These uncompromising Dutch anarchists first waxed their far-left funk-punk the same
year the Gang Of Four did: 1979. But the Ex never gave up – just altered their co-
ed lineup now and then. Countless releases later, with Steve Albini producing and a
tunefully accented new singer up front, they've given up on staying concise. But they've
also traded in dogmatic pamphleteering for thoughtful political allegories, often featuring
tangible hook-phrases. The most memorable songs here are the two with trumpet parts,
the two said to draw directly on African music, and "Cold Weather Is Back" – a dystopian
vision of future post-technological ice age.

Listen to "Cold Weather Is Back":

Gallery: Random Notes, Rock's Hottest Photos

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.