Mike Skinner (aka The Streets) did it again! After waiting a long time and hearing the single “When you wasn’t famous” over and over his new CD, entitled “The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living” got released!
Okay, so I’m there giving the disc a spin for the first time some fine tunes had flown throughout my speakers. Lots of emo-like songs on the disc varied with some really hard ones … where this release its predecessor “A Grand Don’t Come For Free” had some softer songs, it is now 50/50. Have to listen to the disc some more to make a real judgment though. Didn’t have the time to listen the lyrics intensively, but so far they all rock! “The thing that’s got it all fucked up now is camera phones. How the hell am I supposed to be able to do a line in front of complete strangers when I know they’ve all got camera phones?” is (in)famous since the release of the single. One thing that really got my attention was Skinner stating “Did you know cigarette lighters were invented before matches?”. After googling a bit, it indeed is true!
The modern match was invented by British chemist John Walker in 1827. The cigarette lighter was invented 11 years prior in 1816 by a German chemist named J.W. Dobereiner.
To me, I still think that his first release “Original Pirate Material” remains the mother of all releases: it’s just TIGHT in all aspects … but then, I’ll have to listen to this realease a bit more to appreciate it fully.
Update “the day after”: The disc just kept on looping and looping and looping … “The Hardest way to make an easy living” really is a true beauty!
B!
I got my new Streets CD just today… and the funny thing is… I stumbled upon this website when googling the “lighter was invented before the match” fact that caught my attentions… now, that alone wouldn’t really be a reason to leave a comment, I agree… but then I saw the title of your blog… you find pretty much the same title on mine… and I’m just guessing when I’m saying that it’s probably inspired by the same artist…
Anyways, just felt like dropping a line… take it easy
(oh, and btw: the new album is on repeat here as I type)
Timo.
Hi Timo,
the subtitle of Bram.us indeed is inspired by The Streets and I’ve been using it since mid 2003, when Bram.us still was Bramus.be (and when I was totally hooked to “Original Pirate Material”) 😉
Hey there. Same as Timo, listening to the new album (after a couple listens I couldn’t get enough) and finally decided to ease my curiosity. Thanks to your blog I now am better informed with more interesting facts that will someday make me look smart while watching Jeopardy! Who would have thunk-it?
lol,
funny how the internet works…so many people with a common situation. listening to the new Streets album, hear that the lighter was invented before the match…found that interesting and strange and decided to use good ‘ol google. and up comes this website. thanks for the info. Mike Skinner is tight, tho unfortunately do think the latest album is the worst one yet…(but still not a bad album, just due to the strength of the others)
Erm… I’m a couple of years late… But the whole “cigarette lighters were invented before matches” thing is not entirely true… Nice idea though.
Thats total bullshit. Lighters couldn’t have been invented before matches. Back when candles were your only source of light at night, how do you think they lit them? It sure as hell wasn’t by rubbing 2 sticks together, and I’m definitely sure they didnt have lighters…..
“Did you know cigarette lighters were invented before matches?”
The first lighter was produced in 1816 by a German chemist named Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner. “Döbereiner’s lamp,” as it was called, was a (highly dangerous) cartridge filled with hydrogen and triggered by a platinum catalyst. Lighters didn’t really start to take off until Zippo began mass producing more practical models in the 1930s