Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: Moloko
Album Title: Do You Like My Tight Sweater?
Year: 1995

Running with scissors really can be fun..
 
How I Got Into This Music
Saw the Fun For Me video for the first time and.. Well.. Never knew I had a nurse fetish until I saw Roisin in that outfit with that black wig (Ok, so that’s not a real reviewer’s type of comment, but hey, I’m only human, leave me alone, heheh..)
I didn’t know who or what these guys were, this weird band with this weird name: Moloko, consisting of the insane Mark Brydon and the even more insane Roisin Murphy.
A friend of mine bought the album when it came out and I just couldn’t cope with all the weird stuff on the album back then. It took about ten years before I was mature enough to sit down (with an ample dose of valium) and really listen to this CD. And I sure as hell am glad I did..

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Tracks that got my attention:
Fun For Me
For me it was a first: a track with heavy, really heavy, West Coast Rap style of production combined with modulated vocals from a white, British girl from friggin’ Sheffield. And it worked! These guys are pure genius.. Those lyrics:
I dreamt that the bogeyman went down on Mr Spock
Sugar was a flowing, sock it to ‘em sock
I dreamt I saw a moo cow jump across the moon
Just a flight of fantasy, zoom zoom zoom
I dreamt I met a spaceman he took me to his ship,
You know he cut my hair off, snip snip snip
Just wacky weirdness!

Tight Sweater
Haunting baby-like vocals, one simple question, scary..

Day For Night
This one’s all about the electronic beats and percussion happening all over the place. Scary spaced out keyboards and effects and there’s a heavy Zapp/Roger Troutman vibe happening here, excellent..

I Can’t Help Myself
Almost impossible to describe, seriously.. Here we go.. There’s this Jungle rhythm, weird background vocals and those heavy dramatic keyboards that kick in after two minutes. Then you get a real Drum & Bass explosion, but in a very subdued way; something you should enjoy with a headphone on.

Lotus Eaters
Again a great combination of US dance, Dr. Dre and genius electronics. Those little bits of crazy vocals in the background, wow. One of my favorite tracks; I get this evoked set of emotions from this song: melancholy, mania, joy, dance-hunger, a great mix of uppers and downers!

On My Horsey
Just a weird interlude.

Dominoid
Better A Day As A Lion
Than A Lifetime As A Lamb
Heheh.. Now that’s a text worth tattooing on your bum. Seriously, another West Coast style track and I can imagine the look on Dr. Dre the first time he heard this one. This song shows the production value of this band: Roisin as a modern day femme fatale and Brydon as the mad professor at the buttons and knobs.

Party Weirdo
Sometimes just a bit too weird, still wonder if it would work on a dance floor, hmmm..

Tubeliar
Another ringtone added to my collection - great interlude!

Ho Humm
The chorus reminds me of another song, can’t put my finger on it. I like how the song is structured: starting with moody dark stuff and ending with a classic House music groove.

Butterfly 747
Ok, this one gets on my nerves 9 out 10 times. My ears weren’t designed for this song. Just kidding, it’s Drum & Bass taken to another level.

Killa Bunnies
I can’t handle this track, it just gets to my nerves - the whole bombast drama mixed with nightmarish effects and lyrics, yuck! I often wake up at night all sweaty, screaming at those Killa Bunnies to go away. You can imagine that my neighbours (the new ones) are getting a bit worried..

Where Is The What If The What Is In Why?
Love it, love it, love it!
What if the fruit don’t fall from the tree,
What if these questions just won’t let you be,
Why waste your time looking for proof,
What if the answer is never the truth.

Conclusion
I do have this weak spot for weird music, but I try to keep away from it, afraid I end up locked up in my home and painting the walls in an interesting shade of Weird-N-Wacky. But sometimes, It’s just stronger than me
Over the years Moloko has evolved from a fantastic studio production to a fantastic studio and live band. Always changing style and format, the genius of mister Brydon and the mesmerizing vocals of Roisin Murphy keep delivering the goods. Do You Like My Tight Sweater is a brilliant mix of styles and influences.

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