Wonderful is Madness' eighth studio album. It was released in 1999, following a hiatus of eleven years after their previous album, The Madness.
Much of this album somehow seems like modern interpretations of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby. The songs are very heavily centred around the narrative, and there's nothing wrong with that per se. But I think they need some form of musical interest- specifically a catchy chorus- to hold them together. Without it, songs like Lovestruck, Johnny The Horse, 4.A.M., If I Didn't Care and No Money end up as spoken word over a nondescript musical backing. Ska tragics like myself might like believe that Madness is defined by Night Boat to Cairo, One Step Beyond, Baggy Trousers, etc, but the reality is that they're as much a pop band with hits such as Our House and It Must Be Love.
Elysium is the sole example of this style that appeals to me, thanks to a wonderfully catchy melody.
But The Communicator is ska, and ska cures all ills ... right?? Unfortunately, not even for this ska fanboy. The song is kinda enjoyable, but nothing memorable. It also reminds me of Bad Manners' Sally Brown, or more specifically The Seen's slower tempo version thereof.
Now for the entire reason I bought the album: Drip Fed Fred. The groove is simple, yet catchy enough and powerful. Despite my moanings about the rest of the album, the narratives have always been very good, and the cartoon-ish gangster tale of Drip Fed Fred maintains that high standard. But the knockout punch is that irresistible chorus, which gets stuck in your head for the rest of the day. The four-and-a-half minutes disappears in a blissful trance, and it feels like they could keep easily the groove going for that time again without it getting at all stale. Brilliant!
Madness have always been a favourite band of mine. The Prince, One Step Beyond, Night Boat to Cairo, House of Fun and many others are treasured songs. But I also appreciate bands need to evolve and try new directions, so I have to respect them for doing that. Unfortunately, said new direction happens to have very little appeal for me in this case.
But while I have no interest in 91% of this album (actually, a higher percentage if you include the B-side disc), Drip Fed Fred is a massive exception. So can one catchy chorus justify a whole album? In this case, it does for me.
Goldfinger were formed in 1994. This self-titled debut album was released in 1996, a year before Hang Ups.
I appreciate that punk-ska is not meant to be a high-fidelity endeavour, but the first impression of Minds Eye is the awfully hollow snare sound. It remains throughout the album, but thankfully you somehow get used to it. And a catchy chorus also helps to make amends.
Apparently, Here In Your Bedroom is Goldfinger's most famous song, yet somehow it passed me by. And despite the occasional ska section, musically it leaves me cold. But somehow the narrative has snuck up on me over the years. I have no idea why, but I'm now also a huge fan of it.
As per Frenzal Rhomb, the thrashy style of Only A Day and Nothing To Prove do nothing for me. Add a touch of self-depreciating humour though, and the resulting The City With Two Faces becomes comedy gold! Anxiety is also not really my cup of tea, however the rousing chorus is quite irresistible.
The audio quality has some issues: non-existent bass, drums that sound like a plastic kids toy, muddy vocals, guitars that are too loud and a harsh top-end. So it takes a lot to look past these flaws and enjoy the songs.
At this point, one might be wondering why I actually purchased this album. Well, Answers is the elephant in the room. It uses a unique- and brilliant- combination of rocksteady and punk-rock. Highlights include... umm... absolutely everything about the song! The wonderful layering, the silky horn lines contrasting the menacing groove, a great bridge and an ultra-catchy chorus. It all adds up to one of my all-time favourite songs. And, given the rest of the album, it begs the question: where on earth did this magic come from??
The brilliance of Answers is both a blessing and a curse for this album. It means that- like Frenzal Rhomb- I didn't really know what I was signing up for when buying this album. So it's a tough gig for the rest of the album to live up to this false pretence.
It's not their only attempt at the ska genre, though. King For A Day is a thoroughly unconvincing reggae, often sounding quite similar to Sublime, but not a patch on their brilliance. On the other hand, My Girlfriend's Shower is just a cheeky little interlude, but the reggae is fantastic. Pictures has its moments, such as a great horn line and energy. But it jumps all over the place, so it is really hard to get into the groove.
I'm quite a fan of the Dropkick Murphys' shanty-punk style, and Anything is a great execution of it. On the other hand, Mable feels similar to Blink-182 but without that crucial cheekiness. And on the other other hand, Miles Away is a solid punk-rock cover.
Sans Souci is Frenzal Rhomb's eighth album. It was released in 2003, three years after Shut Your Mouth.
I never really got into Frenzal Rhomb, and bought this album purely for the comedy genius that is the song Russell Crowe's Band. Maybe you had to be there witnessing the arrogance and phone-throwing antics, but in my book this retort is a hilarious pisstake. Backed up with some very catchy pop-punk backing. Perhaps it is immature of me, but this is still my favourite song of the album.
On the other hand, even though Punisher was a successful single, I just can't get into the eclectic style of the chorus. Similarly, songs like Ballchef, I Went Out With A Hippy and You'll Go To Jail are too eclectic and heavy for me. White World would also be on this list, but it redeems itself with a great cover of Cat Stevens' classic in the chorus.
A brief interlude to ponder the recording quality... Okay, I understand that no-one is expecting a punk-rock album to be a refined, hi-fidelity experience; but that's no excuse for a muffled upper-midrange and the compression squashing much of the life out of the songs.
While I'm on my high horse, I'm not sure how to interpret the tale of Bucket Bong. Is it just a light-hearted celebration of youthful foolishness, or perhaps a cheap dig at the lower class perhaps? Hmmm. But before anyone starts thinking I might be making some sophisticated observations here, witness the lyrical genius of the chorus in Who'd Be A Cop:
Did you not get enough love?
Did your parents beat you up?
Do you worry about
The size of your penis?
Highbrow? No. Offensive and amusing punk? Absolutely! It's a classic example of tongue-in-cheek punk. (however the rest of the song is a bit of a dog's breakfast)
Looking Good and C**ksucker show a great diversity of musical styles to perfectly illustrate the sarcastic, harsh lyrics. Looking Good uses nicely layered country rock, and C**ksucker is in a silky smooth pop-rock style. Both are brilliantly executed, despite being miles away from the band's typical thrashy punk style. Completely unexpected, and great stuff.
Russell Crowe's Band, Looking Good, C**ksucker
This is Moskovskaya's third album. It was released in 2002, five years after The Edge Of A New Era.
Keep On Moving has all the right ingredients to kick off this 3rd wave ska album in style. But I just can't get into it, and keep wishing that the tempo was just a bit faster. Perhaps on a related note, the song also feels a bit aloof somehow. Similarly, That's Why is probably a perfect execution of the style, but somehow it lacks a memorable spark to elevate it to greatness.
Objectively speaking, things aren't much different for Johnny. But the story is much more engaging and somehow the song has far more energy. To top it off, it features a brilliantly catchy chorus. It all adds up to a really enjoyable song.
Incoming rant! The lyrics of Rude Boy really annoys me. They've tried to hijack the "rude boy" caricature as a freedom fighter, however the legend of the ska rude-boys has nothing to do with altruistic purposes. At best, it's about troublemaking yet harmless street lads seeking their share of justice and wealth. Which is a worthwhile story in its own right, but can we please not stretch it into something it isn't?? Sorry... rant much, I do!
On a brighter note, Hello People has a fantastic chorus. Unfortunately, though, the verses lack flow. But then Understand winds up the tempo, smooths things out; and the results are very nice.
No One Will Get Here Out Alive is terrific fun. It's brimming with energy, great horn lines and fun, meaningless lyrics (including a deliberately bad German translation). King Roy slows things down a bit, but the results are equally fun and infectious.
The premise of Königin Der Nacht is based on a quirk of German grammar, that the phrase "Queen of the Night" can sound the same as "King in the Night". In this cartoon-styled story, it leads to an awkward bedroom discovery! A lot of the appeal for me is thanks to this lyrical silliness, but it's also supported by arguably their finest instrumental work. Highlights are the catchy horn line and huge energy throughout. It's 3rd wave ska at its silly- and bouncy- finest!
Strangely, for the slower Jazzin' Jazz, they stole their own horn line! It's the same as Königin Der Nacht, but played slower. Overall, the song is a great jazz-ska instrumental, but I can't get past the plagiarism. Thankfully, Dissaray (sic) and Life Is A Beach also provide some fantastic chillout jazz-ska in a (mostly) instrumental style. Life Is A Beach is topped off with a wonderfully catchy chorus.
PS the recording quality is wonderful, especially for a ska album.
In 1998, Amiel enjoyed 5 minutes of fame thanks to Josh Abrahams' hit single Addicted To Bass. Audio Out is her own debut album, which was released five years later.
Let's get started with some musings about profanity, artistic purity and societal norms. A big factor in my decision to buy this album was probably the prominant naughty word in the chorus of the main single, Lovesong. These days, Chris Brown, Lady Gaga, etc are dropping "f*cks" and "c*nts" at the drop of a hat, but back then, it was still quite a big deal in pop music. And, like Radiohead's Creep (apart from the sanitised radio edit), I think Lovesong's use of profanity is a valid and mature artistic expression.
As for the rest of Lovesong, the bright and bouncy- yet bittersweet- style gives nice depth to the songs. As do the lyrics, where are humble and raw, like early Jewel. Normally the chorus would be far too saccharine for me, but it is saved by the line "another fucking lovesong". Oh, and the bridge is very strange! (but that's fine, it means it joins some esteemed company like Bush's Glycerine)
The other ten songs on the album, though, are not for me. This style of jack-of-all trades pop, such as Atomic Kitten simply isn't my cup of tea. The only other song with any appeal is Obsession (I Love You), even though it's embarrassingly close to Britney Spears' style. The appeal is mostly in the "mad scientist" style for the verses (ala Kate Miller-Heidke). And although the chorus is overly saccharine, it does nicely contrast the rest of the song.
However for someone whose debut song was called "Addicted to Bass", it is perplexing how even the heavier songs on this album are devoid of any proper bass. Unacceptable!
Lounge Against The Machine is Richard Cheese's debut album, which was released in 2000.
Right from the first album, there's a great amount of comedy and re-arrangement talent to enjoy, but some songs on this album suffer from low-rent production values. Nookie / Break Stuff works great as a lounge parody, but is undermined by some awful sounding drums (although I really enjoy the Chatanooga Choo Choo joke at the end).
It's a similar story for Guerilla Radio and Bullet The Blue Sky. The cover of Creep is well executed (particularly the wonderfully terrible Radiohead puns at the start) but this is one of few times where I prefer serious emotion (i.e. Frank Bennett's wonderful version) to the tongue-in-cheek of Richard Cheese. The lyrics for Closer make for a hilarious jazz cover, but the big-band version from Sunny Side Of The Moon has more musical depth.
The laid-back style- with xylophone- of Come Out And Play works brilliantly with the lyrics. As does the comically overdone climax. At the other end of the scale, Nirvana's dark and disturbed lyrics of Rape Me make for a ridiculous contrast to the bouncing latin-jazz style of Richard Cheese's version. It's very cringeworthy, and doesn't pretend to be anything else.
The immature and lite-rebellion lyrics of What's My Age Again and Fight For Your Right have been my favourite aspect of these songs' original version. So these covers which further magnify the silliness are a guaranteed success.
Wrong Way doesn't work for me. Maybe because I enjoy the original on an emotional level. So a version in this style seems a bit... ahem... wrong. But maybe that's the joke? However, Holiday in Cambodia is a different story. Somehow I enjoy both the vehemence of the original and the non-sequitur comedy of this cover. Both versions are brilliant in their own way.
Suck My Kiss is over before you know it. And I think that's the secret to Richard Cheese's comedy- quitting while you're ahead before the joke grows tired.
I thoroughly enjoy the hits listed above.
...but I bought this compilation to more thoroughly understand and enjoy Midnight Oil; this didn't really happen so I think I'm best off approaching Midnight Oil as a band that I'm happy to hear on the radio occasionally.
S&M is Metallica's eighth album. It was released in 1999, two years after Reload.
And it's an intriguing concept: rock supergroup plus symphony orchestra. The possibilities are very exciting, but it is also fraught with danger. Such as whether the often simplistic Metallica songs would actually benefit from the addition of an orchestra? And whether the arrangements can seamlessly integrate an extra 81 instruments within a rock song designed for 4?
I'm not familiar with the original version of The Call Of Ktulu, so it's hard to comment on the "orchestral conversion". But judged in isolation, the leitmotif isn't especially memorable and the song drags on without much purpose to its structure. The biggest disappointment is that it never unleashes the full power of the orchestra; it's always "rock band plus strings" or "rock band plus horns", etc.
On the other hand, I really like the original version of Master Of Puppets. However, I'm not convinced that the occasional orchestral fluff really adds anything to this version. In fact, it jumps around so much that it's very hard to get into the groove of the song. Of Wolf And Man is similar in the failings of the orchestral integration. It's like they've tried to find gaps in which to squeeze an orchestra, and the result is just background noise more than anything else. The Thing That Should Not Be is also just too busy and often the orchestral parts lack any coherence with the underlying rock song.
The recording quality of the quieter sections shows very good character, subtlety and balance. Unfortunately the louder sections can get quite messy (in particular, a muddy sound in the upper-bass frequencies) and the hi-hat is harsh and overbearing on several songs. However, I don't envy the people tasked with shoehorning a raging Metallica - plus a full orchestra - onto a CD, so some slack must be cut.
For Fuel, it seems the band have let the orchestra loose with some of the main riffs of the song, and the result is brilliant! And in the quieter sections, the swirling instruments works a treat to build drama. So, with the extra room for the orchestra to express itself, suddenly the whole concept makes sense. Phew!
The highlight of No Leaf Clover is the great contrast provided by the gentle chorus. Throughout the song, the orchestral parts adds a grand sense of scale, which is fantastic. Devil's Dance is also a wonderful result of combining "S" with "M", however I find the song lacks any effective hooks to make it memorable. Until It Sleeps is also a great arrangement of a lacklustre rock song.
For better or worse, the original of Nothing Else Matters is quite a crude and lumpy rock-ballad. I personally enjoy it for what it is, but there is definitely scope for a more sophisticated approach. But you won't find that here, unfortunately it's just a case of orchestral fluff in background adding nothing worthwhile to the song. Similarly, the S&M version of Enter Sandman also doesn't interest to me at all, perhaps because the original version's appeal is built around its... ahem purity as mindless, headbanging fun. That timeless riff is obscured (perhaps being unrecognisable if you weren't familiar with the original song) and the overall impression is of diluted rather than enhanced.
The instrumental preamble of For Whom The Bell Tolls is brilliant. The rest of the song features wonderful integration of band and orchestra, although I find it lacking in hooks. It's a similar story for -Human. To finish this review with some highlights, Wherever I May Roam, Outlaw Torn and Sad But True hit the nail on the head and deliver everything I'd hoped for when a great rock band is combined with a symphony orchestra.
Tuxicity is Richard Cheese's second album. It was released in 2002, two years after Lounge Against The Machine.
She Hates Me is vintage Richard Cheese: a gently, catchy jazz song, with the novelty of a profanity-laden chorus!
On the other hand, Fell In Love With A Girl lacks the grubby language, but more than makes up for it with the catchy music. As does Hate To Say I Told You So.
Similarly, the originals of Hot For Teacher and More Human Than Human doesn't give them much material to work with. But the frenetic energy injected into this cover makes them great songs in their own right.
Down With The Sickness is brilliant. Starting with a great soft opening, it gently builds up in line with the increasing depravity of the lyrics. Which all leads to a grand, and hilariously over-the-top, ending.
It's not really a song, but I do enjoy the joke of getting the band to...ahem... Shut Up. Similarly, the gag at the end of Crazy is comedy gold.
If I may get a little philosophical, this album had me considering the nature of parody albums. Whereas a Frank Bennett album (also lounge covers of pop hits) would have me considering intellectual aspects such as the arrangements and creativity in the adaption, for Richard Cheese I immediately go looking for the LOLs (i.e. gentle crooning laced with as much profanity as possible!). The timing of the comedy is executed very well here, with most of the covers being much shorter than the original versions, to avoid the joke getting stale by the end of the song. Midway through listening to Shut Up and Crazy I was thinking that they weren't as strong as the other songs, and perhaps Mr Cheese recognised this since these songs are essentially used as the build-up to the joke at the end.
Fell In Love With A Girl, Down With The Sickness, Hot For Teacher, More Human Than Human
This is the 2010 debut album from Lotek.
I was drunk when I bought this album... both alcoholically, and high on the buzz at the end of a great gig. It was the first time I'd heard of Lotek, and out of the blue this band delivered an infectious set of bouncy dancehall goodness. So I duly purchased their album.
Rebel Hifi kicks things off with a very nice groove, but the over-the-top dubstep flourishes aren't to my taste.
Don't Want No is similarly very heavy dub, although the ridiculous bass-quakes are hilarious. It was about this point I started wondering what on earth was going on with this album! I was expecting the feelgood dancehall style from the gig, but this was turning out to be more like Skrillex...
Dub Makes Fools Of Us All is more like it. Bouncy, danceable rocksteady; life is good. But then it descends into sparse dub, which I found very disappointing. (warning: rant incoming!) For me, the appeal of dub is the endless repetition, while slowly making subtle changes. A slow-burn journey, but when you look back you realise how far you've come. But dubstep trades this evolution for instantaneous flashes of effects, and it's not my cup of tea.
Dreader Than Dub also is exactly what I was hoping for, and thankfully it holds that style throughout the song. (although I do find it very similar to the groove of The Herd's We Can't Hear You on The Sun Never Sets).
And let's end the review here, because I have nothing nice to say about the remainder of the album...
Bat Out Of Hell II is Meat Loaf's sixth album. It was released in 1993, sixteen years after the original Bat Out Of Hell album.
Epic is such an over-used word these days. But this album is features some truly epic music, and I'd Do Anything For Love is an excellent example. It is also intensely passionate, yet wonderfully cheesy at the same time. The song structure is magnificent and features so many wonderful elements, such as the chorus "ahhs" and the use of piano. The icing on the case is the incredibly powerful female vocals.
The recording quality is sometimes quite 1980s sounding, despite the album being released in 1995. But it does a great job of bringing together the multitude of voices to create span the intensity range from a soft whisper to the Big Bang, so I rate it highly.
Life Is A Lemon And I Want My Money Back is dominated by a hypnotic groove, which feels like it could go on forever. Also, I quite enjoy the silly lyrics of the bridge (eg "What about X?", "It's defective").
The opening of Rock And Roll Dreams Come True is soooo 80s. Yet it builds on this soft-focus opening to create a wonderfully layered masterpiece. Again, the backing vocals and piano works a treat. And again, the lyrics are both wonderfully cheesy and passionate:
I treasure your love, I never want to lose it
You've been through the fires of hell
And I know you've got the ashes to prove it
Not to mention, the wonderful notion that the religion of rock'n'roll can solve any problem in the world:
Once upon a time was a back beat
Once upon a time all the chords came to life
And the angels had guitars even before they had wings
If you hold onto a chorus you can get through the night
...I could go on all day raving about the poetry, imagery and truisms of this song, suffice to say it's an all-time favourite for me.
On the other hand, It Just Won't Quit is a bit of a letdown. The chorus is super catchy, but otherwise I find it drags on aimlessly. The ballads of Good Girls Go To Heaven and Lost Boys And Golden Girls are also nothing to write home about.
Out Of The Frying Pan is a return to the typical Meat Loaf brilliance. It is dripping with vivid and powerful phrases, including my favourite "the sun is just a ball of desire". The key ingredient though, is the endless build-up throughout the song. Meat Loaf is a master of the pre-chorus and manages to capture this wonderful anticipation throughout an entire 8-minute song Everything Louder Than Everything Else also works this to perfection.
The Young And The Hopeless is Good Charlotte's second album. It was released in 2002 and shot the band to international pop success.
Kicking things off is A New Beginning, an overblown self-indulgent instrumental. Actually, it's quite a good start (well, except for the terrible recording quality).
Lifestyles Of The Rich & Famous is a bouncy, infectious little number. A particular highlight for me is the pre-chorus. Unfortunately, the novelty soon wears off though. With few new ideas to inject new life into the song, by the end it's flogging a dead horse.
Recording quality? Compressed to within an inch of its life and further blighted by various tacky distractions. Yuk.
Girls & Boys is similar, with a super catchy chorus and verses which... err... sufficiently fill the gaps between choruses. It's simply over-polished, lighthearted pop. So that's a thumbs up from me.
However, between the singles on the album, things are pretty barren. The ballads only highlight how whiney the vocals are, and songs like Riot Girl and The Day I Die are awfully superficial and brainless, both lyrically and musically. My Bloody Valentine has some potential thanks to an injection of some musical variety. Unfortunately, though, the chorus lacks the impact needed to tie it all together.
The quintessential teen angst song, The Anthem, has its moments. The lyrics, despite their whiney delivery, hit the spot perfectly. Also, the bridge and ending are pop-punk perfection. The highlight of the song for me is the pre-chorus. It's a common theme for this album, since Good Charlotte have nailed the art of ramping up the energy and driving up towards the chorus. In many of their other songs, I find the chorus itself to be a letdown, but The Anthem is a nice exception. The Young & The Hopeless is similar punk-pop perfection.
Not another cover! This piss-take version of Missy Higgins' hit Scar (review here) was released in 2010.
The immaturity starts with even the concept of the song: a ska version of a Scar... ska scar,... geddit?!
And the implementation itself is completely over the place, as it wildly oscillates between reggae, ska and punk. But it all hangs together nicely.
In the end, though, a lot of the appeal is out of spite. Since the original has been played to death on the radio, it is highly satisfying to sing along to such a ridiculous version of a pop hit...
How on earth did I end up owning most of Missy Higgins' back catalogue?! It's nothing to be ashamed of, of course, but I was a bit taken aback by this discovery...
This is Missy Higgins' debut album, which was released in 2004. It led to overnight pop success, thanks to the quirky pop sing Scar.
For me, it's the same story as On A Clear Night, as unfortunately the vast majority of the album makes no impression on me whatsoever. But there is one song...
The Special Two. Goosebumps. Oh wow. These lyrics feel like a message direct from the soul, and they hit a very strong nerve with me. Especially the opening verse and chorus, which are particularly touching. Musically, it isn't particularly memorable, but the backing perfectly fulfils it's purpose of supporting the beautiful poetry.
Actually, there is a bit more to the album. Scar is a catchy little pop ditty, but unfortunately it has been flogged to death over the years. Ten Days has similar charms, and thankfully hasn't had to deal with being a victim of its own success.
