The second thing I love about the Plan B CD 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks' is that the CD looks like a 45 record. As does Lou Rawls Greatest Hits but the Plan B disc even has record crackling sounds on some of the tracks. The first thing I love is that the CD cover is reminiscent of Elton Johns 'Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player' album. I am such a sucker for nostalgia.
The third and best thing is that the first track is about cunnilingus.
I remember when I did you wrong, made you cry (I made you cry)
Made you feel so sad, I knew I had to apologise (apologise)
So I pulled you close, baby, and I laid you down on the bed
Took off your clothes, baby. Girl, you know the rest
My love goes down
My love goes down, down, down, yeah baby
Sweep your feet right off the ground, yeah Mama
I got that real love for you now, yeah baby
Know I got that real love for you now
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
A ballard from Plan B and beautifully sung by Drew. Now those lyrics may say that he is singing 'I got that real love for you now, yeah baby' but I hear 'I got that pillow for you now, yeah baby'.
Wikipedia says of the album, which is a tells the story of Strickland Banks, a soul singer who ends up in prison for a crime he did not commit -
The album tells the story from the first-hand perspective of Strickland Banks, a fictional character played by Plan B. The album's opening tracks, "Love Goes Down" and "Writing's on the Wall", are love songs sung by Strickland Bank at a concert, and are likely to be about his girlfriend, to whom he refers later in the album. "Stay Too Long" follows him and his entourage as they celebrates the success of his concert with a night out which culminates in him having a one night stand with a woman. In "She Said" we learn that this woman is obsessed with his music and believes herself to be in love with him. He rejects her so she alleges that he raped her. The subsequent trial results in his incarceration, and in "Welcome to Hell" he is sent to prison, and much of the rest of the album is about his experience inside. Throughout the course of the songs "Hard Times" and "The Recluse" we see Strickland get more isolated and insecure throughout as he struggles to cope with prison life. This results in his abuse at the hands of other prisoners, resulting in him purchasing a shiv on the prison black market throughout the course of "Traded In My Cigarettes". In "Prayin'" he is confronted by another prisoner who attacks him. With the help of another inmate Strickland kills the attacker in self-defence, with the other inmate taking the blame, and is burdened with this guilt during "Darkest Place". The penultimate tracks, "Free" and "I Know A Song" detail initally his anger, then his acceptance of his life inside prison. The last track, "What You Gonna Do" Strickland is in court again as new evidence has been brought up on his case. The album finishes with the listener not sure of whether he is sent back to prison or released, leaving it open to interpretation.
Some of the tracks are superb and some just so so. There is a real Smokey Robinson sound going on but Ben Drew has taken the Motown sound and updated it with relevant rap, funky hip hop, soul and a big band sound. It sounds live, alive and at times frantic. Strangely this works. I love the video for 'She Said' and keeping still in the car when it's playing is a real challange. 'Stay Too Long' is a great piece of work, and 'Darkest Place' paints a vivid picture of despair. I haven't seen the film 'Harry Brown' yet, in which Drew plays the worse kind of thug to Michael Caines vigilante character Harry, but I'm told Drew is truly obnoxious and vile in the film. So the boy can act, sing, and write. One to watch.
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