Is Baxter Dury Better Than the Blockheads?

Baxter Dury on Stage. Picture Source: Raph_PH

Ian Dury was a striking fringe figure in the rock and roll scene throughout the 70s and 80s after struggling with the traumatic diagnosis of polio. Before his passing, he managed to create one of the edgiest music scenes to date with a handful of weird and wonderful records such as ‘Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick’, ‘Reasons to Be Cheerful pt.3’ and the undisputed timeless ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’. As well as being the creator of this unique sound, Ian also found the time to have four children including the deeply talented Baxter Dury, who may not have inherited his father’s loud demeanour or outrageous mannerisms but certainly shared the talent of writing beautiful, gritty songs; developing his own sound leaves the question, is Baxter’s music exceeding his fathers?

Baxter’s debut album ‘Len Parrot’s Memorial Lift’ (LPML) released two years, four months and two days after his father’s passing is a beautifully produced forty minutes of music. With samples from ‘The Velvet Underground’ and an almost hallucinogenic sound reminding us of later work from Jarvis Cocker’s ‘Pulp’ on ‘This is Hardcore’, this album really highlights the direction Baxter envisioned his music going, differing greatly from what we heard from ‘Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ all those years ago.

After ‘LPML’, Baxter released five more studio albums and one collaborative album with Delilah Holiday and Étienne de Crécy, each with its own sound: telling stories of his life with poetic fables sprinkled throughout. This showcased his range in sound and adaptability to the constant change of music as time passes. Arguably, this is something Ian Dury struggled with when listening back to his music. Outside of the opening minute and a half of ‘Sweet Gene Vincet’ and quite possibly ‘My Old Man’, Ian never really shied away from his own fundamental sound. This is just one area where Baxter triumphs over Ian.

There is no doubt that Ian Dury is one of the most unique rock stars. He will never be emulated in the sense of utter chaos and facetious actions at the most aimless of times. He was a gifted talent who will forever be remembered as the cool weirdo who truly understood the rock and roll lifestyle.

Baxter’s Dad, Ian Dury on Stage in 1978. Picture Source: Jean-Luc

With Baxter however, he has developed the ability that all artists crave, and that is the idea he can take his music in any direction yet still be able to resort back to the sound he began his career on. With the juxtaposition of last year’s release of ‘Baxter (these are my friends)’ a song designed to create a notion for going out and enjoying occasions with your mates. And his latest release ‘D.O.A’, a song surrounding sadness but also hope, a real mood changer that transports us back to some of his earlier work on ‘LPML.’

It's painful to see that Baxter Dury is so criminally underrated and hidden away from mainstream audiences, however, the area he is taking up is quite possibly exactly where he wants to be. He is a wonderful, humble artist whose music surpasses his fathers in the most respectful way possible to the late great Ian Dury.