The World is Yours is the fifth solo album by Ian Brown, released on 15 October 2007.
In making the album, Brown enlisted the help of The Smiths and Happy Mondays bassists Andy Rourke and Paul Ryder respectively. He also sought the services of Paul McCartney to play bass on one of the tracks, but failed as McCartney was too busy at the time. Meanwhile, Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook appeared on the album.
Illegal Attacks was released as the album's first single, on 8 October 2007, and was a contentious track, dealing head-on with the political issues of the day. The opening notes of the song are plucked softly in arpeggios, which are juxtaposed with the confrontational opening line, "What the fuck is this UK?" The song then pulses with an ominous, grinding cello, and culminates with Ian Brown pleading earnestly for the return of British soldiers to their homeland:
"Soldiers, soldiers come home, Soldiers come home", (lyrics which had previously been used in "So Many Soldiers" on Golden Greats.)
The single was described by NME as another example of Ian Brown's "godlike genius...an unforgettable plea to world leaders to 'Cop the fook on.'"
The song "On Track" made its debut seven months prior to the release of the actual album on the soundtrack album for Russian 2-part sci-fi movie "Paragraph 78" as an exclusive track. It was used in the closing titles for the first part of the movie. This version was 20 seconds longer as compared to the "The World Is Yours" album version and was a bit lighter as to the orchestral arrangement.
The album was also released in a 2CD deluxe edition, along with a bonus disc containing orchestral arrangements of all twelve tracks.
Famous quotes containing the words world and/or brown:
“The world has already learned that woman has other virtues than meekness, patience, humility and endurance. She possesses courage above all fear, and a will that knows no obstacles; and when these are called forth by some great emergency, false modesty is trampled in the dust, and spheres are scattered to the winds.”
—A. Holley, U.S. women’s magazine contributor. The Lily, p. 38 (May 1852)
“The river’s tent is broken; the last fingers of leaf
Clutch and sink into the wet bank. The wind
Crosses the brown land, unheard. The nymphs are departed.
Sweet Thames, run softly, till I end my song.
The river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
Silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
Or other testimony of summer nights.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)