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Interesting article but if this premise is so sound then how come the Cure's biggest hits in the US were not from the kiss me kiss me album?.....there was a ton of funkiness on that album. The first song the writer mentions is How Soon is Now. It's fairly common knowledge that the opening riff to that song is based on Bo Diddley's work. The Manic Street Preachers had Public Enemy's Bomb Squad remix one of their songs on their first album and also directly addressed racism in a song on the Holy Bible album that uses the exact incendiary phrase this writer employs to stir up reaction in his article (ain't no black in the union jack). As a middle-school kid in the 80s I can remember Depeche Mode's big song at school dances. It was People are People. That is a song about tolerance. None of these artists were sued by black american musicians (like say Led Zeppelin whole lotta love) for ripping off their songs and not acknowledging or paying for it (until forced to). It's interesting too that when he mentions the "new-breed" of british singer-rappers he only lists white ones and leaves out Dizzie Rascal who is arguably as well known on this side of the pond as Mike Skinner (they're both great and just like those brit-pop bands, I don't see them having any american success either). Anyway just because Morrisey has said some dodgy things throughout the years (his defence of the BNP etc.) doesn't mean that all britpop bands should be tarred with that brush.
