VA - Dig This - A Tribute To The Great Strike (1985)

This album was dedicated to the British miners who went on strike during 1984 and 1985. The album features a head-spinning stylistic variety; the driving folk-punk of The Men They Couldn't Hang, the twisted art-country of the Mekons, the loping reggae-punk of Omega Tribe, the frightening anglo-synth rap of Akimbo, the accusatory goth-rock of Leningrad Sandwich, the fierce noise-punk of The Ex, the anarcho-weirdness of The Posion Girls, the hard-to-classify Steve Lake and, of course, the only band on earth who can be described as both Crass' heirs and one-hit wonders, Chumabawamaba.

Side A features live recordings from Southbank Poly, side B has some studio recordings.

Musicians became involved in the strike in three basic ways. Firstly, some wrote and recorded songs dealing with issues related to the dispute. For example "Soul Deep" (Council Collective) was a call to action in the name of class solidarity with the miners. Others emphasized the physical and emotional hardship endured by the miners. Robert Calvert recorded "All the machines are quiet", in which a fictional miner delclared, "The winter´s coming / We need new shoes / I´m selling the car".

Secondly, some groups went one step further and gave the profits from songs or albums to striken miners or their supporters. The most significant example of this was "Soul Deep", 100.000 copies of which were sold. The raised money was donated to the Women Against Pit Closures organization and the wife of the taxi driver who had been accidentally killed while taking a working miner to his colliery. Other benefit songs were made by Chumbawamba, Robert Wyatt, Henry Cow or The Ex. Numerous compilation albums were released, including the featured "Dig This - A Tribute To The Great Strike". Many musicians also performed at benefit concerts, the proceeds from which were donated to striking miners or used to support them.  

Finally, a smaller number of artists attended picket lines and demonstrations in support of the miners. These included Paul Heaton of the Housemartins, Jimmy Somerville of Bronski Beat (later of the Communards), The Redskins, the Flying Pickets, Paul Weller and Billy Bragg.

Thanks a lot to http://musicruinedmylife.blogspot.de for inspiration and words.

Tracklist:
A1 Poison Girls - Cry
A2 Poison Girls - Voodoo Pappadollar
A3 Mekons - Flitcraft
A4 Mekons - Trouble Down South
A5 Men They Couldn't Hang - Jack Dandy
A6 Men They Couldn't Hang - Rawhide

B1 Akimbo - The Rap
B2 Steve Lake - Turn Out The Lights
B3 Leningrad Sandwich - We Will Rise
B4 The Ex - We've Got Everything We Never Wanted
B5 Omega Tribe - Young John
B6 Chumbawamba - The Police Have Been Wonderful
B7 Chumbawamba -   Fitzwilliam



VA - Dig This - A Tribute To The Great Strike (1985)
(320 kbps, front cover included)