Birth, School, Work, Death

More information Review scores, Source ...

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
New Musical Express	5/10[7]

Close

Michael Sutton, writing for AllMusic, called the band's sound "tough," describing it as "brass-knuckled punches in the form of menacing, explosive riffs; venom-spewing, nihilistic vocals; body-slamming percussion." He added, "Yet the Godfathers never forget the importance of the hook."^[6] Trouser Press concurred, feeling that the album "seethes with the anger and aggression that seems to have all but gone out of non-hardcore British post-punk rock."^[2]

All tracks are written by the Godfathers, except where noted.

1. "Birth, School, Work, Death" – 4:08
2. "If I Only Had Time" – 2:29
3. "Tell Me Why" – 2:50
4. "It's So Hard" – 3:39
5. "When Am I Coming Down" – 4:55
6. "Cause I Said So" – 2:46
7. "The Strangest Boy" – 3:58
8. "S.T.B." – 2:32
9. "Just Like You" – 3:10
10. "Obsession" – 3:48
11. "Love Is Dead" – 2:42

Note

• "Love Is Dead" is a re-recording of the band's 1987 single.^[8]

2011 expanded edition bonus tracks

12. "Miss That Girl" (B-Side of "Birth, School, Work, Death") – 2:50
13. "I Can Only Give You Everything" (Phil Coulter, Tommy Scott) (B-Side of "Cause I Said So") – 3:03
14. "When Am I Coming Down" (live) (B-Side of "Cause I Said So") – 4:19
15. "Cold Turkey" (John Lennon) (live) (B-Side of "Cause I Said So") – 4:28
16. "Those Days Are Over" (live) (B-Side of "Love Is Dead") – 3:32
17. "I'm Unsatisfied" (live) (B-Side of "Love Is Dead") – 3:18

• Tracks 14–17 recorded live at Cabaret Metro, Chicago, Illinois, March 26, 1988. Recorded and mixed by Timothy R. Powell, except 16 and 17 mixed by Vic Maile.

The Godfathers

• Chris Coyne – bass, vocals
• Peter Coyne – vocals
• Kris Dollimore – guitar, vocals
• Michael Gibson – guitar, vocals
• George Mazur – drums, percussion, vocals

Additional musicians

• Bobby Valentino – violin (track 4)

Technical

• Vic Maile – producer, mixing (track 5)
• Harold Burgon – recording engineer
• Ron St. Germain – mixing (tracks 2, 3, 5, 8, 10)
• Steve Brown – mixing (tracks 1, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11)
• Jean Luke Epstein – sleeve design
• Kevin Davies – back cover photography

The Serbian alternative rock band Supernaut covered the song "If I Only Had Time" with lyrics in Serbian language entitled "Zločin" ("Crime") on their 2006 album Eli. Manhead covered the song "Birth, School, Work, Death" in 2004. Local H covered the song "Birth, School, Work, Death" in 2003 and it appears on The No Fun EP.^[9][10]

Chart performance for Birth, School, Work, Death