Never Mind the Ballots
Never Mind the Ballots (occasionally called Never Mind the Ballots... Here's the Rest of Your Life by fans and distributors) is the second studio album by anarchist punk band Chumbawamba. Most of the songs centre on lying politicians and their search for more voter control. It was originally released as a cassette and LP, then re-released in the '90s as half of the Chumbawamba compilation CD "First 2", which was a combination of their first two LP albums released on a single CD. Composition. The album’s lyrics have been noted for criticizing all  sides of the United Kingdom’s political parties, particularly in the case of the song "The Candidates Find Common Ground." Release. The album was initially released in 1987. It was reportedly “rush-released” so that it would be available in time for the 1987 United Kingdom general election. In 1991, it was reissued on CD along with "Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records"; the pair was released under the name "First 2". The album was rereleased digitally on May 4, 2012, by Westpark Music. Impact. Chart performance. The album attained a peak of number two on the UK Indie chart . Legacy. The album was retrospectively awarded a rating of four stars out of five in "The Encyclopedia of Popular Music". Track listing. Adapted from the record’s rerelease via Bandcamp. Personnel. "with"