When these venerable Irish punks joined the early-'90s reunion parade, few gave them any chance of going the distance, especially after a decidedly iffy comeback album,
Flags & Emblems
(1991). However, a funny thing happened four years later: singer-guitarist
Jake Burns
figured out how to make those shopworn
pop-punk
chords ring true again, yielding one of the band's finest outings. The title track's martial denunciation of apathy sets an appropriate back-to-basics tone. Topical
is the blueprint, with
Burns
slinging blasts against social complacency (
"No Laughing Matter"
), police corruption (
"Forensic Evidence"
), anti-immigrant bias (
"Harp"
), and the end of Communism (
"The Night That the Wall Came Down"
). Studio-wise, former
Jam
bassist
Bruce Foxton
plays an effective foil to
, while drummer
Dolphin Taylor
's unflagging rat-a-tat-tat keeps the proceedings taut and focused. The production is as crisp and business-like as the songs themselves. Rounding off matters are "unplugged" remakes of the standards
"Silver Lining,"
"Wasted Life,"
and the later-era fare of
"Listen"
-- as well as live versions of
Foxton
's major
credit,
"Smithers-Jones,"
and
"Alternative Ulster,"
the single that launched the band's career. Solid melodies and performances enable
Get a Life
to outstrip the rickety material and execution that usually dogs most returning bands. In this respect,
Stiff Little Fingers
' story parallels that of the
Buzzcocks
, who've aged equally well, even if the chart hits don't follow anymore. ~ Ralph Heibutzki