Metamatic Forums Socialising The Green Room What Music Are You Listening To ?

I'm currently listening to Dazzle Ships in readiness to hear the remastered edition...

Incidentally, the live version of Architecture and Morality is now available to pre-order...

Rob

Im still looking forward to the remaster too Rob. Hope some early live performances make there way to dvd too some time.

Found time within 'Numan times' to play some of John's music. Busy as hel' so cant give any serious listening to anything, but 'Nation 12' did fit the bill. Nice mix of humour and rhythms for a casual listen on the pod, but still getting a fix of the quiet man.

Jem - Finally Woken

British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music?

Sir Bri of Eno - Textures.

Home made OMD compilation (-working myself up for a Dazzle Ships 2008 frenzy...when it turns up! )

Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree
I'm surprised how much I am letting this album 'bother' me.

Martin - I'm not a Goldfrapp fan at all, but I'm intrigued - why is is bothering you? Is it that bad?

No, I don't think its bad...
Perhaps I have just made the mistake of high expectations.

Goldfrapp have (and this is only my opinion of course!) slid spectacularly down into the abyss of 'fame' over the course of their career, at the expense of creativity, originality and integrity.
For me, Felt Mountain is one of the best debut albums EVER and is genuinely remarkable piece of work.
Black Cherry took ideas from that and developed a more accessible sound, and then Supernature thrust them into the commercial spotlight and seemed quite obviously written to have that effect.
I've seen them three times live too (once for each album) and I feel that they have 'sold out'. But who I am to complain about that - if that was their aim then fair play to them and they have done very well for themselves.
What I was hoping for with Seventh Tree was to see them being more creative and challenging, given the artistic 'freedom' that you would hope comes from being mega-stars with pedigree firmly established with the international success of Supernature (and subsequent sales of Black Cherry).

Instead, I fear this is a bland album, and doesn't really seem to do much that other people aren't already doing. Madonna and Kylie, for instance, though the comparison makes me cringe.
That said, Goldfrapp are a genuinely interesting and clever song-writing team and continue to prove that.
Even the packaging and photography disappointed me this time.
It (seems to be) more about image and record sales in a market place where mediocrity rules.

Quite why this should bother me so much tho is an infuriating mystery...

I haven't heard it yet, but I was disappointed in A&E.

I share your view Martin, on their debut album - at the time it was like nothing else, and still is just as unique and refreshing today.

I really loved the change of style with Black Cherry - such a contrast to their first album, and let's face it - how could you follow that up?! But the moody electronica really worked for me.

I was looking forward to a similar surprise and change in style with their third album, but when I first heard the awful "Ooh La La", I knew I would be let down. And I was. I like Supernature but only half as much, if that, as Black Cherry. It really did feel like selling out and pandering to the radio-friendly market.

I first heard Alison's voice on Peter Gabriel's OVO and I loved it, which led me to investigate their debut later that same year back in 2000. Sadly by the time of Supernature, I found her vocals either indechipherable or too heavily distorted and that glowing, sexy appeal that drew me to her, was gone - just like her eyebrows.

So with the new album I haven't bought it on face value, as I did Black Cherry. From what I've heard so far, it is a try before you buy affair.