Cammell Laird Social Club

Cammell Laird Social Club is the ninth album released by UK rock band Half Man Half Biscuit in 2002.

Cammell Laird Social Club is a Working Men's Club in Rock Ferry, just outside the band's native Birkenhead. The title is a pun on the title of the film and album Buena Vista Social Club about various Cuban musicians which was a 1999 project by Ry Cooder. This same album is referenced in the first track. Cammell Laird is the name of the company that owned the large shipyard in the band's native Birkenhead.

Musically, there is more country influence than previous albums. Cammel Laird Social Club also contains two spoken word pieces.

Track listing

1. "The Light at the End of the Tunnel (is the Light of an Oncoming Train)"
2. "When the Evening Sun Goes Down"
3. "San Antonio Foam Party"
4. "Them's the Vagaries"
5. "If I Had Possession Over Pancake Day"
6. "The Referee's Alphabet"
7. "She's in Broadstairs"
8. "Tyrolean Knockabout"
9. "Breaking News"
10. "27 Yards of Dental Floss"
11. "Paradise Lost (You're the Reason Why)"
12. "Thy Damnation Slumbereth Not"
13. "Stavanger Töestub"

Cultural references in song titles

• 1. According to the HMHB website, the light at the end of the tunnel in this context, is what one sees as approaching death.
• 5. The title is inspired by the song "If I had Possession Over Judgement Day" by the blues musician Robert Johnson.
• 6. The track contains a great number of football references, including references to the 'technical area', Zinedine Zidane, and the fact that cricket umpires are not subject to abuse along the lines of "Who's the bastard in the hat?"
• 7. The title is based on "She's in Parties" by Bauhaus (1983). Broadstairs is a quaint seaside resort near Ramsgate in Kent.
• 8. Tyrol is a region of Austria.
• 11. Paradise Lost is an epic poem by John Milton, published 1667.
• 12. The title is a quotation from Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
• 13. Stavanger is the fourth largest city in Norway.