Entertainment! is the debut album by English post-punk band Gang of Four, released in September 1979. This album was released on EMI in the UK and on Warner Bros. in the US.
The music on the first album shows clearly the influence of punk, yet also incorporates funk and less-obvious influences of reggae and dub, similar to other bands at the time such as Public Image Ltd., Pere Ubu, and The Pop Group. As with these other influential post-punk bands, the bass is mixed much more prominently than it typically is in rock or punk.
The album has attracted praise from rock musicians. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers stated that the first time he heard the record, “It completely changed the way I looked at rock music and sent me on my trip as a bass player.” In 2003, the album was ranked number 490 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2012, the album ranked at No. 483 on a revised list by the magazine. In March 2005, Q magazine placed the track “At Home He's a Tourist” at number 52 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
Pitchfork Media listed Entertainment! as eighth best album of the 1970s. Kurt Cobain listed it in his top fifty albums of all time.
In 2005, the band performed the album live in its entirety as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties-curated Don't Look Back series.
As of 2009, Entertainment! has sold more than 100,000 copies in the UK.
Review:
Entertainment! is one of those records where germs of influence can be traced through many genres and countless bands, both favorably and unfavorably. From groups whose awareness of genealogy spreads wide enough to openly acknowledge Gang of Four's influence (Fugazi, Rage Against the Machine), to those not in touch with their ancestry enough to realize it (rap-metal, some indie rock) – all have appropriated elements of their forefathers' trailblazing contribution. Its vaguely funky rhythmic twitch, its pungent, pointillistic guitar stoccados, and its spoken/shouted vocals have all been picked up by many. Lyrically, the album was apart from many of the day, and it still is. The band rants at revisionist history in “Not Great Men” (“No weak men in the books at home”), self-serving media and politicians in “I Found That Essence Rare” (“The last thing they'll ever do?/Act in your interest”), and sexual politics in “Damaged Goods” (“You said you're cheap but you're too much”). Though the brilliance of the record thrives on the faster material – especially the febrile first side – a true highlight amongst highlights is the closing “Anthrax,” full of barely controlled feedback squalls and moans. It's nearly psychedelic, something post-punk and new wave were never known for. With a slight death rattle and plodding bass rumble, Jon King equates love with disease and admits to feeling “like a beetle on its back.” In the background, Andy Gill speaks in monotone of why Gang of Four doesn't do love songs. Subversive records of any ilk don't get any stronger, influential, or exciting than this. All Music Guide – Andy Kellman