Don't you EVER leave off?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

As requested by one atommickbrane, the magnificent "Bedazzled" by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. No explanation necessary, really.

http://s62.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=17UB0IRNPEL5422QO5PCY4S2UT

Robyn, Robyn; or, Can The Pro-Pop Massive Stop Hyping Up Crap Albums Please?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I know I'm way behind on this but it's such a disappointment!

1. 'Curriculum Vitae' - the skits are cool and not annoying, which is all you can say about them really.
2. 'Who's That Girl?' - brilliant, my second favourite song on the album; takes its electrohouse cues (glorious zinging synths, superb drum fills) and places them in an out-and-out pop context with no trouble whatsoever. I fully intend to play this at the Justify My Lovelife: Blonde Ambition special on 14 Nov at 93 Feet East from 7pm which people should come to. Great lyrics, too, navigating a clever way through the issues of Being A Woman In Pop and Being Sexy On Magazine Covers and Still Being Somewhat Feminist.
3. 'Handle Me' - this is fucking terrible, like reading the Popjustice message board on the subject of black people hip hop. The appropriation of hip hop slang makes me cringe, you can't help but think that the type of guy she's addressing wouldn't want her anyway, and it might be - just about - forgivable if it was somewhat banging but instead we get an ACOUSTIC GUITAR.
4. 'Robotboy' - is really boring.
5. 'Be Mine' - is maybe the greatest pop song of the year, how the hell does she write such emotionally on-point lyrics in a second language? "It's a good thing tears never show in the pouring rain / As if a good thing could ever make up for all the pain" = best opening line evah. Ostensibly a jauntier version of 'Time After Time' but this 'jauntiness' is actually nerviness + hope and is the difference between having done the relationship and knowing deep down it's over forever, and not having done anything and being unable to stop yourself imagining how perfect it'd be.
6. 'Bionic Woman' leads nicely into
7. 'Crash And Burn Girl' which is pretty terrific, the beat is perhaps not as strong as I'd like it to be but the pneumatic flow of the vocals is tremendous fun.
8. 'Tomteverkstan' is a nice Look I Choose My Own Beats interlude. Unfortunately the beat she chooses is for
9. 'Konichiwa Bitches' everyone knows. I have issues with it, in that I think Robyn's vocal is marvellous and the lyrics make me laugh out loud, but the beat is so lame! It's like a demo beat which she forgot to make good, it's too minimal and self-effacing for a song like this. I assume that 'Who's That Girl?' and 'Be Mine' had different producers to the rest of the album because they're the only ones where the music is big enough to match the Robyn persona. Remix please!
10. 'Bum Like You' - but sometimes there isn't a persona to match. Am I listening to Paula sodding Cole?
11. 'Eclipse' - oh no, it's even worse, it's Imbroolyooly taking her cues from Melua.
12. 'Should Have Known' - this would be like a great lost new jill swing classic if it was any good and if Robyn hadn't got bored after composing two lines' worth of melody. Makes me want to rediscover Brownstone and Jade and SWV instead.
13. 'Anytime You Like' - oh look another boring ballad, go AWAY. Click!

Back to that compilation I made of Jacques Lu Cont mixes instead!

Music for your tape recorder

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I spent a LOT of time at the weekend sorting out CDs at home and at Isabel's parents' house.

Dear Heaven I've bought a lot of sh1te in my time.

Anyway here are some MP3s, since I also spent a lot of time cherrypicking iPod-ready tracks from my collection.

This one is a YSI:

OMD - This Is Helena, just because it's a jolly racket.

Now for two which I've put on the FT server so anybody can get them:

Wu-Tang Clan - "Rules": from the mostly unheralded Iron Flag, this song was pretty much the earliest 'response' to 9/11 that I heard. It's also pretty much the best one I heard too. Packed w/hooks to my ears, which makes me wonder why the rest of the CD was relatively flat.

Madonna - "Justify My Love (The Beast Within Mix)": while we wait for the Madonna album (or not) confirmation that she's always been as mad as a goose, with a spookily intense remix of this song where the sechXor talk is replaced by recital of an apocalyptic text!