instead is socially-led autonomy - My revolt against your Age of Plenty calls I don’t need your Monkey sneering at my philosophies I don’t need your media run by billionaires What I need instead is tolerance-led, and rational thinking - My revolt against this Age of Ty-Rants calls Bang the drum Reality - it does not serve our purpose So bombard their world with lies disguised as truths It’s what they want to hear, they’ll want to hear And we can fool them ‘til the votes come home I don’t need your mass consumerist any more What I need instead is peace in my head - and sanity! My revolt against this Age of Plenty calls Bang the drum.
4.
We’ve lost our faith in The Wall You lost the fight for the Soul You should be safe in The Wall But now you’re not safe at all You lost all faith in The Wall – ‘cause you went back on your word We lost all faith in your goals Because our voice wasn’t heard You know that this is what you get when trust is broken Faith in the Wall It was presumed and not earned Misplaced your faith in The Wall Misunderstand and be damned! We’ve lost our faith in The Wall You lost the fight for our Soul We should be safe in The Wall But now we’re not safe at all You know that this is what you get when trust is broken Here in the Heartlands Spurned and forsaken Taken for granted Right-eous indignation Faith in The Wall These are the “Seats Of Our Soul” We should be safe in the Wall But now there’s “tanks on the lawn” We lost all faith in The Wall It’s where you’re needed the most We should be safe in The Wall But we’re in purgatory now Here in the Heartlands Spurned and forsaken Don’t speak us language Stark retribution for you and me, love Faith in The Wall You lost the fight for the Soul We’ve no faith in The Wall We’re in purga-Tory now Here in my heart I’m Riled and exasperated As the hopes for our salvation Are lost for a generation Tribulation Again! Faith in The Wall I’m in purgatory now Lost my faith in The Wall I’m a purga-Tory now…
5.
Reassert our obligations to this land Reclaim our title as the Champions Of Britishness Consideration and responsibility Want to spend my time doing some things that are of value Get out and make a little difference to your world Selfishness, arrogance corrupting our communities It’s not impossible for us to make it change Want to spend my days a-feeling good about myself Want to demonstrate that I’m a human Give back – ’cause giving back is good for you Claiming back a country to be proud of – proud of! Fight back – no laissez-faire disunity Claiming back a country that we’re proud of – proud of! We could do better with the time that’s on our hands Coronavirus shows that it is more than possible May just be small bits but then every little helps Come away more positive and feeling that I’m useful Those that take advantage they must be held to account They spoil our cities and pollute our green environments Uphold the rights of all us many not the few Want to spend my time a-working for the common good Want to show my offering has impact Give back – ’cause giving back is good for you Claiming back a country to be proud of – proud of! Fight back – no laissez-faire disunity Claiming back a country that we’re proud of – proud of! Good for you! Become a volunteer and give your time away Pick up some litter and support your local charities Make sure the neighbour who’s a granny is ok Go the extra mileage and give of yourself! I want a sense of purpose and to really contribute Want to be respected as a human being Give back – ’cause giving back is good for you Claiming back a country to be proud of – proud of! Fight back – no laissez-faire disunity Claiming back a country that we’re proud of – proud of! Good for you! Do it today.
6.
dEBRA 2021 02:50
Singing songs for Debra Writing words she’d never see, and Cursing This Audacity! Here I am losing face with Debra As profit motive sets the pace And privilege re-incarnates Falling out of the trees Hanging on as these One-aim bandits strive to undermine us Implanting greed as efficiency And to hell with need Well, I’d move the earth for Debra If I don’t somebody else will In Kremlin or Capitol Hill I’m working flexitime for Debra Here’s monetary evidence – Should I pay the rent or buy more drinks? Buy more drinks! Turning up at your door Turning up as before Uninvited, ten feet small I’ll eat an apple a day - eat an apple a day It keeps our foes at bay Fearing hard for Debra These clownheads put too much at stake So before we all go and dance down the Foodbank Way I will spend an hour with Debra – She’s smiling and exquisitely frayed Superlative for her age Sitting tall in the sun Sit and talk in the sun We watch the High Street close around us Still closing down the years No fulfilment here Uncertain in this hazy future When will this story end?
7.
In your head there’s a psychopath frenzy From your mouth there’s a cynical snarl In your eyes a dismissive impatience Withering scorn for society’s “noise” And the way that you master your puppets Riding roughshod over rules in the way Sneer and smirk behind the mask of Rasputin Pulling the strings in your “ideas” crusade Words on fire Save us from messiahs and people-blinkered thinkers Words on fire Save us from the rantings of robot puppet-masters Words on fire Save us from the zealots’ tongue And in your mind you’re the anarchist Head-Chef Nothing gets in the way of your goals In your ego there’s your own self-importance But in your heart there’s a massive big hole What’s intelligence without emotions? Innovation without Humanity? But all the zealots go to Logical Heaven Free from our failing mediocracy Words on fire Save us from messiahs and people-blinkered thinkers Words on fire Save us from the rantings of robot puppet-masters Words on fire Save us from the zealots’ tongue Words on fire Words on fire Words on fire Save us from the rantings of robot puppet masters Words on fire Words on fire Words on fire Words on fire Words on fire Words on fire Save us from messiahs and people-blinkered thinkers
8.
We’ve come full circle, lived through our eto Entered the geju We are the re-born: The Second Lives So farewell to troubled bygones Welcome our Springtime We are the re-born: The Second Lives And thanks for our funky red caps They will protect us, as we untangle and re-energise Here’s our new stage of life Offload those years gone by Starting again is nice Two can mek it– two kanreki Our newfound childhood is in our now-hood In celebration We are the re-born: The Second Lives It’s time to focus on new ways Good yakudoshi We are the re-born: The Second Lives So thanks for our red chanchanko They will protect us, as we untangle and re-energise Here’s our new stage of life Offload those years gone by Starting again is nice Two can mek it– two kanreki In our new stage of life Upwards and onwards as Starting again is nice We can tek it – do kanreki You can too kanreki Here’s our new stage of life Offload those years gone by Starting again is nice Two can mek it– two kanreki In our new stage of life Upwards and onwards as Starting again is nice… So! Bye bye - we’ve come full circle Entered the geju We are the re-born: The Second Lives Farewell to troubled bygones Here comes our Springtime We are the re-born: The Second Lives Thanks for the red chanchanko And funky red caps They will protect us as we resurrect It’s time to begin our new youth Good yakudoshi We are the re-born - the Second Lives Here’s our new stage of life Offload those years gone by Starting again is nice Two can mek it– two kanreki In our new stage of life Upwards and onwards as Starting again is nice We can tek it - do kanreki Here’s our new stage of life Offloading years gone by Starting again is nice Two can mek it– two kanreki In our new stage of life Upwards and onwards as Starting again is nice We can tek it – do kanreki You can too kanreki.
9.
We met upon the station Standard class together for the journey ahead Got married in an old church Saw the kids through school - and those lean years beyond Got jobs and paid our taxes Saved up for those rainy days and those in the sun Bought a house with lovely garden Where we laughed and cried and sang and drank ‘til the dawn Living in a life more ordinary In our life more ordinary Our hope shines through We cleared our debts and millstones Made the time to take a trip around the world Paid off our debt to “Big Society” Gave away some money to the less-fortunate Looked after ageing family members Cried a lot when oh, they passed away Living in a life more ordinary In our life more ordinary In this life more ordered: We will cede control to cunning clowns The blatant lies that grind us down Life more ordinary – ha ha ha ha Life more ordinary – ha ha ha ha In our life. In this life more ordinary Our hope shines through If this is the right wing then who’s on the left wing? “You’re just ordinary” Life more ordinary Life more ordinary Life more ordinary If this is the starter then serve up the main course Life more ordinary If this is the B-side then please play the A-side Life More ordinary If this is the B-side then please play the A-side
10.
When the Truth comes to light We stifle, we stonewall Stand aloof and patronise We’re boasting, self-toasting, arrogant liars It’s a wonderful lie – it’s a wonderful lie Deny everything that we’ve messed up in Tell a wonderful lie – hypocritical smile Whitewash everything, avoid that scrutiny When the Truth hits the pan And we’re caught with our pants down Forced to lose the party line And support those services That we’ve always starved and deprived It’s a wonderful lie – it’s a wonderful lie Reject anything that seeks to place the blame Tell a wonderful lie – we’re the pigs in the sky Brainwash the electorate until they forget We’ll just say what we like, so here’s a world-beating lie: “We now love our NHS and we’ll keep it safe” It’s a wonderful lie It’s a wonderful lie Two-faced and ludicrous Blaming someone else It’s a wonderful lie It’s a wonderful lie - shout the mouth and then hide Not worth resigning for - instead we’re “learning from” It’s a wonderful lie – take the trip, test your eyes Denying everything that we’ve messed up in It’s a wonderful lie - it’s a wonderful lie Accountability is a fallacy It’s a wonderful lie (It’s a wonderful lie - though ironically fine Watching Conservatives turning socialists… Finding money all right when the need should arise Shocked interventionists forced to splash the cash It’s a wonderful sight - though for a very short time We watched scared Conservatives turning socialists...)
11.
Don’t, don’t let me down Or suffer in silence My world is not my own anymore Sit me down Turn me round Hold my hand so much tighter I just need to find some time, so Don’t, don’t let me drown Or stonewall the niceties My voice is not my own anymore Wear the crown, Zopi Clown Who knows what your mind is there thinking Behind the vacant blanket stares So don’t…. Ease my soul Ease my soul Ease my soul Don’t let me … Don’t, don’t let me frown Ease my soul Ease my soul Ease my soul Don’t, don’t let me drown Or suffer in silence Or lock me up in silos My life is not my own My voice is not my own My world is not my own
12.
Hey love, let’s talk new worlds About a vision of heaven here on Earth We are the Children of Brute Force serving brute lords But they will hold their tongues when our Kingdom comes For in my Dream Time of “How It Should Be” time All those vultures are dead men – their gods are damned There’ll be no State Obedience tugging at our heart strings We’ll throw those chains away when our Kingdom comes When our Kingdom comes Build your future - tell me what it looks like? What’s your vision – what’s your paradise? Build your workforce – who can help you get there? How will you know it? And in our freedom from Acquiescence No more money-hyenas gnawing at our bones Say “No!” to Death and Boredom - we’ll keep our lives open Then our veg will grow, when our Kingdom comes For in the daylight, life will touch life It’s where our flowers flourish – in the Sun There’ll be no subjugation to wither and stifle us So our sap will rise when our Kingdom comes When our Kingdom comes Build your future - tell me what it looks like? What’s your vision – what’s your paradise? Build your workforce – who can help you get there? How will you know it when you have arrived? Heaven: here on Earth And why not NOW Here on Earth? When our Kingdom comes Here on Earth
13.
Ghosts from the Hand and the Rose Fly ‘cross the passing years to mind me Whispered mantra that calls: This is why you are, and where you are from All those lives I remember Please remember Milestones and millstones galore Life-changing happenings that mould us Share both suffering and joy The consanguinity that binds us All these things I remember Please remember Sutton-On-Seaside with a dad I never really got to know We’d catch the early morning train waves as they broke on the sea wall steps below Or driving round the mourning mountains in the orange Bug and in the rain Those Ulster summer days with the Blood, with the Saved, but against the grain Here’s my great uncle’s sepia photo - he’s in his army best And The Commonwealth Grave, in northern France where his short life came to rest Or seeing the dark in my brother’s eyes - the end wasn’t long after A lifetime beating the odds but now silence…and forgotten laughter All those things to remember All these lives in remembrance All these things I remember Oh, please remember Aye We’re scared of living We’re proud of living We’re dying to live it Aye We died to live it We died - you’re living We’ve died - you’re loving Please remember. When I die, re-live it.

about

Nine years on from his last album release, Alan Brown returns as The Great Leap Forward with a powerful new LP ‘Revolt Against An Age Of Plenty’.

Vigorous, scintillating and life-affirming, this 13-song album sees Brown reach a milestone birthday, and amongst the trademark political and social commentary vignettes features some quite personal reflection on recent life-changing events. To add even further depth and colour to an already wide-ranging collection of songs, Brown pays homage to his musical heroes throughout with musical nods here and there as a belated thanks for their early influence.

‘Revolt Against An Age Of Plenty’ continues the TGLF ethos that has been maintained since 1987, but in arguably and unsurprisingly a much more rounded, mature and cohesive manner than previous releases.

credits

released July 30, 2021

A Communications Unique & A Turntable Friends Records collaboration
A Turntable Friend Records catalogue: TURN77LP, TURN77CD

All songs written and performed by Alan Brown, except dEBRA2021 based on the original version by bIG*fLAME (Brown/Green/Keeffe)
©2021 Alan Brown Copyright Control

Mixed, produced and mastered at Otterhead Studios by Ant Chapman and Alan Brown
anthonychapmanaudio.com
www.otterheadstudios.com/home
aturntablefriendrecords.bandcamp.com
Sleeve artwork by Ian Cheeseright / Alan Brown / Simon Williams
Audiovisuals: Richard Gardner www.richardgardner.tv

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The Great Leap Forward

The Great Leap Forward (1986-?) is the very long term solo project of Alan Brown - former member of John Peel favourites bIG*fLAME, A Witness, Inca Babies, Sarandon.

Incisive political and social commentary layered on top of sharp yet melodic guitar pop music.
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