Review a CD?...yeah go on 'en!

Alan mention on his blog (sidebar) that bloggers should think about reviewing a CD and so I will. I'm aware after starting that this has virtually nothing to do with what Alan was mentioning but I'll press on nonetheless and see what my musically ignorant mind can produce to describe the last album I bought, which would be this one...

Gorillaz - D-Sides
Double Album
Parlophone records










D-sides is the latest offering from the world's greatest virtual band (note to self, aren't they the only virtual band...probably not by now...must check) and is a must buy for any fan of the band. While 2-D, Murdoch, Russel and Noodle have taken a break from the recording studio...though since they also live in it it's a bit hard to see how! Anyhow to satisfy their fans ever present need for musical greatness they have released D-Sides a double album of B-side tracks and remixes which should keep them going for a bit. As well as these the album also includes rare and unreleased tracks such as "Rockit" which features on their webpage.

This is not the first time this tactic has been used as G-sides, originally aimed at the Japanese market but proving popular enough for world wide release, was created after their first album campaign. Other recent releases have been "Rise of the Ogre" an autobiographical account of the band's creation, "Slowboat to Hades" a DVD with videos and other material from their second studio album Demon Days. Their website is also a wealth of material in it's own right and now features a dilapidated and partially destroyed setting in keeping with the video for El Manana their last single. So with Gorillaz you don't just get you music you get a story and a whole world not quite like our own.

Anyway, so the music yeh? While not a studio album the CD still contains a number of highly catchy and proffesionally done tracks. I would say that the album on the whole feels very much in the same spirit as their first album. Demon Days is dark in tone and very much the studio album whereas "Gorillaz" was the happy go lucky experimental and unusual record you'd expect from a bunch of animated delinquents. D-Sides starts with "68 State" a beautiful instrumental track mixing guitars and synths eloquently and drew me in instantly. With the catchy "People" to follow, cleverly reusing elements from "DARE" to create a completely different song I was hooked. Catchy would be how I described most of the songs on there with beats to make you tap your toes and clap your hands. With the melodic "Hong Kong", the weird/rocky "Murdoc is God" and the completely unique "Rockit" adding flavour the album is certainly not a dull one.

The remixes are also very good, featuring a variety of artists reinterpreting songs from "Demon Days" in a variety of intriguing and provoking ways. DARE and double A-Side track "Kids with Guns seem to be the most popular tracks with three re-mixes each. I'm glad Kids with Guns is appreciated by industry proffesionals as much as by me, though I'm surprised Feel Good Inc didn't get more attention. However favourites for me would be the Junior Sanchez remix of "DARE" featuring powerful electric guitar riffs and the Schtung Chinese New Year remix of "Dirty Harry" which not only adds eastern flare, but the song is also sung in Chinese.

To say more would be to feign music knowledge I simply do not posess so I'll quit while I might just possibly be ahead.

Farewell

Word of the post: Exegesis - noun

critical explanation or interpretation of a text or portion of a text, esp. of the Bible.