Did you hear the one about the anarchist octet that got knocked down but got up again? Provided the sun rises in your part of the world and/or you have a face, you did -- considerably more than the recommended dosage. |

Rather than pain the capitalist world with an alternate version of the pop anthem "Tubthumping" for their next release, Chumbawamba will offer a retrospective of relatively obscure indie-years tracks called Uneasy Listening in October.

"One of the main questions we get is, 'You guys have been around for a while, how many albums do you have ... two or three?'" says Chumbawamba guitarist/vocalist Boff. "We go, 'No, nine.'"

The 20-song compilation will include at least one song from the group's pre-Tubthumper catalog, excluding material from its 1990 debut, Slap!, according to Boff. "We decided to pick the songs that summed up a lot of years and a lot of different styles," he says, "not necessarily the most popular ones."

In addition, Uneasy Listening will feature a few newer selections, such as a remixed version of "Timebomb" (the original version appears on the Welcome to Woop Woop soundtrack), the 1998 World Cup ditty "Top of the World (Ole' Ole')" and "We Don't Go to God's House Anymore" which, in traditional Chumbawamba thieving spirit, is actually Alabama 3's "We Don't Dance to Techno Anymore" with new lyrics. "We just decided to steal the tune and write our own song to it," Boff explains.

While Chumbawamba finish remixing "Timebomb" and finalize artwork for the album, a remixed version of Tubthumper's "Drip, Drip, Drip," provided by Negativland, will be available on the group's web site (www.chumba.com). Once Uneasy Listening is completed, the troupe will return to the studio and attempt to catch lightning in a bottle again. "We don't want to repeat the formula in the hopes that [the album] will sell the same," Boff says. "At the same time, we don't want to do something so outrageously different that anyone that likes [Tubthumper] won't go near it." (Blair R. Fischer)