Not long ago I stumbled on a YouTube clip of Ian Dury, and it piqued my interest in checking out an artist that I had mostly overlooked back in his heyday. I knew of him from Stiffs Live, but as much as I loved "Sex and Drugs &..." , I found the sheer, well, Englishness of his humor and sensibility daunting, and the occasional discoid turns his music could take did not jibe with my tastes at the time. It took a few decades for me to rediscover him, but better late than never.Every cut on this is delightful. The good people at Rhino once again demonstrate their impeccable taste and skill in compiling eminently listenable Best Ofs. Musical and verbal pleasures abound - The Blockheads were a tight and versatile pub band, and their grooves coalesce beautifully with the flow of Dury's arch, hilarious, ribald, sexy and sometimes touching lyrics. He's often identified with punk, but it's definitely more in the attitude than in the music - Dury's music is way more sophisticated and richer than most punk, which isn't to say he doesn't know how to rock. This is raucous good fun!This disc leaves me wanting more. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!