Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has teamed up with System of a Down’s Serj Tankian for a rendition of the Gang of Four classic “Natural’s Not in It.” The cover appears on a forthcoming Gang of Four tribute album titled The Problem of Leisure: A Celebration of Andy Gill and Gang of Four, which arrives in May. Listen to Morello and Tankian’s take on “Natural’s Not in It” and check out the Damien Hirst-designed LP art below.
Morello and Tankian’s cover arrives shortly after what would have been Andy Gill’s 65th birthday. The legendary Gang of Four guitarist and mastermind died in February 2020 following a brief respiratory illness. Before his death, Gill had been planning the release of The Problem of Leisure to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Gang of Four’s landmark album Entertainment! (the 40th anniversary technically landed in 2019).
“Andy loved what Tom and Serj did with this song, the fierceness of their attack and the jet-engine scream of feedback” Gill’s widow Catherine Mayer said in a press release. She continued: “This was a track Andy always enjoyed performing. He said their version brilliantly captured all the explosive, danceable energy Natural’s Not In It can create in live performance.”
Serj Tankian added: “It was a real pleasure to work on this track with Tom and honor the legacy of Andy and Gang of Four at the same time.”
Read “Remembering Gang of Four’s Andy Gill, Who Ripped Punk to Shreds” over on the Pitch.
