Today, dear Ciao-users, I am gathering the courage to review an album I did not dare
to hear any more because I related every song, every line and every word to a
terrible relationship - but this record is simply so good that I have to recommend it!

"Meds" by Placebo - A good kind of depression

Why did I buy it?
My exboyfriend sent me one song off the album - "Pierrot the clown". Before that, I
had only heard "Every you and every me", Placebo's most famous song dating back
to the 90's, but that song touched me so much and I asked my friends to pass some
of their music to me.
I went to a record shop and bought "Meds" because I am never quite happy with
downloaded or copied music. I listened to the record over and over again and just
loved it for it's sounds of isolation and sadness accompanied by Brian Molko's
most unsual, unique voice.

Who's Placebo?
Placebo consists of three men. The frontman is singer Brian Molko, who loves to
provoke and used to wear dresses on stage earlier in their career. Stefan Olsdal
plays bass, guitar and keyboard and up until now, Steve Hewitt was their drummer.
He is still featured on this record but has now left the band. He has been replaced
Steve Forrest.
Placebo had their first gig in 1995. The band became surprisingly successful although
they were making music quite different from what was going on in the charts at
that time. Since then, they steadilyn release outstanding albums every three to four
years.
Their music is quite dark but has outstanding melodies and guitar parts. Brian
Molko's voice makes people listen up - I might go as far as comparing him to
Marc Bolan when it comes to unsuality.

The tracks
1. "Meds" (feat. Alison Mosshart)
This is the title song and the most successful single off this album. It begins with
a fast acoustic guitar intro and then Brian Molko joining in, singing gravely about
(drug induced) confusion. In the chorus, his voice grows louder and sounds
desperate, singing "Baby, did you forget to take your meds?". The song is absolutely
haunting and comes across as very strong and 'urgent'. The switches between
acoustic guitar and the blasting instruments in the chorus make it exciting.

2. Infra-red
This starts with a mashine-like beat, much like walking up and endless set of
stairs. There is again some more blasting music in the chorus.
The song seems somewhat menacing and scary.

3. Drag
This song is a bit more upbeat. The song is about "dragging behind" - failing at
something and bot being as good as someone else. But strangely, the singing
seems to tell a different story - the lyrical I seems to take it lightly. A nice song that
seems somehow ironic.

4. Space Monkey
Starting with a slow beat and a srange, simmering sound welling up in the
background, this song is an example of what Placebo fans love about the band
and their lyrics. _We're sown together, she's born to mesmer, beside, astride her,
I die inside her. It's far too sacred, Don't ever fake it, And don't, and don't, and don't
let me down_. The song creates the feeling of isolation and love killed by it.

5. Follow the cops back home
This is one of my favourite tracks, and I'd even say one of my favourite songs by the
band altogether.
The singer's voice seems almost hypnotizing but at the same time, terribly sad
and depressing. Only sometimes it wells up to sorrowful sounds. The instruments
all seems dimmed and far away. It sounds so mellow and hopeless, but at the
same time strikingly beautiful. I will always connect it with going through the snow
with a heavy heart.

6. Post blue
This song again stands out by the menacing, torn sound of the instruments. The
line "It's in the water baby" will stick to your mind.

7. Because I want you
Brian Molko's voice is clean and unobscured in this song. The song seems to be
about trouble in a relationship with the lyrical I still wanting his partner very much,
not wanting to be alone.
This song is nice but not outstandingly so.

8. Blind
This song is very sad. The singer begs to not be left alone and be blinded by it. The
person singing seems to already be alone, first singing that "we", his partner and
he, broke "it" (the relationship), but in the end he admits that he alone has done it.

9. Pierrot the clown
This is my favourite song that usually gets me to tears. I am not joking. The song
alone has had me crying countless times.
It starts with a slow, muted beat and the singer starts singing in a clear, sad
voice. He uses Pierrot the clown as a metaphor for someone smiling although he/she
is not happy at all. The song concerns itself with abusive relationships with
domestic violence. The song is written from the point of view of the victim, who still
loves his abusive partner and even awaits his abuse.
_ "Leave me bleeding on the bed, see you right back here tomorrow, for the next round.
Keep this scene inside your head, as the bruises turn to yellow, and the swelling goes down..
And if you're ever around, in the city or the suburbs, of this town, be sure to come around, I'll be
wallowing in sorrow, wearing a frown, like pierrot the clown" _

10. Broken promise (feat. Michael Stipe)
This song starts with a piano and Michael Stipe singing. It's mainly about dishonesty
and the catching piano melodie is played over and over again. This song is nice
and just blends into the album perfectly, but it is not outstanding either.

11. One of a kind
I suspect that song is about a person being, society-wise, invisible - but sometimes
it's not easy to see the meaning in songs as they can be like modern poetry.
The song blends into the album, like No. 10, and has a nice progessive chorus,
but doesn't stand out.

12. In the cold light of morning
This is one of my favourites yet again. This song picks up the theme of isolation
once again and does it perfectly.The singing sounds somewhat grave again, like
surpressed anger and sadness. The melodie feels like the wind, and once again
I see streets covered in snow inside my head.
The lyrics indicate that the song is about a negative kind of confusion after taking
drugs the night before.

13. Song to say goodbye
Suiting the title, this is the last track. This song has a bit more chart potential, although
it is very sad again. It seems to be about breaking up and, obviously, saying goodbye.
The song has become famous for it's music video shown on television, where
a little boy and a father are shown with switched roles - the father cries, the boy
drags him behind, comforts him when he falls. The music video sounds funny when
described, but will makes you sad and thoughtful.

The packaging
The CD cover and it's back are mainly white. On the cover, we have a naked torso
and head of a long-haired person, but the headis blurred - it seems like it is turning
ti the left and the right at the same time. The chest is obscurred by a censor bar
and the album's title.
The back is mainly white with "PLACEBO.MEDS" written in the lower half and the
songs listed in a small font within three lines.
The information on publishing and producing is even smaller and can barely be
read. There's a barcode next to it.
The booklet is a pleasure to look at, but the lyrics and additional information are
pretty much unreadbale as they are written in dark green on black background.
On the first page, we see part of the lyrics of "Meds" on the right and
a green-ish photgraph of a woman only wearing panties, floating in the air with
her hair obscuring most of her face. The next two pages are covered by a picture
of the same woman, now lying on the floor, curled up as if she is crying. On the next
page you get the lyrics of the first four tracks in absolutely tiny printing, with a
photographic cyclus of the woman getting up from the floor, still in strange green
lighting.
Upon turning the page, you will see a picture of the woman again floating in the
room, but in a more upright position. On the page next to it there are the lyrics
for tracks five to nine. On the last page there is a small photographs of Placebo,
only taking up one third of the page, and above that you get the lyrics for songs
ten, eleven and twelve.
On the right page you get the lyrics to "Song to say goodbye", production credits,
additional musicians and a Thank You-List by the band.

Additional information
The CD is published by EMI.
The band is managed by Riverman.
The photography is by Nadav Kander.

Price
It can be ordered via Amazon.co.uk for £4.09.
There is also an imported version with two extra tracks, priced at £15.19.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Very touching, thought provoking music
• heartfelt, unique lyrics
• Brian Molko's unique voice
• something different from the current chartbreakers
• 13 songs are good value as a lot of artists tend to put much less on their CDs
• most songs are outstandingly good

Cons

• very depressing, sad music that will taint your mood somehow
• not a typical Placebo album; some fans consider it to not be any good at all
• not enough pure guitar sound

My opinion and conclusion
This album is simply amazing. I have bought it almost two years ago and still
listen to it now (when I dare to). If it didn't make me so sad I would put it on even
more often. It is full of songs that will stick to your mind. Most are for thoughtful
moments, but the theme song "Meds" can even be fun to dance to, as I noticed when
I requested it in a club.
This record might not be a typical Placebo album because "Meds" seems to take
the happy out of the 'happysad' music Placebo made on their first record, but
then again "Meds" ' sound closely relates to the album that came before ("Sleeping
with Ghosts"), so it was no utter surprise.
I take a star off for the three or four tracks that seem like they were made to fill the
gaps between the earth-shattering tracks.

A must-have - but only if you are strong enough.