My name is Terry, Im 18 and I currently live in Birmingham UK.
The phrase 'Tall Dark and Handsom...
My name is Terry, Im 18 and I currently live in Birmingham UK.
The phrase 'Tall Dark and Handsome', has never been more appropriate.
I currently study at MBC, near Carling Academy.
E-MAIL- terryryan2005@hotmail.co.uk
Member since:24.06.2006
Reviews:2
This is my first review, so I will try and cement my style into this piece. I will always find a weakness in something, it does not make sense when people say otherwise. So I might as well start with the bad points, although there are not many.
Although most of the tracks are likeable at first, the album lacks an iconic song. On their first self titled album, I would say Clint Eastwood could be labbled 'iconic', so basically like many film productions today, Demon Days lacks a Clint Eastwood. I know what hardcore Gorrilaz fans are thinking, Dirty Harry could easily be thrown into this catergory, but this fades quickly like Feel Good Inc. Sure when you first hear them, you think you are hearing something fantastic. Now try and religously listen to these two tracks and do the same with Clint Eastwood, Rock the House and 19/2000. The difference is staggering. The latter 3 have something thats different , but it's
hard to put my finger on why I like these songs so much, I can listen to them still after all these years.
Another drawback is that the album is slightly repetetive. It has a urban feel the whole way through, which is surprising as the album as you may know is very popular. (Urban music has lost it's edge) The only songs that differ from this are 'El Manana' and 'Kidz with Guns', no surprise when they were both released togther then. Although, as you may read below the rap element of the album is fine, I just think the album could have a few more pop songs in there, although the musical genius that is Damon Albarn probably could of done this if he had wished too.
Overall though, I have never encountered a side project with this much effort! Albarn could of easily fufilled his contractal duties and produce a mediorce album that would sell copies thanks to his excellent repuatation, but the time he and his team has put into every song has to be appuladed. Not one song is awful and every song has something appealing about it. Even the intro samples the orginality of the album. Last Living Souls is brilliant, espically when the violins kick in but it is followed by an overated track mentioned earlier called Kidz with Guns, which is followed by the rather pointless 'O Green World'. Both songs have meaningful lyrics and perhaps take a well timed stab at yob culture and deforestation, but the quality of both don't do these issues any good. El Manana, 'November has come', 'All Alone' and 'White Light', are all better features of the album, but you get the feeling they are leading upto something brilliant, and that is 'DARE'. This is more like 19/2000 and so on, poppy, catchy and dare I say sexy, this is without doubt the best song on the album. It features the raging alcoholic Shaun Ryder who adds some masculinity to this feminine sound. The songs that conclude the album are also excellent. 'Fire comes out of a monkeys head', is weird but wonderful, and the last two tracks that overlap are superb. The choir used, adds power where perhaps an album needs it most, right at the end.
I think a paragraph has to be written to praise the excellent rappers that worked on this album. Funny enough the inspriational De La Soul are not the most impressive. Bootie Brown, who raps in Dirty Harry, is a very clever rapper, just listen to his lyrics. MF DOOM, has a unique rapping style which should of brought him more recgognition, but he probably don't know anyone from Def Jam records etc to put him on the rap bandwagon. It's a shame as well, he and Bootie Brown are far better than people like 'The Game' and '50 Cent', who are overated low lifes who are famous because of their gangsta image, not their music which is obnoxious and repetitve.
To conclude this is a Good but not spectacular album, which has been overated by many, including the Times which compared it to SGT Pepper. But it does enough to put the Gorrilaz on top of the modern scene, although this is no acheivement mind you. It does this by adding old school hip hp beats which gains many fans, the strange thing is, it has not lost the pop fan, which is why it has proved to be so successful.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Intro @@us/euwm2/614/6590614_1_01.asx?obj=v50527@@ Last Living Souls ... more
@@us/euwm2/614/6590614_1_02.asx?obj=v50527@@ Kids With Guns @@us/euwm2/614/6590614_1_03.asx?obj=v50527@@ O Green World @@us/euwm2/614/6590614_1_04.asx?obj=v50527@@ Dirty Harry @@...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Jenny Lewis; the musical guests and production; it's a good record Disadvantages: It's the weakest album she's made so far; Elvis Costello; slight lyrics
Seresecros 13.10.2008 (13.10.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Acid Tongue - Jenny Lewis
very helpful by (50%):
helpful by (50%):
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/prod_small-6006251.jpg)
