Bringing a battery of special guests onto a project usually says one of two things about the band concerned.
Either they are held in such high regard that everyone wants to be involved in what they are doing or else the band are short on confidence in their own abilities and are bringing everybody and their dog on board to bolster things up.
Even the most cursory listen to "Enemy Of The Enemy" by Asian Dub Foundation will make you realise that this is an album on which the guests are there for the right reason because the album is every bit as impressive as "Community Music" and the Mercury Music Prize-nominated "Rafi's Revenge".
Strange as it may seem, the title track is one of the album's less impressive moments, propelled along by a quickfire rap/toast from Vivek and Bald and staccatto percussion that doesn't have the melodic core that unerpins ADFs best work.
The first single "Fortress Europe" has a similar rushed feel to it but is infinitely more enjoyable because of the vaguely Arabic vocal refrain weaving in and out of the background.
Time and mainstream acceptance haven't dimmed the band's political zeal, at its most overt here on "19 Rebellions" which deals with the inhumane treatment of inmates in Brazilian prisons and which is reminiscent of The Pop Group in many ways.
The stand out track and one that screams out to be released as a single is "1000 Mirrors" which manages to be both warming and haunting at the same time thanks to a caught-you-in-an-instant hookline and a characteristically peerless vocal performance from Sinead O'Connor (who incidentally is also on fine form while guesting on Massive Attack's "100th Window" album).
We are living in times that provoke a bunker mentality and the safety first attitude of 99% of popular music reflects this mindset.
That ADF are part of the 1% is reason enough to buy this album but the fact that they are in the vanguard of that 1% means that you really can't afford NOT to listen to it.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Good start here, but a track by track review of the songs will certainly get you higher ratings. Let me know if you add that to this op.
Collingwood21 09.03.2003 14:26
Sadly you are right about all the manufactured pop around at the moment - it is so prevelant that music sales are plumetting across the western world. Its a pity there aren't more bands like this around, isn't it?
Andy.mack 09.03.2003 13:42
Not really an Asian Dub Foundation fan especially after seeing them at Reading three years ago they just didn't get me interested at all. Welcome to Ciao. Andy
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