The gentlemen of ACR celebrate 40 years of funk in May

No sooner have I finally gotten some of A Certain Ratio into my Record Cell [finally] last year than I see that the band will be celebrating their 40 years span with the sort of boxed set that makes me stand up and take notice. Releasing on May 3rd is an ideal collection called “ACR:BOX” that stands as a sop to hardcore fans wanting to fill out their collections with rarities, and yet it would also function beautifully as a larger introduction for chastened Johnny-come-latelys like myself. It’s broken equally into single mixes and B-sides with half of the material being unreleased material.

Mute | UK | 4xCD | 2019

A Certain Ratio: ACR:BOX 4xCD UK [2019]

1. All Night Party
2. The Thin Boys
3. Blown Away
4. Son And Heir
5. Waterline
6. Funaezekea
7. Abracadubra
8. Sommadub
9. Guess Who? (12″ version)
10. Tumba Rumba
11. Knife Slits Water (12″ version)
12. Kether Hot Knives (Mix In Special)
13. I Need Someone Tonight
14. Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing
15. Life’s a Scream
16. There’s Only This
17. Si Fermir O Grido (Touch Cassette Version)
18. Brazilia 6.10
19. Sounds Like Something Dirty
20. The Runner (Greetings Four Version)
21. Inside (Greetings Four Version)
22. Bootsy (Greetings Four Version)
23. Fever 103 (Greetings Four Version)
24. Loosen Up Your Mind
25. The Planet
26. Forever (Jon Dasilva’s Testimonial Mix)
27. Turn Me on (7″ Edit)
28. Shack up (Electronic Radio Edit)
29. Houses In Motion (Demo Version 1)
30. Houses In Motion (Demo Version 2)
31. And Then Again (Another version)
32. Piu Lento (John Peel Session)
33. Nostromo A Go Go (Demo)
34. Force (Demo)
35. Backs to The Wall (Demo)
36. The Big E (Demo)
37. Every Pleasure (Demo)
38. Rivers Edge (Demo)
39. Stadium (Demo)
40. Thin Grey Line (Demo)
41. Repercussions (African Mix)
42. BTTW 90 (Demo)
43. Spirit Dance (Demo)
44. Bitter Pill (Never Released)
45. It’s Trippin When I’m Fine (Previously Unreleased)
46. Mello (JD 800 Perc Mix)
47. Tekno 4 an Answer (120bpm)
48. Samba 123 (Demo)
49. Some Day (ACR rework)
50. Happy Meal (Working Title)
51. Flight Won’t Stop (Unfinished Demo)
52. Fruit Song (Unfinished Demo)
53. Say What You Mean (Unfinished Demo)
54. W.S.L.U.

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Not only will this point to historical eras of the band for me to further investigate, but care was taken so that there was no overlap with the “ACR:SET” compilation of last year at left. Which was a single disc singles/mixes groove thang of its own. Nor was any reissue bonus material doubled up. So all of this ACR bounty exists as discrete packages to collect without fear. Of particular interest was the cover version of TVLKING HEVDS “Houses In Motion” begun as a session with Grace Jones where she never finished her time in the studio. There’s a beautiful symmetry there since David Byrne cites the influence of seeing ACR open for TVLKING HEVDS in moving that band towards the artfunk goal line.

The CDs are egalitarian. The vinyl will co$t you…

The box is released on CD/LP/Digital on May 3rd and the CDs are priced attractively at £27/$40 for 4xCDs. CD preorders are here for the UK and US, respectively. I can’t find any details on the CD set but the LP set as shown above shows a 12″x12″ box with book and seven colored vinyl LPs in a tight looking set. That bad boy will set you back £100/$132.30, so you’ve got to really want it! Vote appropriately with your money and conscience.

I’m pleased that this set exists to bolster the re-issue program that Mute had been undertaking of the albums with the albums intact but the extras in a discrete whole like this. It’s how I like to have artist albums with a fat boxed set of god I make that wraps up all of the loose ends into one mighty package like this.

It’s interesting being born at roughly the same time as The Rolling Stones. It was unusual seeing the band become the first rock band to stay together 20 years by the time I was in college. I remember them looking so old in Saturday Night Live in 1978! 40 years later, there’s now a plethora of bands celebrating 40 years together…including many of my favorites from the Post-Punk era who were the antithesis to bands like The Rolling Stones. And yet The Stones are now pointing to their 60th anniversary. Sigh.

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