Ian Dury s last LP for Polydor was, as usual, full of memorable lyrics, keenly added to a tableau of multi-faceted musical muscle this time provided by a fine, funky young band of musicians he dubbed the Music Students. With 4000 Weeks …, Dury demonstrated, once again, his supremacy as champion of the written word. And you can t help but marvel at the dexterity of his delivery. It’s a record full of charm, not least Peter The Painter, which was written at the request of Peter Blake, who had taught Ian Dury at the Royal College of Art. It also contains the best ever example of Brit Noir in song – well, certainly up there alongside Watching The Detectives by Ian s old Stiff label mate, Elvis Costello. The Man With No Face is genuinely menacing: a complex and involving yarn of a drug smuggler, a femme fatale and an appointment with fear”. Not an easy man, and maybe not the best judge of his own career, but the truth is, they broke the mould after Ian Dury died. He made you smile with his words. He made you marvel at his verbal dexterity. Just listen to the depth and sheer quality of the music and lyrics contained here. Reflect, mourn his passing, and be grateful for the cliche that his music lives on. He would appreciate that.