I'm sure I wasn't the only person surprised to hear John Cooper Clarke's "Evidently Chickentown" feature at the end of one of The Sopranos episodes. I did wonder what the folks back home would make of it. As E.J. at Loudersoft notes:
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.There's a link to the audio of "Evidently Chickentown" in E.J.'s post. Those interested in hearing more can check out Clarke's homepage, but it's such a mess of a site that it's difficult to find the gems.
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.
The audios of live performances of "You never see a nipple in the Daily Express" and "I married a monster from outer space" (to be found on this page) are worth a listen. Sadly, I couldn't find an audio link to "Beasley Street" which many people, myself included, regard as Clarke's best work. (Tripe Soup has the words - you'll just have to imagine the delivery).
