Muriel - Alton Ellis

Advantages: the singles
Disadvantages: no Groovejet

...I used to fancy Janet Ellis. Every Monday and Thursday teatime I was glued to the screen watching “Blue Peter”. Maybe it was the way she handled sticky-backed plastic and toilet rolls. Or maybe it was the gentle stroke she gave George the tortoise as she put him in his cardboard box for the winter. Who knows? Alas, the relationship was doomed to failure before it even began – I was 8 years old after all. Such is the cruelty of life! Things were never the same when Yvette Fielding and Caron Keating took over. All of which is a slightly laborious introduction to an op about Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s debut solo album (or “Shopie” Ellis-Bextor as Ciao would have us believe!). BRIEF HISTORY OF SHOPIE After emerging from between Janet’s legs (there’s a thought!), Sophie’s... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Beautiful swirly songs with guitars, very Hazel O Conner-ish
Disadvantages: Sophie's voice falters at times, a couple of duff tracks

...Note - although Ciao says this is the theaudience by Sophie Ellis Bextor, it is actually an theaudience album (she was just a member of the band) Back in 1998 theaudience (they don’t have a capital letter at the start of their name, or a gap inbetween "the" and "audience", due to some dodgy keys on Billy Reeves typewriter) were the darlings of the indie music press. Then Reeves got a strop on, Sophie Ellis Bextor got fed up of answering yet another question about her mum and that was that. That theauidence even worked as a band is amazing. Their lyrics were written by Billy, an ex press officer nearing his forties, they were sung by a 17-year-old fresh out of school. In reality it really, really, shouldn't have worked. But it did, and rather well as it turned out. With the exception of a couple of tracks (“The More... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: One, at a push two decent tracks
Disadvantages: Too retro without being cool, and a complete sell out

...I first heard of Sophie Ellis Bextor when she was the vocalist on the DJ Spiller track 'If This Ain't Love', which stopped Victoria Beckham from topping the charts on her first outing minus The Spice Girls. I thought Sophie's vocals had a truly unique sound to them, and although I am not a dance music fan, it was a track that I really enjoyed, and I could not understand why I had never heard of her when she was the lead singer of 'Theaudience'.. Sophie's image is one that oozes class and sophistication to many, but to me she always looks a bit odd!! Anyway, it is all about the music, and her debut album 'Read My Lips' was a huge success, and I did enjoy it, as it was different from a lot of the samey music that was released at the same time, and I am sure I am not alone in having had 'Murder On The Dancefloor' swimming around in my head... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful