Some listeners have discernable tastes and some just get lost in the music AND don’t care how the writer or the performer managed to create such songs....I do.
‘Texas’ are an infuriating band to listen to as the influences are racked up one after the other without much care or regard of subtly hiding them (the copyright lawyers should have been having a field day with this one BUT no calls have been fielded to Texas’ lawyers to this day....lucky, lucky Johnny and Sharleen is what I say).
I could hate ‘Texas’ for that one fact alone BUT there are reasons to like them.
The light rockers pump out a discernable bunch of likeable enough but occasionally repetitive songs that don’t seem to want to milk your pity on this album AND do seem to have a little bit of soul in them as the singles that have been put out such as ‘Black Eyed Boy’, ‘Halo’, the ubetiqous ‘Say What You Want’ (if Otis Redding we’re still alive today....) and the screechy, overwrought ballad that is ‘Put Your Arms Around Me’ (Procol Harum, anyone?) proved, will have those with easily influenced minds to proclaim those four songs, worthy reasons enough to buy this album.
What’s the title about then? It’s supposed to be about the significance of living of modern day life AND NOT a reference to Bob Dylan’s album ‘Blonde On Blonde’ (make of that what you will....it’s a flimsy excuse for another piece of cultural pilfering, if you ask me....’white’ walls and wood floor panelling, indeed!).
What about the other tracks? ‘Insane’ is mildly infectious but not particularly strong. ‘’Drawing Crazy Patterns’ is fine. ‘White On Blonde’ is quite a standout. ’Polo Mint City’ is disposable nonsense. ‘Postcard’ yearns you to be somewhere else (as she does). ‘Ticket to Lie’ expects on first impression to be Beatles-esque....happy to report it’s nothing like ‘em. ‘Good Advice’ is something you should take with a little caution and ‘Breathless’ sounds marginally better than ‘The Corrs’ would make out (in a straight fight, Sharleen could pulverise Andrea and/or any of her sisters in a virtual ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ brawl if need be....yes, yes, same title, but different songs granted....it just shows how secular and insecure bands have gotten to as even song titles have now become repetitive....). It just unfortunately feels the same throughout although R’n’B and hip-hop try and fit into the proceedings.
The odd thing here is like Oasis’ ‘What’s The Story? (Morning Glory)’, it contains two short instrumental tracks ALTHOUGH there was no evidence that a track was removed because it sounded like Stevie Wonder’s (who knows!?).
In the end, it’s 12 moderately enjoyable tracks (plus 2 instrumentals) BUT Sharleen’s voice does grate occasionally as she goes a little breathy (still one of Britain’s best voices put to some fine work here though....).
Music to accompany your shopping in ‘Miss Selfridge's’ to? Most probably. Music to genuinely enjoy? Light MOR fans, get your fix here....to me, it's not a keeper BUT listen to it once, if you have to....
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Green Day? I like 'em BUt my username didn't exist because of them (and as my registering time may suggest NO, definitely not from that Jim Carrey film....). Yes, there are worse BUT I'm not comparing them to that lot, am I!? Thanks for the feedback though, everyone....
gennymutant 21.05.2001 11:00
Good to hear someone not totally raving about this band for a change - my husband is a huge fan but I can't stand them! Too sugary for me... give me a good dose of Greenday or Offspring anyday...
eca99ajm 21.05.2001 10:48
Hi! I'm curiuos about the name - are you a Green Day fan? Anna
Great pop music is driven as much by raw emotion as it is classic textures. While this ... more
Scottish band excels in the latter trait, Texas has grappled with finding its own voice ever since making its 1988 debut.White on Blondeis the perfect example of an ...
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Great pop music is driven as much by raw emotion as it is classic textures. While this ... more
Scottish band excels in the latter trait, Texas has grappled with finding its own voice ever since making its 1988 debut. White on Blonde is the perfect example of a...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Relaxing. Music to have a glass of wine on a Summer's day by Disadvantages: The singles were remixed, therefore the album versions are different
May 21st, 2001
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