Third Attack
Massive Attack - Mezzanine | The Charlatans - Melting Pot
James - The Best Of James | Fundmental - Erotic Terrorism | Simple Minds - Neapolis
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Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Virgin 
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Brilliant innovators of the Bristol trip-hop sound, and instigators of countless imitators, or indie-dance chancers? For once the answer is clear. These guys simply excel at just about everything they touch. Second single, 'Teardrop', featuring the lovely vocals of Cocteau Twin, Elizabeth Fraser, is only a taste of the treats in store on this their third album proper. Apart from moments in the past of sheer beauty, such as 'Hymn Of The Big Wheel' from the 'Blue Lines' album, Massive Attack albums always seem to carry a mood of thrilling malevolence, and it underlies this album right from the opening metronome click of 'Angel' , through to the fuzzy guitar on 'Dissolved Girl'. And speaking of guitar - an instrument which didn't seem to get much look in on MA gear in the past - seems very close to the surface on a number of occasions here, suggesting almost a yeah-we-can-play-guitar-but-we-don't-wanna attitude. This, once again, is pure class set in acetate, and surely an early nomination for album of the year. - Clem |
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The Charlatans - Melting Pot
Beggar's Banquet/Shock
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James - The Best of
Mercury/Polygram
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Having grown to be one of the best loved Brit-bands of the decade, if
anyone deserves a �Best Of� compilation it�s the Charlatans.
Now you could argue for hours what you think should and shouldn�t be on it, and while it looks just like a singles collection, it has a few interesting ring-ins. Starting at the bands best known hit - 1990�s �The Only One I Know� and arranged chronologically to end with last years �North Country Boy�, it charts the interesting progression of a career filled with more highs and lows than your average group. There are some great moments (memories?) to be had, from the underrated �I Never Want An Easy Life If Me And He Were Ever To Get There� to the strident hammond breaks of �Weirdo�. Disappointingly for a collection mainly comprised of singles, �Tremelo Song� - one of their loveliest moments - and little heard gem �Me In Time� have been omitted, but with the inclusion of old live favourite �Sproston Green�, and rarities such as the instrumental �Theme From Wish� (apparently a favourite of the bands) and the Chemical Brothers� remix of �Patrol� make up for this somewhat. In the end Melting Pot falls rather uncomfortably between a �Best Of� and a singles collection, but to the uninitiated it will serve as a very reasonable introduction to a brilliant band. - Chris |
Depending on if you like the artist, compilations and 'best ofs' are always going to be good value.
This is one of those rare occasions where if you've never heard of the band before, never will you be offered a better chance to discover something so close to the best intelligent alternative pop the world has seen since The Smiths in their heyday. Around the traps since 1981, this lot have continually produced songs others can only dream of, and despite recent unfavourable reviews in the UK press, they look like doing so for some time to come. Gaining first prominence in the days of Madchester, James, like Inspiral Carpets, were a touch unfairly lumped with the baggy scene, which in fairness they may have taken advantage of but unlike most, they survived. From the classic 'Sit Down' through to the epic 'She's A Star' and new tracks 'Destiny Calling' and 'Runaground', this is one group who's work is far from disposable, slightly left of centre, very intelligent, and highly satisfying - a trait others seeking to go far in this game may want to take notice of. - Clem |
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Fun^Da^Mental - Erotic Terrorisim
Beggar's Banquet/Shock
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Simple Minds - Neapolis
EMI
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The rather cheerless looking imitation 'Bollywood' film poster which
fronts this album is a pointer to the fact that this isn't exactly going
to win prizes for its comedy content.
For starters the booklet entails the UN Charter on Human Rights in its entirety, and as you remove the cd from the case you're confronted with a rather charming photo of a group of African children being displayed a severed head... You guessed it, Fun'Da'Mental are a 'political' band. That's not necessarily meant in a derogatory sense, I mean if every group only ever sang about how friggin' wonderful life is or how much they love/want to shag some poor unfortunate, the music world would be a much duller place (er, come to think of it...). It's just a pity that Erotic Terrorism is so unremittingly bleak - at least fellow agitators Chumbawumba can have a laugh now and again. To be fair, as the numerous pictures of victims of torture and repression included here (yes, this one ain't for the faint-hearted) show, the subjects these guys are on about are no laughing matter, but if only they had some decent tunes to go with their obvious passion for these issues. Instead we're presented with thirteen slabs of harsh quasi-industrial noise, which vocally, at least, on the better songs sound a little like Keith Flint (and even Tricky, in one case), on the bad ones Trent Reznor. There is the occasional and welcome foray into more chemical/hip hop inspired beats, but these moments are too few and far between. Still, for all their need to lighten up a little, Fun'Da'Mental at least make you pause to consider what they're on about, and that's not such a bad thing. - Chris |
I remember back in the early 80s buying the Human League's 'Love Action' single, thinking I was
actually getting 'Love Song', which I found out later was by Simple Minds.
I also remember when the film, 'The Breakfast Club', came out and their song from that film, 'Don't You Forget About Me', was being played everywhere. Funny thing is, I don't remember much after that, and that may be because nothing memorable has come from them since. I vaguely remember something about a 'Belfast Child' song, and how pretentious people said it was, but not much else. Chances are many people will still have no idea what happened to this band, despite this reasonable effort of an album. For those who have followed the progress of Simple Minds, you may be pleased to know this album is a return to the sequenced-based style of their first five albums. I know that because I read it on their web site - on which a special section is set aside for Australian fans and the raw deal they seem to be getting from the band's record company here. But as for the songs, they seem to move in all the right directions, though Jim Kerr sounds eerily like Bono in the vocal department, and that's kind of off-putting. Credit is due, however, for this lot being in the game for over two decades and still managing to produce an album that doesn't once make you cringe. Yeah, I don't mind it, but it's not exactly memorable. - Clem |
