Play it Again, Sam #23a - "The Hunt"

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Yes! Time to get serious with Play it Again, Sam, a two part discussion consisting of an original song followed by a cover of that song. Really serious. We are at #23a, the "original" portion, with a song that is near and dear to me: "The Hunt" by New Model Army. British post punk band New Model Army ranks among my all-time favorite bands. I'm talking Top 5. I love protest songs, and New Model Army are a protest band's protest band, having made a career out of tunes protesting subjects such as war and class struggle (like the Sex Pistols and The Clash before them, they are very much on the side of the British working class.) Throughout their four decade existence, the band has maintained an extremely staunch anti-heroin stance, to the point that one of their slogans is "Only stupid b*stards use heroin" (they once appeared on BBC television wearing T-shirts with said slogan printed on them, and it also appears on the cover of their 1986 album, The Ghost of Cain.) The leadoff track from that album, "The Hunt," written by vocalist/guitarist Justin Sullivan and drummer Robert Heaton (R.I.P.,) details a group of vigilantes going after a heroin dealer, taking the law into their own hands. And it's bloody awesome! One of the band's greatest songs, it was covered by a great band in it's own right, although one that you might not be familiar with. Stay tuned! (Info verified by Wikipedia)