Entertainment! is the debut album by English post-punk band Gang of Four, released in September 1979. This album was released on EMI in the UK and on Warner Bros. in the US.
The music on the first album shows clearly the influence of punk, yet also incorporates funk and less-obvious influences of reggae and dub, similar to other bands at the time such as Public Image Ltd., Pere Ubu, and The Pop Group. As with these other influential post-punk bands, the bass is mixed much more prominently than it typically is in rock or punk.
The album has attracted praise from rock musicians. Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers stated that the first time he heard the record, "It completely changed the way I looked at rock music and sent me on my trip as a bass player." In 2003, the album was ranked number 490 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2012, the album ranked at No. 483 on a revised list by the magazine. In March 2005, Q magazine placed the track At Home He's a Tourist at number 52 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
Pitchfork Media listed Entertainment! as eighth best album of the 1970s. Kurt Cobain listed it in his top fifty albums of all time.
Tracklisting
- Ether
- Natural's Not In It
- Not Great Men
- Damaged Goods
- Return The Gift
- Guns Before Butter
- I Found That Essence Rare
- Glass
- Contract
- At Home He's A Tourist
- 5-45
- Love Like Anthrax
- I Found That Essence Rare
- Glass
- Contract
- At Home He's A Tourist
- 5.45
- Love Like Anthrax