Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: 4Hero
Album Title: Play With The Changes
Year: 2007

British producers, global quality..
 
How I Got Into This Music
To the best of my recollection, the first track I heard from them was back in 2000/2001 (not sure), a weird and weak 70s rip-off track, called Les Fleur. That song really got me all agitated and the video was even worse; it all just got under my skin for being such a blatantly cheap copycat action. But, it still stuck in that vast grey bucket of trivia called my brain, referenced under Crappy Rip-offs That Are Kinda Interesting.
Flash forward to 2006: I discover this insane album called How About A Game Of Chess? thru the nice people at Last.fm. And I find out that the guy behind that album, Marc Mac is one half of a band called 4Hero, and that triggered other stuff: these guys also worked on a track with miss Jill Scott, called Gotta Get Up (Another Day). Still with me?
So, it turns out that 4Hero were the people behind the aforementioned abomination Les Fleur, a great Jill Scott track and that Chess album. A coupla months back this new album by 4Hero came out and I just had to try it out…

Album info at Answers.com || Album details at Artistdirect.com || Google Search for reviews of this album ||

Tracks that got my attention:
Morning Child ft. Carina Andersson
Same lady doing the vocals as Les Fleur, but now somehow, it works for me. The other weird thing, the horns remind me of Toto’s Georgy Porgy (later covered by Eric Benet).

Take My Time ft. Jack Davey
Nasty and innocent vocals, love it.. Never heard of J*Davey but I might check it out soon.

Look Inside ft. Face
Hmm.. Just a bit too up-tempo for me, gets anoying some times.

Sink Or Swim ft. Lady Alma
Retro Soul, incredibly catchy bass loop and chorus. And some very sweet vocals!

Give In ft. Darien Brockington/Phonte
Oooooo… This track helps me get through the worst of moods, calms me down, makes me enjoy the rainy day. Compact cameo rap by Phonte of Little Brother.

Play With The Changes ft. Talita Long/Harry Mizell
A friend of mine (hiya Tama!) thought the first part of this song sounded like something done by Sergio Mendes; hadn’t thought about it like that, but she was right. The second part is my favorite: added beat is simple, effective and incredibly groovay.

Something In The Way ft. Bembe Segue/Kaidi Tatham
Nothing wrong with this track, it’s great. But it does get skipped sometimes.

Stoke Up The Fire ft. Face
Impossible to skip! The bass on this song is just superb, it’s all over the place while still managing to function as part of the rhythm section. Gonna cost me some months of annoyance but I’ll be trying this one out with my bass teacher. He’ll probably just grin insanely: the pupil’s getting in way over his head again

Awakening ft. Ursula Rucker
New mantra:
I must and shall listen to more stuff by Miss Ursula Rucker
I must and shall listen to more stuff by Miss Ursula Rucker
I must and shall listen to more stuff by Miss Ursula Rucker
This lady’s been on the edge of my musical radar since her work with Jazzanova, Circe (from The Remixes 1997-2000). But I never took the time to seriously get into her music; an entry on my To Listen List..
Back to the song; this one reminds me of United Future Organization: like the soundtrack to some 70s cop movie or TV show. Miss Rucker’s vocals/poetry flows smoothly, carrying a poignant message about The Message.

Sophia
Great one to enjoy while driving the car along the Maasboulevard into Rotterdam, with its beautiful skyline. (And no, I ain’t getting paid one cent for this endorsement, cheap bastards..)

Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) ft. Terry Devos
What can I say? The first part takes getting used to, but knowing what’s coming after that is worth stealing Fire (and the Comfy Chair) from the Gods.
Terry Devos’ voice takes your breath away, this cover of the Stevie Wonder classic is perfect!

Bed Of Roses ft. Jody Watley
Who’d thought Miss Jody Watley would still be active in this crazy music business? She used to be in the 80s groove band Shalamar and some of us senior citizens remember her for that classic catch phrase: “Hasta La Vista, Baby” (Yep, Arnie stole that one..). She’s also one of the few US artists that contributed to the classic Band Aid track, Do They Know It’s Christmas?.
Enough trivia, this is a great collaboration: UK Garage/Soul mixed with US vocals. Catchy as hell!

Our Own Place
Don’t know who’s doing the vocals, but they’re nice. Reminds me of Zero 7.

Dedication To The Horse
An unexpected way to finish the album, but the guitar work works for me. Just gotta keep from playing this track while driving, I cannot keep on getting those speeding fines

Conclusion
First album from these guys I’ve listened to and I like it a lot. Not sure if I’ll be checking out their previous work, more curious about what they’ll be doing on a next album. Their work is solid and mature, there’s this sense of cocky independence: This Is How We Do It, And That’s That. I like that in a musician and 4Hero are excellent craftsmen. I’ve played this album in my car for three weeks straight and now, while listening to it again for this review, I still love it very much: a Frenchy’s Favorite, indeed!

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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..

Album info at Answers.com || Album details at Artistdirect.com || Google Search for reviews of this album ||

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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General Description
Artist/Band: The Chess Cadet All Stars AKA Marc Mac
Album Title: How About A Game Of Chess?
Year: 2005

My kind of weirdness!
How I Got Into This Music
One of those late discoveries through the lovely people at Last.fm. I was just browsing their excellent music selection and came across this album (can’t remember which track precisely). Finally got the album in september 2006 and was totally and completely mesmerised.
The Chess Cadet All Stars is a one-off project by mister Marc Mac, one half of 4hero.

Google Search: Reviews of How About A Game Of Chess? | This artist at Last.fm

Tracks that got my attention:
Intro
Heheh, setting the theme and style - a short sample from some Asian action movie (at least, it sounds like it)

Simple Folk
I remember some nitwit commenting on the repetition on this track; he still has use of his left arm on occassion and he can feel a rain storm coming just by the itching in his right hand..
Seriously, I love the repetition: adding little layers to the ground beat and piano sample is beautiful!

Space Cadet
Man, that beat.. It’s something from the Caribbean, not quite sure.

See Me Smile ft. Etta James
Hmm. my least favorite track; I don’t mind the vocals but they just don’t blend that well for me.

Blue Phil
Movie theme music, I can imagine Guy Richie using this for his umpteenth comeback movie

Tune For God
The weirdness expands into saxophone loops

Take The Queen
The Melancholy is all over this track. Thanks to that creep Moby, I started hating blues vocals being looped in a track. Take The Queen is the antidote.

A Bad Minute
50s/60s brass and strings mixed with some very heart-wrenching dialogue

Pick A Colour
I had to get used to the piano loops and high-pitch keyboards, but after a while I really loved this track. Listen to the beats in the background.

Sandman
Impossible to describe, but here goes. Another 90 second track with a great beat, lovely strings and general grooviness

No Bread No Peace
This track just gets to me everytime. When the music starts blending into the intro-monologue, I get all mellow. It’s the tear-filled guitar and horns, they’re beautiful!

Got U In Check
Lovely, lovely, lovely! Oh man!! It’s a lullaby with a cool beat. That’s it, beauty in simplicity!

Alone Me And The Sea
Damn! Still not sure who’s being sampled here, but my guess is Stephanie Mills. The mood on this track is total MellowDrama.

Dell’s Bells
A great track for a long drive.

Slide Bishop Slide
Subtle Arabian Nights flavored track with some crazy horn samples.

Latin Gold Theme
Instant dance classic! It’s a great remix/remake of I Am the Black Gold of the Sun track from the Nuyorican Soul album; a classic album by the boys of Masters At Work.

Conclusion
One of my all-time favorite albums ever! It’s got the precise balance of weirdness, beats, loops and orchestration that gets me jumping with joy everytime I listen to it. I still can’t get bored by it. I can’t explain it to other people, so just go and try to find the album and listen to it..

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General Description

Artist/Band: Beck
Album Title: The Information
Year: 2006

It kinda grows on you..
 
How I Got Into This Music
Ah, read my review of his previous album, will ya? Just a bit more background info can be read here.

Google Search: Reviews of The Information | Review of this album at artistdirect.com | Album review at Answers.com | This artist at Last.fm

Tracks that got my attention:
Elevator Music
Strong links to his breakthrough single Loser, but I don’t mind. The keyboards for some mellowness and the guitars for acoustic and electric relaxation.

Think I’m in Love
Extreme melancholy but still kinda funny. Check out the music: it’s a big tip of the hat to movie mega-babe (now nutty far-right animal extremist) Brigitte Bardot’s Contact (have a YouTube experience, click here)

Cellphone’s Dead
It’s the weird combo of instruments that get to me: the 80’s retro-breaks combined with 70’s background vocals. The spooky synth bells-pattern reminded me of the Gorillaz’ DARE track, but maybe that’s just me..

Strange Apparition
With this track it’s easy: when he starts his vocals, I get a chill down my spine. And that piano gives us a great vibe, a kinda Neil Young thing, especially at the end.

Soldier Jane
Second friendly nod to Bardot’s Contact, but now with even more strong references. I like the lyrics on this one. The way the bass just drops by on this track is ultimate sweetness.

Nausea
Can’t quite put my finger on it - can’t remember what this song’s reminding of. Bass and strum guitars set a great pace, I love how he combines his samples with his instruments.

New Round
Lessons of the day
On a blackboard night
Seem to be erased
And the beacon has no light
Wow! There’s this sadness and warmth coming from this track, it tears your defenses down but also offers a nice warm blanket for protection.

Dark Star
Space age 70s drama, heavy on the string section. It took me some time to get used to it, but the harmonica sample helps a lot..

We Dance Alone
Not so impressive, still, a solid track.

No Complaints
Just love the synth-work on this song - that mellow spacey feeling!

1000BPM
Heavy fun-industrial-electro (new word? new genre?) music, another one that needed some time before I really started liking it.

Motorcade
Weird intro, love the sudden switch and the great low-low breakbeat. Listen to the beat during the chorus, frigging low! Another fantastic collage of sounds and beats (the whistle’s also very funny). And the stuff during the last 90 seconds - man-o-man! Retro feeling, taking you back to the breakdance, body-popping era.

Information
Chorus gets to me, every time.

Movie Theme
Yep, the title really fits the song. It’s taking you back to Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre (and more recently:Air) . Another space odessey track and I love it.

Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton
This track is so fucking (pardon my Frenchy!) weird. Listen to the gazillion different beats and samples happening on the background, foreground, in the middle, just everywhere! It’s collection of songs welded together to make this unbelievable construction. Steel guitar, easy rock guitar, weird breakbeats and samples, everything put together in a beautiful and weird way. With four minutes to go the track’s totally mellowed out and the last two minutes are just plain wacked out; not a lot of people will finish listening this one, but I enjoy it very much!

Conclusion
When I first started listening to this album somewhere in November 2006, I thought it was just like his Guero album: nice, but not really great. But I kept coming back to this album, something about it just clicked for me and if I’ve applied my limited writing talents correctly, the stuff I wrote before should give you an idea of just why it clicked).
The weird and haunting combined with the funny and mellow. The great collages of styles and sounds; my friend, you need to listen to this with headphones.
Believe it or not, this album’s one of my favorite albums of 2006.

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General Description
Artist/Band: Gabriel Yared
Album Title: Betty Blue a.k.a. 37°2 Le Matin (Movie Soundtrack)
Year: 1988

Manic mood swings between joy and sadness
 
How I Got Into This Music
Hmm.. Lemme think for a minute.. Yep, ‘89: there was this TV ad for some brand (Stefanel, clothing). This ad was quite cheesy, girl at the edge of a rocky coast in deep contemplation, blahblahblah. But the tune they used..
I couldn’t get it out of my head, it drove me nuts, I loved it! Took me quite a while to find out who the artist was: Gabriel Yared. Who? Didn’t know.. People told me it was from this French movie called Betty Blue or 37°2 le matin. So what? Didn’t care about the movie then, but a room mate had the soundtrack and when I listened to it, it was instant nirvana.

Google Search: Reviews of Betty Blue a.k.a. 37°2 Le Matin (Movie Soundtrack)

Tracks that got my attention:
Betty et Zorg
This is the main theme in the movie score, this theme was used in different musical styles on the soundtrack. This is the lazy jazzy version, with an excellent saxophone-harmonica combo.

Des Orages Pour la Nuit
Stormy weather indeed.. Often told anecdote: I used to program my CD player with my favorite tracks of this album, put it on repeat and go to sleep. I messed up once and programmed this track too and woke up in the middle of the night, totally freaked out, still fresh out of the nightmare I care not to describe.

Cargo Voyage
Second theme in the movie also performed in different styles. This version is a beautiful harmonica thingy, love it!

La Poubelle Cuisine
Funny tune, an Italian flavored dish in a French movie

Humecter la Monture
Now THIS is what elevator music should sound like!

Le Petit Nicolas
Variation of Des Orages Pour La Nuit (wiping the sweat from my brow..)

Comme Les Deux Doights de la Main
This theme was the one they used in the TV ad that started my whole love affair with this album

Chile con Carne
Delicious Brazilian variant - love the sweet whistling!

Maudits Maneges
Carnival or circus theme, beautiful and haunting at the same time. Like I was a little kid again..

Conclusion
Didn’t do a track-by-track review coz like I wrote before, this score uses three or four themes and uses different versions of those themes. Tracks like La Poubelle Cuisine and Humecter La Monture stand on their own and offer a nice break from those theme variations. Enough with the clinical crap already!
This is one of my favorite albums because it was and still is to me one of those great little discoveries in music. I never heard music that way before (or at least, never payed any real attention) and I never thought an instrumental soundtrack would be strong enough to work on its own merits. Let alone make we want to go see the movie.
And the movie? Depressingly beautiful, but that’s another review..

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