A Brief History of the Twentieth Century

By slipping a funky beat under their leftist rhetoric, England’s Gang of Four gave antiestablishment rockers something to dance to in the late ’70s. The group’s slashing bursts of guitar stripped down punk rock’s wall of sound. Even now, the Gang’s abrasive and articulate records remain a potent influence on underground bands. Over the course of 20 defiant songs, this career recapitulation, A Brief History of the Twentieth Century, will move your feet as it drills holes in your head. A-