Various - Product Of The Environment mp3 album

Almost everybody I played this record to was dumbfounded. An instant classic: Gangster Rap of sorts with ex-convicts, quite a few professional killers among them, telling you "Crime does not pay" with haunting music producing an intense and appropriate counter point. The individual songs bearing the names of the characters narrating their individual stories. And "Dave Courtney" capable of keeping an open-minded crew dancing their butts off. (So at this point I disagree with guzzer's review.)Some people said: poor production, but the irresistible quality escaped but a few.Recommended to those taking delight in the groovy misanthropy of Steven Jesse Bernstein's Prison.

A very underrated record. Gareth Bowden is related to studio owner and underworld character Jack Adams, and was able to get interviews with some of the more noteable South London criminals of the 50s and 60s and set these to trip hoppy soundscapes. Some of it is very effective - the track of the late Tony Lambrianou talking about the Kray Twins and the murder of Jack The Hat McVitie is particularly chilling, as is "Mad" Frankie Fraser's description of corporal punishment in British prisons in the post war years, all set to appropriate dark soundracks - think Pre Millenium Tension era Tricky. It doesn't all work - Dave Courtney sounds like a charlatan, train robber Tommy Wisbey like he's not all there, but in general its a great and undersppreciated record. There was supposed to be a follow up with 60s boxers, but it doesn't seem to eventuated. Shame!