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.
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