Buzzin Music

ACR - Mind Made Up

In 1976 The Sex Pistols played the Lesser Free Trade Hall to about 60 people.  Amongst the crowd were individuals that would help shape the post-punk sound of Manchester; and two years later A Certain Ratio (ACR) were formed. They were the cool, ‘thin white boys’ of post-punk.

With Tony Wilson as their manager they were very much part of the whole Factory Records movement but unlike Joy Division they were influenced by the funk of George Clinton and Parliament as much as the punk ethics which is perfectly demonstrated in their debut single, a cover version of an underground jazz funk song Shack Up.

They are amusingly described by Tony Wilson (played by Steve Coogan) in the film 24 Hour Party People as “having all the energy of Joy Division but better clothes.”

Funky bass lines and jagged guitars was a perfect accompaniment to Simon Topping’s dulcet grey northern tones, and following The Graveyard & The Ballroom cassette only release in 1980 they released their debut album, To Each… in 1981 – a classic post-punk funk album.

With the following albums Sextet (1982) & I’d Like To See You Again (1983) ACR showed they were constantly evolving and experimenting with new ideas and genres including jazz and Latin percussion.

Following the departure of Simon Topping in 1983, original bass player Jez Kerr took over vocal duties and in 1986 the band had their most commercial hit with the single Wild Party.

Since then the band have continued to record and play live and still consist of original members Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson along with long-time member Tony Quigley and Liam Mullan.  They have now released 10 studio and 5 live albums, the latest, Mind Made Up was originally released in 2008 and will be re-released in June 2010 by LTM.

Mind Made Up has a familiar ACR sound, the funky industrial throbbing bass, crisp, tight percussion, chugging guitar and the nonchalant but perfect vocal delivery.

The new album includes 12 new tracks including Teri which includes a part from one of the first song’s written by the original members of  ACR  called Intro Talk In, It was played live a few times in the late 1970’s but it has never been recorded or released until now.

Mind Made Up ends with the awesome funky percussion-led instrumental workout Very Busy Man, reminiscent of Fermi O Grido from Live In America (1985).

Unlike post-punk era groups that disappeared, got fat and old, and have recently reformed, A Certain Ratio have kept doing the du, aged well both personally and musically and with the re-release of Mind Made Up show they still have the X Factor!

For more ACR information visit www.myspace.com/acertainratio