Review A Song

[The Gentleman Scamp]

I don't think Gorillaz ever came near to topping their first hit Clint Eastwood which I recently read was written after buying a book called 'How To Make A Hit Song' which I can well believe given it's combination of originality, style and most of all simplicity.

For those who don't know the song consists of a dub reggae beat and baseline which is catchier than herpes, with Damon Albarn from Blur singing...

"I ain't happy, I'm feeling glad - I got sunshine, in a bag
I'm useless, but not for long, the future is coming on..."

This is bookended by a splendid rap from a little known Del the Funky Homosapien who I always imagined as a large, black man with glasses but in actual fact is a skinny black American rapper with the apparent token arrogance of all the others. It was he that said he wrote the song after buying the book but I think that's a bit of an audacious claim that implies he wrote the lot when I suspect he just wrote the rap, a very well written and slick piece yet the one part of the song that is completely different when performed live.

The rap is in two parts, the second of which is halved by a spendid drum fill in. A spooky harmonica and organ complete the track and though the album version does take a little too long to fade out; the song, almost seven years on, does not seem to tire even to the easily bored like myself.

I still don't really know what the song is about but as in most cases its the music that makes a song, without which a song would merely be a poem with a chorus.

What posessed Gorillaz to name the song after an overrated, one dimensional, Hollywood coffin dodger is beyond me.

9.5/10

[Frankenstein]

THat's eerie that is. I probably havent thought about the Gorillaz for over a year, but 15 minutes ago I was thinking of my nephew, and reminisced when he had brought the Gorillaz CD to a family reunion and put it on.

Personally I think Clint Eastwood is pants (both the song and the actor) and way overrated. But Del Da Funky Homosapien's 'Mistah Dobalina' is a real catchy hit song.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Del Da Funky Homosapien's 'Mistah Dobalina'

Cheers, I'll Limewire it.

[The Gentleman Scamp]

Ok, now I will review 'Dancing In The Moonight' by Toploader.

It's one of those songs that is sung as if the singer thinks he's written the best song in the world, though not quite with the same arrogance as 'You've Got The Music In You' by one hit wonders - The New Radicals.

Toploader have taken their name from a type of marajuana joint, this is to show everyone how cool they are and that they are really nothing more than a student union band got lucky, not to mention one hit wonders which this is.

That said, you're mother would probably say it's very nice and you're avarage Mr Nobody suit wearer will have a copy in his avarage car because he doesn't really have any taste in music and will follow the flock which is exactly why this song became popular, well sorry Toploader but you cnuts don't fool me for a second - fuck off.

[slimboyfat]

i thought a toploader was a washing machine where you put the clothes in from the top

[The Gentleman Scamp]

^ That too.

If nobody else can be arsed to review a song then give me a song to review and I'll do my best/worst.

[slimboyfat]

please review Unbelievable by EMF

[The Gentleman Scamp]

^ Ok.

Like many one hit wonders, some are actually very good and though they are not strictly one hit wonders it is the the song 'Unbelievable' for which they will most be remembered. EMF, supposedly stood for "Epsom Mad Funkers" (although it was widely speculated that the initials instead represented "Ecstasy Mother Fuckers", anyway that bit was a copy and paste from Google so on with my own review.

The best thing about this song is the guitar riff that accompanies the chorus, it goes like this - 'Daaa, dadadadada da da da, dadadadadad da da da etc... Remember this was written by a teenager, it is achingly catchy as is the impressive guitar solo. They get a bit carried away with the sampler and cowbell but not enough to spoil the song.

If there is one thing to criticise about Unbelievable then it is the vocalist and the way he sings. He doesn't really sing, and not in the way that Suggs from Madness doesn't really sing but in the sense that it's just wrong.

James Aitkin has one of those voices that can't decide if it wants to speak or sing, it doesn't really have the confidence to sing and has an irritating Dido-ish cotton wooliness about it, like a husky fucking shouted whisper, and then there's the rap - you just want to walk into the studio, take the mic off him and give him a hug, still he's penned a pretty good hit that is as foot stomping today as it was in 1996.

Unbelievable is an air guitar classic.

8.8/10

[slimboyfat]

ok so you got a green for that.

now try 'Intergalactic' by the Beastie Boys

[The Gentleman Scamp]

^ Ok

INTERGALACTIC - BEASTIE BOYS

Having not had much desire to listen to the Beastie Boys over the years due to being over twelve years old and not a seppo, this was not an easy one to review but I tried to forget the bedroom shouts of 'Fight For Your Right to Party' and cast an open minded appraisal of this, I assume, more recent track.

My initial thought during the opening seconds was "Wahey! It's Daft Punk", the only lyrics being voiced by a dalek on ecstacy, but then came the familiar Beastie Boys sound I had been trying to avoid since the 80's -

"Well now don't you tell me to SMILE!
You stick around I'll make it worth your WHILE!"

Yes, they still, like so many of their ilk, see fit to get all their mates to shout the last line of each verse - an irritating trait of white trash rap.

"If you want to battle you're in deNIAL!!
Coming from Uranus to check my STYLE!!"

Nil poi for the 'Uranus' joke so late into the 90's, and while we're at it - just what is it all about? Lines such as "If you try to knock me you'll get MOCKED! - I'll stir fry you in my WOK!" are charmingly creative and refreshingly palatable but again we have yet another rap outfit proclaiming their superiority and shouting about it.

It seems they have not grown up at all, but then again this is not my bag and if it was my bag it would probably be a more favourable listen, I do actually like the spooky keyboard n the background.

Not for everyone but fine within its field.

6.7/10

[Frankenstein]

Try 'When the Day is Done' by Nick Drake.

By the way, did you find 'Mistadobalina/Mr. Dobalina' and if so, what did you think?

[The Gentleman Scamp]

^ Yes mate, I liked Mr Dobilina (Mr Bob Dobilina).

I'll come back to Nick Drake later.

[slimboyfat]

TGS when you have time, can you please review 'Rock Lobster' by the B52's.

Thanks