Singles Reviews: Dec 2001

 
 

Garbage – Cherry Lips (Go Baby Go!) (Mushroom Records)
 
T:         Whilst I was personally relatively disappointed with the album “Beautiful Garbage”, I have to say that this one always stood out as the best track on it.
N:         I’d certainly go along with that. The intro is of eighties proportions, but the rest of the track is Garbage through and through.
T:         It kind of reminds me of Lush when they were in their “poppy” period, circa “Ladykillers”.
N:         In my estimation, this is their saviour, because the album was hard going, which was completely unexpected.
T:         Overall, this is a great track. Hopefully in time, the rest of the album will grow on me but I won’t hold my breath.  8/10

www.garbage.com
 
 

   

Muse – Feeling Good (Mushroom Records)
 
T:         As covers go, this version of the Nina Simone classic certainly has some balls behind it.
N:         Eight to be precise. Well, there’s four guys in the band aren’t there?
T:         Very droll I’m sure. Anyway, as good a version as it is, I would sooner listen to their own original material than any updates of older stuff.
N:         I have to go along with you there. I like it when a band shows a little of themselves in performing a cover in an original context. But moving swiftly to the second track of this double A-side, “Hyper Music”, God this has got some balls! But I can’t help feeling “Where do Muse go now?”
T:         Well, wherever they go, at least they’ve stopped Westlife from covering “Feeling Good”. Good on ‘em.   8/10

www.muse-official.com
 
 

   

Stella Browne – Never Knew Love (Perfecto)
 
T:         Unfortunately, we have had to take steps at Atomic Duster and recently sacked dancing boy Martyn Owen, on account of him eventually reviewing May’s releases in September! So I’m afraid the dance CDs are down to Nick and myself now, but don’t despair. We will of course be as objective as we possibly can. Can I start? This is fucking rubbish.
N:         In response, perhaps showed some promise early on, but I can’t feel that this is any different from the stuff Ultra Nate were producing five or six years ago. However, after we’d gone round the block a few times, I was bored.
T:         Which is some feat, considering the single is only three minutes long. So I suppose you’ve got to respect them for that.
N;         I don’t get paid enough for this job to wax lyrical so no further comment.  4/10

www.perfecto-fc.com
 

   
D*Note – Shed My Skin (Virgin/VC Recordings)
 
N:         Now, in complete difference to our last tune, this packs a punch on an entirely higher state of consciousness in a carnival of sounds and vocals. Are you getting the idea that I quite like this?
T:         Yes Josh I am. It’s quite dreamy isn’t it? Not really my cup of tea, but I can see your point. Plenty of interesting noises have been thrown into the mix, but it’s one of those tracks that would be guaranteed to make me curl up in a ball on the settee and have a kip in the afternoon, having completely forgotten how the damn tune goes. It actually feels strangely like you’ve returned to the womb at one point.
N:         I can’t really say any more. I like it.
T:         Oh go on.
N:         There are alternative mixes as well.
T:         Yes, but do you remember the sequence in Fawlty Towers where Basil is showing the hotel residents the difference between the sound of the fire alarm and the burglar alarm?
N:         And sometimes you don’t understand me.  6/10
 

   

Tindersticks – Dying Slowly
 
T: Here we go again. Another average single by the average Tindersticks and……hang on a minute, what’s going on? This is an absolutely fantastic single!! When coupled with the animated tragi-video, this single rips your heart out and tramples all over it, then shoves it back in, sews you up and, as soon as you feel as good as new, rips it straight back out again leaving you in stunned silence. The fact that it sounds like Bryan Ferry is singing it in his saddest voice just adds to the beauty of it. A remarkable track.  9/10
 

 

DJ Otzi – Do Wah Diddy (EMI)
 
T:         Noooooooo!!!!  It must be christmas again. You don’t need a watch or a calendar to work that out when some fat moustachioed bloke doing horrible sleazy (insert dodgy nightlub name here) versions of classic sixties tunes is in the charts. Bring back Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers.  Actually on second thoughts, no, don’t.  0/10
 

 

Ash – There’s A Star (Infectious)
 
T:         Yet another fantastic single from “Free All Angels”. Look, I love the album and the band, but every track could be a single in my opinion as they are all brilliant. This is Tim in his finest James Bond moment, but please don’t release any more off the album. I want a new one.
N:         Who’d have thought it? “1977” to 2001. What would be good here would be a tuxedo and licence to write a damn good tune, but do they need it? I can’t get over just how much this sounds like an ACTUAL Bond score. Perhaps they’re touting for work.
T:         Robbie Williams as the next James Bond? Pah. Tim Wheeler’s streets ahead in the musical gadgetry department.
N:         But get to the chorus and it’s Ash through and through.
T:         The band truly do have gold fingers.  8/10

www.ash-official.com
 

   
Missed Reviews:
 
Shed Seven – Step Inside Your Love (Artful Records/Universal)
 
 8/10

www.shedseven.com 
 

 

Curtis Lynch Jr featuring JP – The Chase
 
No available website details     5/10
 

Bjork – Pagan Poetry (One Little Indian)

8/10

www.bjork.com
 

Cinerama – Health and Efficiency (Scopitones)

9/10

www.cinerama.co.uk
 
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