Gorillaz
by Gorillaz$33.96 Free Shipping
Was: $39.95. You save: $5.99 (15%)
- Released
- 28/08/01
- Music Genre
- Alternative, Dance
Description
It's tempting to judge Gorillaz -- Damon Albarn, Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett, and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura's virtual band -- just by their brilliantly animated videos and write the project off as another triumph of style over substance. Admittedly, Hewlett's edgy-cute characterizations of 2-D, Gorillaz' pretty boy singer (who looks a cross between the Charlatans' Tim Burgess and Sonic the Hedgehog), sinister bassist Murdoc, whiz-kid guitarist Noodle, and b-boy drummer Russel are so arresting that they almost detract from Gorillaz' music. The amazing "Thriller"-meets-Planet of the Apes clip for "Clint Eastwood" is so visually clever that it's easy to take the song's equally clever, hip-hop-tinged update of the Specials' "Ghost Town" for granted. And initially, Gorillaz' self-titled debut feels incomplete when Hewlett's imagery is removed; the concept of Gorillaz as a virtual band doesn't hold up as well when you can't see the virtual bandmembers. It's too bad that there isn't a DVD version of Gorillaz, with videos for every song, à la the DVD version of Super Furry Animals' Rings Around the World. Musically, however, Gorillaz is a cutely caricatured blend of Albarn's eclectic Brit-pop and Nakamura's equally wide-ranging hip-hop, and it sounds almost as good as the band looks. Albarn has fun sending up Blur's cheeky pop on songs like "5/4" and "Re-Hash," their trip-hop experiments on "New Genious" and "Sound Check," and "Song 2"-like thrash-pop on "Punk" and "M1 A1." Despite the similarities between Albarn's main gig and his contributions here, Gorillaz isn't an Albarn solo album in disguise; Nakamura's bass- and beat-oriented production gives the album an authentically dub and hip-hop-inspired feel, particularly on "Rock the House" and "Tomorrow Comes Today." Likewise, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Miho Hatori, and Ibrahim Ferrer's vocals ensure that it sounds like a diverse collaboration rather than an insular side project. Instead, it feels like a musical vacation for all parties involved -- a little self-indulgent, but filled with enough fun ideas and good songs to make this virtual band's debut a genuinely enjoyable album. ~ Heather Phares, AMG
Product Details
- Artist
- Gorillaz
- Media Format
- Vinyl Record
- Label / Studio
- PID
- Media Content Format
- Album
- Number of Discs
- 2
Tracklisting
Disc 1:
-
Re-Hash
(3:38)
-
5/4
(2:40)
-
Tomorrow Comes Today
(3:13)
-
Love Comes Quickly
(3:58)
-
Clint Eastwood
(5:40)
-
Man Research (Clapper)
(4:33)
-
Punk
(1:36)
-
Sound Check (Gravity)
(4:41)
-
Double Bass
(4:45)
-
Rock the House
(4:09)
-
19-2000
(3:28)
-
Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)
(3:37)
-
Starshine
(3:31)
-
Slow Country
(3:36)
-
M1 A1
(10:42)
-
Dracula
(4:42)
-
Left Hand Suzuki Method
(10:01)
