I sat down and tried to create an “appropriate” blog entry for my first guest blog spot on Break Thru Radio this week. I thought if I made an “appropriate” entry that it would fit in better and possibly be better received or liked. But I realize, after beginning this journey, that I’ve never been one to merely write things that were “appropriate”. Timely, perhaps, but never “appropriate”.

As I sat here stewing about what to write, the credits for The Sopranos episode were rolling and this song grabbed me by my ear and dragged me into the other room. The guy was doing what could possibly be considered “rap” over a very avant-garde electronic beat — something about “bloody chickentown”. No, did I hear that correctly? “Bloody chickentown”??

I ran and opened up a search engine and started typing in lyrics in hopes of a hit. To my good fortune, I got one. Welcome, then, to the 1980 release by John Cooper Clarke entitled Snap, Crackle & Bop, the gloriously unfettered semantic rumblings of a punk poet set to music by The Invisible Girls (a loosely-knit group which featured Pete Shelley and Bill Nelson among its notable ranks). According to his Wikipedia entry, he is considered “The Bard of Salford”, hailing from this section of Manchester, England whose works were far more pioneering than perhaps the recognition they received. Opening for acts such as Elvis Costello, The Buzzcocks, and The Sex Pistols, Clarke made a name for himself (and several records under that name) during the era in which punk rock was spreading its virus outward from its developmental renaissance in Britain.

Unlike the acts with whom he was both friendly and performing with, Clarke never quite made a name for himself stateside. The reasons are undoubtedly two-fold: firstly, his works are steeped in British cultural references and nomenclature. Secondly, Clarke spent the better part of the 1980’s struggling with his addiction to heroin. Further, according to Wikipedia, Clarke was living and involved with, either romantically or addictively, one-time member of the Velvet Underground Nico.

Clarke’s works (which occasion to remind one of Ian Dury & The Blockheads, Robyn Hitchcock or even Art Brut) while quite brilliant musically and poetically, are not entirely accessible works; the songs come out frequently so avant-garde as to initiate stand-up comedy potential. Having apparently recovered from his addictions sufficiently, Clarke has embraced his humor with dignity and humility as he continues to perform live around England.

Here are two excellent examples of Clarke’s genius, the first of which appears in season 6, episode 79 of The Sopranos entitled “Evidently Chickentown”, and the appropriately-titled “I Don’t Want To Be Nice”.

Listen to John Cooper Clarke’s “Evidently Chickentown”

Listen to John Cooper Clarke’s “I Don’t Want To Be Nice”

John Cooper Clarke’s official homepage is replete with information on him. Click here to find out more about his poetry and humor. You can purchase Snap, Crackle & Bop from iTunes UK by clicking here.

Visit John Cooper Clarke on MySpace simply by clicking here and purchase songs directly as well.