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Post by greendemon on Jun 8, 2012 20:05:02 GMT 1
Oh, and the Darkness for me were always terrible, especially that awful Christmas single they released. this for me, too.
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Jun 8, 2012 21:39:00 GMT 1
^thankfully it didn't get the Xmas #1!!!!!!
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 9, 2012 9:57:00 GMT 1
18TH OCTOBER- BABY BOY- Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul (1 wk)I'd almost forgotten about this one- with good reason. Beyonce either makes songs that I love (Halo, Sweet Dreams, Irreplaceable etc) or songs I hate, and sadly "Baby Boy" falls into the latter category. It features the "must have" artist of 2003 a certain Mr Sean Paul and brings together middle eastern and dancehall influences in a not altogether unpleasant way, it just leaves me rather cold unfortunately. Of course this could be my natural aversion to reggae/ dancehall coming into play here, I'm aware of that, it's just that after the all conquering pop majesty of "Crazy in Love" this seems slightly like a mis-step. Fair play though, it did well enough in the charts for her (though you suspect this is more a reflection of the fact that the previous song was so huge) a thought I'm inclined to agree with given that it dropped out of the top 10 the following week. On this one I'd rather pass.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 9, 2012 10:06:08 GMT 1
25TH OCTOBER- TURN ME ON- Kevin Lyttle (2 wks)Dear readers, I have horrible flashbacks to Chaka Demus & Pliers and Bitty McLean, and this is not a good thing. He appears to be singing about doing his thing with his ladies, apparently this isn't dancehall or reggae but Soca music (originating in Trinidad & Tobago) but it all sounds pretty similar to my philistine ears. Anyway needless to say I hated this song at the time, and I hate it now, only a guest rap by Sean Paul could have made me hate it more though I can't deny it did stick around in the charts for much longer than most of the other top 10 hits of the time so it had a lasting appeal to some. Sorry I've not been very positive today about the tracks I've reviewed, trouble is that the remainder of 2003 doesn't have that much to offer me....
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Jun 9, 2012 11:27:06 GMT 1
agree, those last 2 were vile!!!!!
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Jun 9, 2012 11:46:50 GMT 1
Don't remember these at all. The Beyonce one would have been improved by taking everything that was not Beyonce out of the record. There's not enough of her voice, the production work is atrocious. I think as an a capella one it might have worked. Oh, and they'd need to change the lyrics.
I turned Kevin Lyttle off. Syd Little would have been preferable.
Now I've heard them I've forgotten them.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 10, 2012 15:30:51 GMT 1
1ST NOVEMBER- GUILTY- Blue (1 wk)By 2003 Blue were in that curious place that boy bands get to about 3 years in. Too soon to split (they still have a loyal fanbase) but not really reaching out beyond their fanbase and kinda of on autopilot, basically they've got as far as they think they can. "Guilty" isn't an awful record (it's co-penned by a certain Gary Barlow) but neither is it any great shakes. In fact the song could have been recorded by virtually any boy band of the time it's that non descript, not a good thing for a lead single from what was their third album. This is therefore the sound of a group treading water before the inevitable split (they had slightly over 12 months left) but perhaps in reterospect a split before this album might have been a better move though the so bad its good single "Bubblin" wouldn't have been made if they had....decisions, decisions.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 10, 2012 15:39:38 GMT 1
15TH NOVEMBER- FLIP REVERSE- Blazin Squad (1 wk)Suitably awful is how I think this can be summed up. As for subject matter well that's quite known (it's not hard to work out if you don't know) but really this is just painful unless you like a gang of 13 (approx figure) 17 yr olds talking about their prowess with various woman? BEST AVOIDED.
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 11, 2012 23:07:08 GMT 1
I had "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" in my top 10 a year earlier, in 2002. When they became big, the copy I had was valued at one point at £150. I didn't sell it though. Around the point you are at now my #1 was "This Is The Last Time" by Keane, the original release, and that was worth something to later on.
The thing is, The Darkness didn't have a #1 single but they had a massive selling #1 album, and it soon became apparent that rock could sell albums and opened up the gates for far more bands. You might hate them but had it not been for the success of that album I am not sure that many rock bands would have been signed up and the new wave that was about to this us might not have done.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 12, 2012 17:16:13 GMT 1
22ND NOVEMBER- ME AGAINST THE MUSIC- Britney Spears Featuring Madonna (1 wk)This is rather a mess I'm afraid. Whether it was intended to boost either Madonna's or Britney's standing in the world of charts is unclear (the answer is probably both) after slight downturns in both of their appeal since the early 00s. "Me Against The Music" is an ambitious record, designed to bring together two of the biggest female artists of the time and perhaps symbolise the presentation of Madonna's protege, her chosen successor in the field of female pop, if so she clearly thought twice about it afterwards. In many ways the video is just a continuation of THAT kiss from the MTV awards of that year, the stars continue to flirt their way through it and ALMOST kiss at the end but its all titilation for two steadfast heterosexual ladies. Music here is almost secondary, indeed it could only really end up like that, the stars and the baggage are far too big for the record to really be up to much and it ends up sounding too busy, too keen to be on trend, and too superficial to really stand for anything other than an ego massage for both sides. Wasted opportunity here.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 12, 2012 19:14:53 GMT 1
29TH NOVEMBER- JUMP- Girls Aloud (1 wk)So here we are back with GA, this time with the first official "cover" of their career, the Pointer Sisters 1984 hit "Jump" zapped up Zenomania style for the film "Love Actually". Only it isn't really, their version isn't used in the film it's actually the Original PS version through fear that the group weren't internationally that well know thus far. In the original masterplan the next single was going to be "Some Kind Of Miracle" (one of my fave's) but this is what we got. Much better than the awful covers that were to marr their later career ("See The Day", "I Think We're Alone Now" and "I'll Stand By You" I'm looking at you) but it still isn;t more than passable. The song does get updated for 2003 and the production is everything you'd expect from Xenomania but beyond that it's rather pedestrian sad to say. The girls however are predictably amazingly easy on the eye.....
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 14, 2012 18:23:33 GMT 1
6TH DECEMBER- I'M YOUR MAN- Shane Richie (1 wk)Like some kind of pariah of the Saturday evening TV scedulers Richie has had a kind of rebirth. By the end of the 90s he was thought of as a has been, staple daytime TV show fodder of yesterday (yes "Win, Lose or Draw" I'm looking at You) or the "TV personality" that you hoped to forget (remember the DAZ ads?). His casting in Eastenders as Alfie Moon in 2002 was generallly deemed a success and his star status subsequently ascended, enough so it would appear, to be chosen to sing the Children In Need Single for 2003, a cover of the Wham! 1985 No 1 hit "I'm Your Man". There's a great irony here, for Richie to play such a charasmatic character in a soap yet to inject absolutely nothing into this version is a sad sight to see, he's taken his lead role in "Don't forget the Lyrics" too seriously, this is painful Karaoke of the worst pub variety, yes it's that souless. There isn't any redeeming feature I'm afraid, just be thankful that early distribution problems with "Leave Right Now" were resolved in time to allow it to sail past this otherwise this would be another nail in the coffin of British pop.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 15, 2012 18:27:13 GMT 1
13TH DECEMBER- SHUT UP- Black Eyed Peas (1 wk)Now where do I start with the Black Eyed Peas. Things you need to know about my relationship with BEP's 1) I HATE THEM (I know that's strong but it's fitting) 2) the only songs I can vaguely stomach are probably "Meet Me Halfway" and "Just Can't Get Enough" and if VERY drunk then "I Gotta Feeling". With this in mind I'll begin, I didn't mind "Where Is The Love" when it first charted, catchy enough number it just stayed at the top too long and sapped all my liking for it out, but THIS is the song that turned me against them, annoying earworm that burrows in and despite yourself you find it going through your head. They smack of desperation in my book, trying far too hard to be cool, there is little doubt that Fergie has a good set of lungs on her, but the records are just so VERY........ANNOYING or annoying and BAD. Thankfully for all concerned I'll never have to review another of their records so let's be thankful for that! Oh and the worst offender from them? well I'll submit "My Humps" and "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and leave it at that....
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 15, 2012 18:38:10 GMT 1
27TH DECEMBER- CHRISTMAS TIME (DON'T LET THE BELLS END)- The Darkness (1 wk)In one of the most famous battles for the Xmas No 1 spot, this is the song that spent all week at No 1 only to be beaten by Saturday Sales of Gary Jules's version of "Mad World". In truth kudos to the band for coming up with something original and trying to write a "proper" Christmas single (with the forthcoming charity/ X Factor onslaught of the remainder of the decade they should be thanked for that) and it isn't a song that I dislike to be honest. Trouble is I was in the corner of "Mad World" that Christmas and so was rather chuffed when it triumphed, but this was clearly The Darkness's shot at the big time- would they have gone to other greater things had they scored the Xmas chart topper for 2003? It's speculation of course, but I have a theory that some bands have a moment when they could be catapulted into the arena of a major act and I think that this was the moment for the Darkness. Not that the track is much to write home about, in some ways just an apeing of much that has gone before, but psychologically this could have made all the difference. Once the moment had passed and they had failed inevitable splits/ drugs/ crashing chart fortunes meant that the end was in sight but it NEARLY all paid off.
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 15, 2012 18:39:11 GMT 1
Finally got to the end of 2003- It was a long year!
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Post by Earl Purple on Jun 15, 2012 18:50:14 GMT 1
I like both of those last two. "Shut Up" was the Black Eyed Peas' biggest hit in my chart, peaking at #5. The Darkness one would have done better in my chart but didn't have time to as they released it on Christmas week so it just didn't have enough weeks for a good chart run given I wasn't interested in charting it after Christmas.
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borneoman
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love is tough, when enough is not enough
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Post by borneoman on Jun 15, 2012 20:50:59 GMT 1
Hate the last 5 with a passion!!!!!! I'm with you on the BEP-hate... despite not hating completely Where is the Love... their worst has to be Fergie's solo effort Big Girls Don't Cry... if onyl for those lyrics that go something like "I miss you, like a child misses his blanket"!!!!! also hated that Alfie cover... and even more, I hated the whole idea of the Darkness glad they lost to Mad World, which by contrast, is one of the most beautiful songs ever!!!
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 16, 2012 12:57:36 GMT 1
24TH JANUARY 2004- MILKSHAKE- Kelis (4 wks)So we enter the final year of this thread with "Milkshake". In my life it marks an important time- after 5 years living in Brighton I decided it was time to head back to the Midlands at the age of 28. I recall at the time it was hard to find someone who disliked the song (possibly because it was January and there scant all else around until you liked Michelle MacManus whoo was at No 1, but this track for me has always failed to get under my skin. I don't dislike it, the production is very Neptune Brothers which I loved in 2002 but two years on was past its sell by date I fancy. The video which was, suggestive shall we say, helped no doubt to propel an average urban record to the dizzying heights of No 2 but there is also no doubt that by the end of those 4 weeks at No 2 I liked it considerably more than I did at the beginning. I confess i'm not an expert on this kind of music, and it's far from the worst of its genre but this has never been more than so so for me sadly, I forgive her though the fabulosity of "Lil Star".
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Gezza
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Post by Gezza on Jun 16, 2012 13:10:07 GMT 1
21ST FEBRUARY- SHE BELIEVES (IN ME)- Ronan Keating (1 wk)First recorded by Kenny Rogers in 1978, there was many a country hit that proved rich pickings for Boyzone back in the 90s. Keating hadn't done badly since the split recording some genuinely good original pop hits "Lovin Each Day" and "Life Is A Rollercoaster" to name a couple but since 2002 he'd pretty much been turning out the same old rehashed turgid pop that appealed to an ever decreasing selection of females and housewives. This is just dull, thankfully in the low sales climate of 2004 his fanbase was enough to artificially create the impression of still dedicated fanbase but it's clear he has run out of ideas. Not only that but he's chosing increasingly poor songs, where once it was Cat Stevens and Tracey Chapman it's now Kenny Rogers.....that Boyzone reunion becomes his only option now, after an obligatory GH album obviously.....
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Post by BlueSwan on Jun 18, 2012 8:42:22 GMT 1
Neptune Brothers??
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