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Post by Gezza on Sept 28, 2013 20:39:02 GMT 1
1ST AUGUST- SUPERNOVA- Mr Hudson Featuring Kanye West (1 wk)Actually a good record! Kanye doesn't feel welded onto the song in order to generate some sales with some pointless rap, the chorus is clearly head and shoulders above the verses, but the bridge doesn't disappoint and the verses don't stink, and there's even a cameo in the video from Estelle who had a bit of spare time by 2009. The only thing that feel slightly "clunky" is that drum machine in the verse which I've never been keen on. The chorus however saves it all, soaring majestically out of the blue, full of tension, even if it is slightly auto tuned but all in all I'd forgotten just how marvellous this is.
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Post by Gezza on Sept 28, 2013 20:30:10 GMT 1
11TH JULY- MAN IN THE MIRROR- Michael Jackson (1 Wk)Quite why this song was the main beneficiary of Jackson's death in June 2009 will forever remain a mystery, it was hardly one of signature hits (in the UK at least) having made a paltry No 21 when it was released in 1988 making it the worst performing hit from the "Bad" album possibly due to the lack of a "promo" as such. Neither is it thematically unusual (start caring about the Earth/ change your ways) though it's certainly less sickly than other tracks in the same vein, "Heal The World" for instance, yet here it is. So this is the pop world's farewell to Jacko, a man who undoubtedly influenced a generation and altered the limits of what was visually possible in the pop promo, he is along with Madonna one of the pioneers of the genre when MTV was in its infancy, his influence can still be seen in the likes Justin Timberlake, JLS, Jason Derulo and many a boyband thereafter. What we recall him for, the dancing, the eccentric behaviour, the creativity, the pop promo's were all essentially from 5 years 82-87 when he was surely the most famous man on the planet, what he did after were in reality more or less better or worse re-treads of this era so perhaps its fitting that something from that era be used t mark his passing. I never been particularly found of "Man In The Mirror", it isn't bad but it sounds too preachy and full of empty hyperbole to really the hit spot, it's worth noting that this is actually one of the few singles not to be at least co-written by him so I don't hold him responsible for it lyrically, but I suppose as a last stand to the singer a grand gesture seems at least a little appropriate, to that extent does the record matter?
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Post by Gezza on Sept 11, 2013 18:28:11 GMT 1
25TH APRIL- IN FOR THE KILL- La Roux (4 wks)First of all I'll fully concede that Elly Jackson has a vocal like marmite, and the video is redefining the word "Cheap" certainly in a 2009 sense, but for all those handicaps "In For The Kill" is still FANTASTIC. Playing on the zeitgeist for reviving the 80s, the stripped down production and that tinny synth line evoke Soft Cell and Visage (oldies are dutifully offended at the comparison I dare say) but it's all about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery here. If anything, the success of this in 2009 shows as testament to not only the fantastic sound created by the synthpop movement in the early 80s but also to its timelessness. I also recall there be nothing quite like this, or that vocal, in the charts of 2009 so even if you don't like the song we can at least be giving them credit for doing something slightly leftfield. "Bulletproof" would of course expand on their musical influences later in 2009 and make La Roux one of the breakthrough acts of the year, and listening back now it's still a cracker, though rather for what it apes rather than what it is itself....
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Post by Gezza on Sept 11, 2013 18:06:43 GMT 1
4TH APRIL- DON'T UPSET THE RHYTHM (GO BABY GO)- The Noisettes (2 wks)Rather curious one this. I was almost bored with it before it was released thanks to its use in adverts for "Mazda" throughout much of 2009 which made millions familiar with it before it hit the charts. What's rather curious about it is that, for me, the verses have always been considerably better than the verse, the bridge is just DIVINE! She's also got a rather distinctive and unusual voice and it altogether a rather nice pop package, if only it wasn't for that chorus! Whilst it's earworm friendly its also rather annoying and there's something just a bot lazy about it- I can't describe it any other way I'm afraid, perhaps that advert just scarred me pre release?!
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Post by Gezza on Aug 28, 2013 15:03:18 GMT 1
14TH MARCH- JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH- The Saturdays (1 wk)Obviously a cover of the 1981 Depeche Mode single (incidentally the last one written by Vince Clarke before he left) this is a little bit of lighthearted pop fun. Let's not get too precious over the fact that it's a cover, and of a Depeche Mode single at that, this is in essence exactly what Girls Aloud with "Jump" some 6 years earlier, take an 80s track and give it a 00's makeover. Of course detractor will say that ripped any meaning out of the song or that they haven't really done anything to improve the track, well any numbers of covers can be accused of that and to be honest doing a cover will always leave you open to one criticism or another, take time out to enjoy for what it is and you will find this all rather innocent fun. True it isn't "UP" or "Ego" but neither is it "Gentleman" so rejoice!
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Post by Gezza on Aug 28, 2013 13:10:25 GMT 1
7TH MARCH- LOVE STORY- Taylor SwiftBecoming the first country top 5 single in the US for some 10 years it is fair to say that the US was always on board with Swift before the UK, her conversion to a more pop orientated sound has reaped dividends since 2012 here but back in 2009 the success of "Love Story" was a little unexpected. So here is the tale of Romeo & Juliet transported to Tennessee in 2008 in what is, by all accounts, a true story of a boy that Swift liked but her family didn't. It's all quite sweet in a kind of twee way, but what's more important that clearly Swift sells it with believability and conviction. A promo shot in "period" style cements the link with Shakespeare though of course it seems to be a non specific time period with elements of medieval and also romantic overtones, perhaps that's the point- timeless situation etc. Anyway for awhile it was our sole flirtation with country music (we do have a history of brief flirtations with the genre) and I, for one, wasn't expecting the extended success of Swift over the last year! In conclusion not a bad song if not my normal bag.
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Post by Gezza on Aug 18, 2013 22:32:15 GMT 1
24TH JANUARY- DAY N NITE- Kid Cudi Vs Crookers (2 wks)What on earth was I doing in early 2009? The charms of this passed me by ENTIRELY but listening to it now it's bloody great. This isn't normally my bag at all, but there is something very endearing about it, maybe the cheeky video, but it appears to be everything that 2008's "What's It Gonna Be" tries to be and fails on (in my book anyway), punchy, melodic, and deceptively sophisticated, there sounds like there is a lot of things going on here. Of course video wise it's more of the usual girls getting near naked, but rather than the OTT-ish ness of the worst examples of the genre, here it isn't the faux machismo that is on show but rather the role of the chancer and ladies man, perhaps that makes it more charming. It did nothing over here in 2008 (though it went top 5 Stateside) it took a remix by Italian producers Crookers that turned it's UK fortunes around, the original perhaps a bit too sparse and urban for UK tastes. Shame really as the original seems much more atmospheric, almost menacing, and is really quite an outstanding track (vaguely reminiscent of "Ayo Technology" in fact). Anyhoo a sterling start to 2009!
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Post by Gezza on Aug 18, 2013 22:18:15 GMT 1
17TH JANUARY 2009- BROKEN STRINGS- James Morrison & Nelly Furtado ( 1wk)Whether an accident of timing or just the last song standing after the Christmas shake out, James Morrison finds himself in this thread. I have to confess that I bought his first album which for a while allowed him to blur with Paolo Nutini in my head, and "Broken Strings" isn't actually half bad, of course it's all rather pedestrian until Furtado comes in about 1.30 and lifts it up, but it is rather engaging and above all believable in the context on the track. The video has, apparently elements of the film "Paris, Texas" in it (a film itself about renewal and rebuilding a life) seems to reinforce the song thematically, what is slightly surprising is that by the end of it it's Morrison's vocal which are the strongest and the most full of passion (3.50 onwards), Furtado appearing to act as a catalyst in the track to re-ignite the link between the two former lovers. I haven't heard this in a while which perhaps explains it, but I rather like this song, even if some might say it's a tad "boring".
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Post by Gezza on Jul 26, 2013 20:24:49 GMT 1
27TH DECEMBER- HALLELUJAH- Jeff Buckley (1 wk)So onto the "Hallelujah" Christmas where this was touted as the version to buy to stop that evil X Factor track stealing the top slot again. It fell woefully short naturally but either way Leonard Cohen was laughing all the way to the bank, he was of course the writer and the first to record the track and put it out back in 1984 originally recording over 80 verses before stripping them down. It is worth noting that Buckley's version is based on a cover by John Cale in 1991, Cohen's version is virtually read out rather than sung, but it keeps the almost funereal feel of the previous versions. Burke's version kept the biblical references, it was Christmas of course!, and the big choir backing along with the shortened versions served her version well for the poppier mass market, an achievement then that Buckley managed to get the No 2 position for the big week. I've always preferred the Buckley version myself, not that I dislike Burke's rendition, it just seems more natural and organic here- a genuine rendering of the meaning of the song (about sin and redemption), but then ultimately it's hardly Christmassy!
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Post by Gezza on Jul 26, 2013 19:58:20 GMT 1
20TH DECEMBER- USE SOMEBODY- Kings Of Leon (1 wk)For a brief period in late 08 it seemed like KOL were going to be the next Guns N Roses/ Rolling stones/ Coldplay/ U2 all rolled into one. The mighty "Sex On Fire" had conquered all before it and suddenly the mainstream had discovered the Followill brothers, of course they'd been going for years always having middling hit singles but the album sales were creeping up, almost unnoticed. SOF is of course the stadium anthem that rock bands live on, it just took time for KOL to stumble on their's, "Use Somebody" is a much subtler track building slowly to that chorus, its construction is less "classical" than SOF, as a lead single it would therefore have not been as immediate or such a soaring success. It still has the feeling of supressed anger and frustration about it that its predecessor has, everything but the kitchen sink is thrown into the explosive chorus with the verses stripped to the minimum, the tension lies in this juxtapose, I know it's overplayed now but really is a great record, the southern drawl adds to the languid air, it's actually full of atmosphere which I never feel KOL are given credit for. The public however seem to just want a "Sex On Fire Pt II" from them which is a shame but if it tracks like these become the millstone around their neck then they can be happier than most!
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Post by Gezza on Jul 20, 2013 13:00:04 GMT 1
22ND NOVEMBER- LIVE YOUR LIFE- T.I Featuring Rihanna (1 wk)Talking about parodies......if only this was! Another tale of a rise to face in the face of adversity this time T.I spends most of the track dissing his fellow rappers whilst claiming they're morally bankrupt. The star here (and probably the explanation as to why this makes this thread at all) is of course Rihanna and a sample of O-Zone's 2004 hit "Dragostea Din Tei" which lends an air of familiarity and might explain the 80-1 climb to the top stateside for this track. It would take until 2013 for T.I to finally get his name associated with a Number 1 hit (Blurred Lines) and whilst this is passable it isn't the finest example of the genre and there's a whiff of Rihanna turning up here for the pay cheque, not that she needed it at this point, the fact that I'd almost forgotten this existed perhaps tells you about the lasting impression this track left.
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Post by Gezza on Jul 20, 2013 12:47:16 GMT 1
25TH OCTOBER- THE WINNER'S SONG- Geraldine McQueen (1 wk)A harder review to write than normal as this is, obviously, a parody. For years X Factor/ pop idol etc had been clogging up the charts and the TV schedules so a sly joke on the genre seemed an inevitability, especially as this was co-written by a certain Mr Barlow who would later go on to be an X Factor judge himself. It's cleverly executed though, and as an exercise in parody goes it hits all the spots, "the Journey", overcoming obstacles, believing in yourself etc, all the psycho-babble of the 00s rolled into one and of course let us not forget the chart gold that Peter Kay was in the decade. Immersing himself in the role of Geraldine (clearly based on Michelle McManus) he launched the song of the back of his spoof show "Britain's got the pop factor....and possibly a new celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar strictly on Ice" the whole thing illustrated the entirely two dimensional formula of reality TV pop programme which had become predicable and repetitive. Kay's brand of quite humble working class humour saves the whole affair from being anything vaguely approaching savage and it all ends up being rather a dig in the ribs than a critique, THAT occurred when it outperformed the second single from the previous season's winner of the X Factor Leon Jackson, who's "Don't Call This Love" limped in at No 4 in the same week. Ooch.
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Post by Gezza on Jun 15, 2013 12:05:53 GMT 1
06TH SEPTEMBER- PJANOO- Eric Prydz (2 wks)I confess I quite liked a few Prydz singles, "Call On Me" and "Proper Education" weren't at all bad, but this one leaves me rather cold, perhaps the lack of a recognisable sample that fails to hold my attention, or I don't find the repeated synth line captivating enough? Dating back to 1996 when Prydz started the tune it takes inspiration from the 1982 Patrice Rushen track "I Was Tired Of Being Alone" itself only a No 39 hit when released but it says a lot that this was the first No 2 hit I didn't recall of the top of my head since the White Stripes, if I recall correctly I was pretty obsessed with "I Kissed A Girl" at this point so was more than happy that this didn't depose it!
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Post by Gezza on Jun 15, 2013 11:57:37 GMT 1
30TH AUGUST- THE MAN WHO CAN'T BE MOVED- The Script (1 wk)Ok if we try to forget the evilness they've come out with since, and Danny's "performance" on "The Voice" (where clearly he considers himself of a lothario) then this is actually quite a good little number. The story of a man who camps out in the spot where he met his lover and refuses to move until she comes back to him is, as a notion, quite romantic if slightly disturbing, and the tune's not bad either. Fair enough we're treading on Maroon 5 territory here with bland MOR AOR but every genre is capable of delivering up the goods on occasion, and I don't think the Script have done badly here. There's enough sincerity to convince and overall the package of song, video and performance is consummate enough, it isn't the finest moment on the debut album but it certainly did the trick in establishing them as a chart force though a No 1 would still be another 4 years away!
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Post by Gezza on Jun 10, 2013 21:06:17 GMT 1
26TH JULY- ONE FOR THE RADIO- McFly (1 wk)Back in 2008 McFly were coming to the end of the chart glory days when their singles zoomed into the No 1 position to languish at No 40 some 4 weeks later, and this could easily have joined. It was released a week before the parent album "Radio:ACTIVE" was given away free with copies of the "Mail On Sunday" thusly meaning that anyone that wanted the song would have to wait just 6 days before they needn't have to pay for it. In a way this proves that McFly still had a substantial enough fanbase to propel this to No 2 despite that fact, and explains the song's descent to No 21 the week after. In terms of the music, it's very much as you were for the band, a shouty attempt to unify fans against the serious music press and media who, they felt, had never really supported them, it was by way of irony, the first song since their debut single "5 Colours In Her Hair" to actually be A-listed by Radio 1 and also marks the last time the band were in the top 3. For my money McFly were always considerably better on the ballads when the vocals felt much more sincere and proved the lads could sing rather than shout (a trait they seemed to learn from mentors Busted) so their legacy therefore lies in songs such as "Obviously" "Room On The Third Floor" and "All About You", although "Star Girl" is a slight guilty pleasure......
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Post by Gezza on Jun 9, 2013 15:23:29 GMT 1
19TH JULY- ALL I EVER WANTED- Basshunter (1 wk)With origins dating back to 1999 the melody was courtesy of Daddy DJ whose hit of the same name was a pan euro hit throughout 2000 (though not in the UK) and formed the basis of Basshunter's 2006 Swedish hit "Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA" which was re-written with English lyrics and sold to us again in 2008 as this track. There's not an awful lot going on here pretty much generic club fodder with minimal lyrical input making it a hard song to review. Certainly if you like the genre of music then it has a lot to recommend it, but it seems very curiously 2008 in a way that Wiley doesn't, perhaps its real roots in 2006 betray it here but then it did the trick of extending his career beyond the confines of one hit wonder status but you do have to ask why he bothered really?
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Post by Gezza on Jun 9, 2013 15:08:08 GMT 1
17TH MAY- WEARING MY ROLEX- Wiley (1 wk)One of the pioneers of bringing "grime" to the masses, Wiley was releasing tracks as early as 2004 (putting him as near the beginning as say Dizzee Rascal in terms of the movement) and of course was a member of Roll Deep (again a founding member with Rascal) who would rise to fame in 2010. For that of course you have to give credit, the development of new sub genres of music is always pivotal to advancing music and the ever evolving shape of the charts as we know them, it's also worth noting that this record is in a way is a harbinger for the likes of "Dance Wiv Me" which was just around the corner and transformed Rascal from cult status to mainstream star thanks to a dance overhaul by Calvin Harris. Here however Wiley is already fusing grime with electronic dance with a sound that wouldn't be out of place in today's charts, I wonder if he felt annoyed that the likes of Rascal and Stryder, both former members of Roll Deep, eclipsing him by the end of the decade. No matter as he's now a star in his own right with chart toppers to his name, but back in 2008 this sounded quite a fresh tune but for all that not one that I cared for (regular readers will have been expecting that)- a nice sample of DSK's "What Would We Do" holds it all together admirably in this tale of hedonistic love with a girl who might not be all she first appears, top it off with a cheeky little video and hey presto the charts await!
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Post by Gezza on May 15, 2013 21:26:37 GMT 1
19TH APRIL- BLACK AND GOLD- Sam Sparro (3 wks)I haven't listened to this in a while and you know it's rather a cracker, for a song that is allegedly about god and spirituality put to a dance beat it's not half bad. I suppose if you are only going to have only one top 40 hit in the charts then better make sure its a good one and Sparro doesn't disappoint, it has a snappiness and an electro pop feel to it, in some ways indicitive of the rise of the genre over the next few years, the pulsating synth in the background creates tension and momentum into the track, Sparro's vocals are never imposing or remarkable and in an odd way it's track about the music and not the singer or the words, the music and composition is actually much more interesting than either. In a world of "popstars" where it becomes about personality this is a refreshing change, an old fashioned pop tune with enough of 2008 about it to be unashamedly of its year and time. Not for Sparro the Guetta-esque build up to the chorus, or the vocal gimmickry of say the Black Eyed Peas, an utter lack of pretiousness is an endearing quality and proves that a good song doesn't need any flavour of the day!
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Post by Gezza on May 15, 2013 21:11:44 GMT 1
5TH APRIL- LOW- Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain (2 wks)So it's April 2008 and onto the pop landscape enter a certain Flo Rida, I must admit that at the time I rather thought he would end up being a one hit wonder, along the lines of Chamillionaire in 2006 but hats off he's proved me wrong. There are, I believe, two schools of thought on Flo Rida, a competant rapper who has a knack of choosing the right sample, or an unoriginal popstar who inexplicable seems to swim whatever pop tide comes over the charts, I have to say that I don't mind a bit of Flo, though a whole album might be pushing it! "Low" isn't his finest moment though, it's true that it all depends on the sample for me, he's got a lot in common with the likes of Pitbull in that respect, this is catchy I don't deny that, but it's the injection of a bit of "machismo" that makes "Low" slightly mindless rap music. It panders slightly too much to the stereotypes of the genre to be anything other than commercial rap by numbers, that's sad as in his poppier moments are infinitely better- unpopular opinion alert- I quite like "Club Can't Handle Me" and "Wild Ones". I doubt his mark on popular music will be a large one, but equally "Low" wasn't really an indication of where he was heading, thankfully.....
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Post by Gezza on May 7, 2013 18:35:09 GMT 1
Did Leona lose the #1 cos of the split sales? So if the FITS sales would have been added to BIT, it would have been #1? I really like Leone and I think her personality is just ok. It´s the song quality that went down after album 1, their team should have fished for better songs. If she had got Halo instead of Happy for instance. And then also bad decisions like not going for Glassheart as lead single. But not sure if it´s all a personality problem, it´s not like Celine Dion has an amazing incredible personality Indeed that's exactly what happened re: split sales. You have a point about Dion, but Dion is seen in a much more "Barbra Streisand" kinda way than Lewis is, perhaps down to age, perhaps to nationality, and as Lewis was "born" on the screen in terms of the X Factor process perhaps more attention is given her perceived "lack" of personality than to others?
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