Basement 5 - No Ball Games 

One of my favorite bands

Ahh when music had opinions , delicious

Saw them play live just after this album came out. Top entertainment.

Found this again after too many years,great stuff,touch of killing joke too!

There are certain bands I just keep coming back to---The Ruts and Leatherface are two. And Basement 5 is another. I just can't praise these bands enough. This SENSATIONAL group is still the most overlooked and under appreciated band from the early British punk era. They released a few singles, one dub LP and their crowning achievement, the album simply titled 1965-1980. Imagine being a kid in England and hearing this the first time. . Yeow! I would have called everyone I knew and raved like a lunatic . So why wasn't this group a lot more popular? One of the problems was poor promotion by their label, Island Records. A shame since they could do an excellent job at times like their promotion of Bob Marley and the Wailers, a band they broke worldwide. Another problem could have been, what do we call this music? You know, the idiot public always needs labels. Is it rock? new wave? synth? reggae? punk? Even the usually reliable Trouser Press badly missed the boat on this one. "Basement 5 plays a blend of reggae and synth-pop (and) waffles between both forms, never quite achieving the hoped-for marriage." What a bummer! Please, do me a favor. If you like this music search out a vinyl copy of 1965-1980. The CD is out of print and so is the album, but when it comes up for auction a nice clean pressing can usually be taken down for around $30. The album is VERY well recorded and sounds tremendous on a good playback system. This band had a unique sound and I don't use the word "unique" lightly. Songs like No Ball Games and Last White Christmas (which we'll hear next) are spectacular. No Ball Games is similar to many of the other songs on their album and is beautifully played and again, a unique sound There is no one like Basement 5 and they get my highest recommendation. Do you live in a flat/ 20 floors up In small rooms with a view/ This is modern living/ For the modern man It's a brand new government plan Paranoia setting in/ Claustrophobia begins There's no way to release yourself/ 'Cause there ain't no ball games There ain't no ball games Take the familiar ride down/ In the luxury elevator Forget the stench and the filth/ And the paranoia slogans Too many empty places/ So many blank faces So you prowl around/ Like a modern man CHORUS Local animals they get a sniff of you They haven't eaten/ So they want to do you Their plan of attack/ Is the same as usual Like young lions they pounce on you Paranoia setting in/ Claustrophobia begins There's only one way to release yourself/ When there ain't no ball games There ain't no ball games/ There ain't no ball games CHORUS"

Quality music 10/10 would recommend!!!!!

Masterpiece