Do It Yourself

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of this 1979 album from British pub and punk rock singer/songwriter. Do It Yourself was Dury's first album with the full line-up of The Blockheads, who brought the live tightness and excitement developed after a year on the road into the studio. It reached #2 in the album chart, spending four months in the listings. This casebound book edition features three fabulous non-album singles, Ian Dury's most successful releases: What A Waste (a # 9 hit), Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (# 1) and Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3? (# 3). Also featured are the legendary b-side There Ain't Half Been Some Clever Bastards and the 6:40 12? version of Reasons... The seventeen track bonus disc features six fascinating demos (all unissued until 2004) recorded in November 1978, along with the Dury and The Blockheads' complete eleven song set at Leicester University during the Live Stiffs tour of autumn 1977 (nine tracks unissued until 2004). The booklet features full annotation by acknowledged expert Will Birch, all the lyrics, and Dury ephemera.