View source for Inflammable Material

{{About|the musical album|information about materials that will burn|Flammability}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Inflammable Material
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Stiff Little Fingers]]
| cover        = SLFInflammableMaterial.jpg
| released     = February 2, 1979
| recorded     = November 1–13, 1978 at Spaceward Studios, Cambridge (Apart from "Alternative Ulster" recorded Island Studios, London May 1978)
| venue        = 
| studio       = 
| genre        = [[Punk rock]]
| length       = 41:08
| label        = [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]
| producer     = [[Geoff Travis]], [[Mayo Thompson]], [[Doug Bennett (record producer)|Doug Bennett]], Ed Hollis (B4)
| year         = 1979
| next_title   = [[Nobody's Heroes (album)|Nobody's Heroes]]
| next_year    = 1980
}}

'''''Inflammable Material''''' is the debut album by the [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] punk band [[Stiff Little Fingers]]. Released in 1979, at the height of [[The Troubles]], most of the album's tracks detail the grim reality of life in Northern Ireland in times of polarisation and conflict, with songs containing themes such as teenage boredom, [[Social inequality|deprivation]], [[sectarian violence]] and [[Royal Ulster Constabulary|police]] [[Police brutality|brutality]].

== Background ==
Stiff Little Fingers were formed in 1977, just as the [[Punk rock|punk movement]] was rising in the UK. Frontman [[Jake Burns|Jake Burns']] previous band, named Highway Star (which also included SLF members [[Henry Cluney]] and [[Brian Faloon]]), had been a rock covers band. However, as the band discovered punk they reoriented, renaming themselves to Stiff Little Fingers and altering their line-up. In a 2019 interview, Burns said he 'loved the visceral power of [punk]' and the '[Middle] fingers up to the rock establishment aspect.' He was particularly inspired by [[the Clash]] 'writing about their lives in a way that really hit home', highlighting their song [[Career Opportunities (song)|Career Opportunities]] as a prime example.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Rabid |first=Jack |date=2019-02-18 |title=Inflammable Material at 40 |url=https://rockandrollglobe.com/punk/a-conversation-with-stiff-little-fingers-jake-burns-on-the-punk-classics-anniversary-while-looking-back-at-belfast-during-the-troubles/ |access-date=2023-12-09 |website=Rock and Roll Globe |language=en-US}}</ref> Another event which caused SLF to reorient towards punk rock was the 'Battle of Bedford Street', a riot outside of [[Ulster Hall]] in October 1977 which erupted due to the cancellation of a Clash performance. In terms of the band realising they were 'not alone' in the [[Ulster]] punk scene, the aborted Clash show was 'huge'.<ref name=":0" />

The album was recorded in 1978, mostly at Spaceward Studios in [[Cambridge]], except for '[[Alternative Ulster (song)|Alternative Ulster]]', which was recorded at [[Basing Street Studios|Island Studios]] in [[London]]. The process was described by Burns as being done 'very quickly' and 'as if we were playing a live gig', due to the band's lack of knowledge in studio recording.<ref name=":0" />

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/inflammable-material-mw0000654509 |title=Inflammable Material – Stiff Little Fingers |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=5 July 2017 |last=Jurek |first=Thom}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2score = A−<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2005/04/11/ew-reviews-latest-album-reissues |title=EW reviews the latest album reissues |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=11 April 2005 |access-date=17 June 2016 |last=Sinclair |first=Tom}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |issue=185 |date=December 2001 |page=165}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=975 |date=2 June 2005 |last=Fields |first=Gaylord |page=79}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Stiff Little Fingers |last=Swenson |first=John |title=The New Rolling Stone Record Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Marsh |editor1-first=Dave |editor1-link=Dave Marsh |editor2-last=Swenson |editor2-first=John |publisher=[[Random House]]/Rolling Stone Press |edition=2nd |year=1983 |isbn=0-394-72107-1 |page=491}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{sfn|Bushell|1979}}
}}
On its initial release, Paul Morley of the ''[[NME]]'' declared that "even more so than ''[[Never Mind The Bollocks]]'' – which turned out to be comedy – much more so than [[The Clash (album)|''The Clash'']] – which turned out to be quaint – as astonishing in its impact as [[Ramones (album)|''The Ramones'']], ''Inflammable Material'' is the classic punk rock record."{{sfn|Morley|1979}} Morley went on to note the album was a "crushing contemporary commentary, brutally inspired by blatant bitter rebellion and frustration" concluding that "There are parts of ''Inflammable Material'' that are not just exciting or stimulating but quite humbling. It is a remarkable document."{{sfn|Morley|1979}}  Garry Bushell of ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' also praised the album, declaring it "a magnificent slice of vintage punk played fast and frantic, and loaded with powerful lyrics and forceful hooks barked out with anger and conviction by the man with the permanent sore throat, vocalist/lead guitarist Jake Burns."{{sfn|Bushell|1979}} Bushell concluded that "Stiffs to be one of the most impressive old style punk bands to have broken surface in recent times, and my worries are mostly for the future: will their music progress or stagnate?"{{sfn|Bushell|1979}}

==Track listing==
All tracks composed by Jake Burns and Gordon Ogilvie; except where indicated

{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1 = [[Suspect Device (song)|Suspect Device]]
| length1 = 2:36
| title2 = State of Emergency
| length2 = 2:29
| writer2 = Jake Burns
| title3 = Here We Are Nowhere
| length3 = 1:00
| writer3 = Henry Cluney
| title4 = Wasted Life
| length4 = 3:10
| writer4 = Jake Burns
| title5 = No More of That
| length5 = 2:04
| writer5 = Henry Cluney
| title6 = Barbed Wire Love
| length6 = 3:33
| title7 = White Noise
| length7 = 1:57
| title8 = Breakout
| length8 = 3:04
| writer8 = Jake Burns
| total_length = 19:53
}}{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title1 = Law and Order
| length1 = 3:14
| title2 = Rough Trade
| length2 = 2:41
| title3 = Johnny Was
| length3 = 8:12
| writer3 = [[Bob Marley]]
| title4 = [[Alternative Ulster (song)|Alternative Ulster]]
| length4 = 2:45
| title5 = Closed Groove
| length5 = 4:25
| total_length = 21:17
}}

The 2001 [[EMI]] CD reissue added the following tracks:

{{Track listing
| headline = 2001 EMI CD reissue
| title1 = Suspect Device (single version)
| length1 = 2:44
| title2 = 78 RPM
| length2 = 2:38
| title3 = Jake Burns Interview Pt. 1
| length3 = 17:41
| total_length = 23:03
}}

The reissue includes the first part of an interview of Jake Burns by [[Alan Parker (author)|Alan Parker]] (the second part is included in the reissue of ''[[Nobody's Heroes (album)|Nobody's Heroes]]'').

==Chart Position==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1979)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|{{center|[[United Kingdom]]}}
|{{center|14}}
|}
This was the first album on an independent record label to enter the UK Top Twenty.<ref>Cranna, Ian (1979) "Rough Charm", ''[[Smash Hits]]'', EMAP National Publications Ltd, 4–17 October 1979, p.&nbsp;6–7</ref>

==Personnel==
;Stiff Little Fingers
*[[Jake Burns]] – vocals, [[guitar]]
*[[Henry Cluney]] – guitar, vocals
*[[Ali McMordie]] – [[bass guitar|bass]], vocals
*[[Brian Faloon]] – [[drum kit|drums]]
with:
*Andy Kelly – [[bassoon]] on "Alternative Ulster"
;Technical
*[[Geoff Travis]] – producer
*[[Mayo Thompson]] – producer
*Mike Kemp – engineer
*Doug Bennett – producer
*Ed Hollis – producer on "Alternative Ulster"

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/stiff-little-fingers-inflammable-material-rough-trade|title=Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material (Rough Trade)*****|last=Bushell|first=Garry|work=[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]|date=February 10, 1979|accessdate=December 7, 2021|via=Rock's Backpages|url-access=subscription}}
* {{cite web|url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/stiff-little-fingers-inflammable-material-rough-trade-2|title=Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material (Rough Trade)|last=Morley|first=Paul|work=[[NME]]|date=November 10, 1979|accessdate=December 7, 2021|via=Rock's Backpages|url-access=subscription}}

{{Stiff Little Fingers}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Stiff Little Fingers albums]]
[[Category:1979 debut albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mayo Thompson]]
[[Category:Rough Trade Records albums]]
[[Category:Celluloid Records albums]]
[[Category:Restless Records albums]]
[[Category:EMI Records albums]]
[[Category:Chrysalis Records albums]]
[[Category:Parlophone albums]]
[[Category:Works about The Troubles (Northern Ireland)]]
[[Category:Albums recorded at Spaceward studios]]