Jah Wobble: “A Very British Coup” (2020) CD Review

Things are so crazy out there right now, what with the pandemic and protests and a demented would-be dictator who doesn’t care about either, that many of us have forgotten about the whole so-called “Brexit” thing. Remember that? It was a big deal. Did it happen already? I honestly don’t know. Anyway, toward the end of 2019 (remember that year? It was like two decades ago), bass player Jah Wobble (the original bass player of Public Image Ltd.) put out a vinyl release titled A Very British Coup to mark the occasion. It sold out quickly in Europe, but at the beginning of this year, it was released on CD here in the states. And it’s bloody great. The disc contains four different versions of the song “A Very British Coup,” while the original vinyl edition had only three. Joining Jah Wobble on this release are Keith Levene (of The Clash and Public Image Ltd.) on guitar, Richard Dudanski (of Public Image Ltd.) on drums, Mark Stewart (of The Pop Group) on vocals, Martin “Youth” Glover (of Killing Joke) on bass and keyboards, Andrew Weatherall on loops, Nina Walsh on loops, and Charlie Wardle on Chinese harp.

The first version on the disc is the longest, at more than six minutes, and it features some excellent work on guitar, and of course on bass. I love the attitude, the bite in the vocal delivery of lines like “City rats” and “Secret Britain” and “Sick souvenirs.” It is a cool track, but also there is something kind of catchy about this song, which I wasn’t expecting. Interestingly, the second half of the track contains a list of some cultural items, including a nod to Honeymoon On Mars, an album by The Pop Group. Then we get the “Radio Edit” version, which is the shortest version, at just over four minutes. It does include that list section, and also keeps that short percussion section right before the end.

Things get different with the “Dogma” version, which actually begins with the “Lost Weekend/Honeymoon On Mars” section, but with a stranger electronic sound, the great and catchy bass line running underneath, keeping the pulse of the piece. This version really focuses on the spoken word section, and if you listen to it with headphones, about halfway through, there is sort of like a little discussion going on between your right ear and left ear. There is more of an electronic vibe to this version, and I like the repetition of “Bullshit detector.” It ends with the line “Even the devil sold his soul.” That is followed by the “Youth Dub” version, which is the track that was not included on the original vinyl release. This one, like the main version, begins with the line “What they didn’t want the world to know,” though perhaps delivered just a bit slower. The song then takes on that reggae beat, going through different phases; sometimes the tune has a bright feel, and sometimes it has a more twisted or alien sense about it. The line “If only you knew” is repeated and so emphasized. This is a good version to dance to.

CD Track List

1. A Very British Coup
2. A Very British Coup (Radio Edit)
3. A Very British Coup (Dogma)
4. A Very British Coup (Youth Dub)

A Very British Coup was released on January 31, 2020 through 80 Proof Records.