New album reviews

Scottie · Loudmouth

New album reviews

noelindublin · Loudmouth

To be honest most of the reviews I"ve read have been pretty positive- in fact all of them so far.

The reviewer for Elbo says it contains a bit of folk, punk and eighties revival. Not sure if its good eighties ie Smiths, Bunnymen, the Fall or bad eighties eg Phil Collins and Wham etc. Hope its the former.

I keep saying it but even the albums that get rave reviews and are considered ultra cool by the music press, to me usually seem disappointing. Hardly anything has really excited me music wise lately and its not from want of trying. When I buy a cd I naturally would like to like the music on it.

Still curious as the where this album will rate in the overall Geldof cannon- maybe it'll be his best yet- and I actually hope it will be, just to show he hasn't lost it.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

From London Evening Standard

Bob Geldof How To Compose Popular Songs That Will Sell (Mercury) ****

Seemingly the only person who regards Bob Geldof as a songwriter above all else is Geldof himself. It's a shame, since without the baggage (Live Aid, Paula, Peaches) both his Boomtown Rats and solo catalogues stand up well. This typically soul-baring, baggage-embracing fifth album - titled with bitterness rather than wit - is a jamboree of styles, tones and sound. There's Blowfish, which evokes John Lennon's shouty therapy period; there's the guitar rumble of Systematic 6; there's the gospel-tinged Dazzled By You; and there's the deranged, spoons-propelled life history that is Young And Sober. Bonkers but brilliant and, yes, Bob Geldof is a songwriter above all else. JOHN AIZLEWOOD

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Good review. I've said it before but if he had followed up the last album with one or two others and continued to get good critical reviews then he'd have kudos from the critics at least.

After nearly ten years it seems almost strange for him to release an album-maybe the songs just were not coming for him. Anyway all's well than ends well.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

That's a really good review. So looking forward to it.

Noel - I suspect he's probably been a little pre-occupied with one or two other things that go on in his life. biggrin

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Jules wrote:

That's a really good review. So looking forward to it.

Noel - I suspect he's probably been a little pre-occupied with one or two other things that go on in his life.

I primarily am interested in Bob as a musician and I don't follow the ins and outs of his political activism on a day to day level.

The veggies of love album was recorded "spontaneously" or with little premeditation and was one of his better solo efforts so it doesn't have to be like making a Hollywood movie to get "product" out.

I appreciate he does other things and good luck to him but he always claims to be a musician first and foremost- then doesn't record for ten years.

Unfortunately if one was to do a vox pop on the streets and ask people to name one Geldof solo song the would most likely just look blankly at the interviewer.
I'm sure most would know a few Boomtown Rats tracks.

I'm not complaining - its up to Bob to do what he wants and when he wants- he'll always have my ear.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

http://www.recordcollectormag.com/reviews/review-detail/6220

Its been a few years since the hidden track was a popular novelty on compact discs, and Geldof might have been better advised to hide Young & Sober a little better or perhaps even bury it altogether. A jokey Irish reel tracing his life verse-by-verse, it makes crass and clumsy reference to both Live Aid (We sent some bread and water/Tried our best to stop the slaughter) and his break-up with Paula Yates (She left me for another/Whom Id once had thought my brother).

Coming at the end of the album, it tends to taint everything that went before, which is a pity, as the Lennon-esque Just Get On and anthemic, strings-laden Silly Pretty Thing come close to the most impactful parts of The Boomtown Rats catalogue. The boulevardier swoon of To Live In Love may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but it has its charms, while Heres To You (Beatles motifs again, this time a Harrison-like wailing guitar solo) plays the likes of Snow Patrol and Coldplay at their own candle-waving game.

Geldofs lack of commercial success has clearly inspired the albums ironic title, but if he wasnt so damned selfconscious about everything and eased off the misfiring autobiographical tunes he might be given a more reasoned reception by the masses. As it is, his new record looks set to earn column inches for its weakest and most ill-judged elements.

***

Derek The Dane · V Deep

As far as I can see Young and Sober is one of the tracks no longer on the cd.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Derek The Dane wrote:

As far as I can see Young and Sober is one of the tracks no longer on the cd.

I think Young and Sober is the hidden track- the one that comes on suddenly when you leave the cd running, believing the album to be over.

This is akin to the horror movie when you think the nasty guy is dead and he suddenly lurches back to life with a knife in his hand for another dramatic tussle.

Agree with the reviewer that Geldof is making a habit of recycling his life story in songs but then again they said to always write about the things you know.

Derek The Dane · V Deep

Just Get On is not on the album either.

noelindublin · Loudmouth

Derek The Dane wrote:

Just Get On is not on the album either.

I'm sure it'll turn up somewhere.

The songs from the new album are available to sample on Amazon from today- you only get to hear about a thirty second clip but they generally seem pretty good.

Full version of Silly Pretty Thing was played on BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show. Just follow Jules instructions to hear it on BBC IPLAYER like I did!

Single is bright and summery- hopefully putting people in a good mood.

junkyard_smile · The Elephant's Graveyard

I know you shouldn't judge an album off the amazon samples alone...but the signs aren't promising- the majority of the songs seem very mediocre. That's a great shame after all this wait. S.A.D. was in my opinion the best album of his career (solo and with the Rats) but half of this album seems soppy love songs which his voice really doesn't suit. I'm glad he's not going through the personal hell that led to S.A.D., but have to say that tortured souls usually make great music whereas happy ones make banal elevator music.

Oh well, will have to dust off Dylan's Blood on the Tracks once again.

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

I fully understand what you mean about emotional pain and brilliance. We don't want Bob to go back there again and it is good to hear him singing light hearted happy tunes. He's back in the Happy Club! Some of them do seem slow, but I think those will grow on us more. Not all of them though. Don't give up on them, try hearing them out a few times. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. biggrin

Scottie · Loudmouth

Excellent review on
http://www.musicomh.com/albums/bob-geldof_0111.htm

Derek The Dane · V Deep

I thought the album sounds great.I am not to sure of song 2(Blowfish) but I think the rest were exellant.It is hard to get a good feel about the album when you only hear short cuts of each song but I really believe it is going to be a good album. biggrin

Jules · The biggest Geldof fan in the world, bar none!

http://www.therockclubuk.com/rc/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=620

This gives it 7/10.

Scottie · Loudmouth

Best review yet.
http://www.umusic.ie/artists/info.php?cat=b&ID=404

musicmania · A Hold of Me

Scottie wrote:

Best review yet.
http://www.umusic.ie/artists/info.php?cat=b&ID=404

Agreed! Love it!

noelindublin · Loudmouth

musicmania wrote:

Scottie wrote:

Best review yet.
http://www.umusic.ie/artists/info.php?cat=b&ID=404

Agreed! Love it!

Yes but U Music is the website of Universal music / Mercury Records and the writer doesn't give his or her name. There may be a slight bias!!!

On the Internet it's so important to check the source of these things.

One of the better sites is Metacritic which is a review of possibly more than fifty different reviews. The bigger the sample the more "accurate " the result.

Metacritic is the musical equivalent of the film review site Rotten Tomatoes. Doubt if Universal or Mercury would say the album was rubbish and don't buy it.

Wasn't it Geldof who pleaded Don't Believe What You Read.

-- Edited by noelindublin on Thursday 27th of January 2011 02:23:47 PM

Wes[Wolverhampton] · House on Fire

Not many people around with my Rats/Geldof pedigree but hope it grows on me

Scottie · Loudmouth

BBC review -brilliant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/g4d3

Laibach · Someone's Looking At You

Scottie wrote:

BBC review -brilliant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/g4d3

There are a few snippets there of tracks not on the album, Too Late She Cried sounds good. I hope they will be available to hear in full at some point.

ArrGee · Back To Boomtown

Laibach wrote:
Scottie wrote:
BBC review -brilliant
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/g4d3
There are a few snippets there of tracks not on the album, Too Late She Cried sounds good. I hope they will be available to hear in full at some point.

Odd that 4 tracks that won't be released are on BBC website. Maybe those kind people at geldof.info will have the tracks available for free download on their new relaunched site if you type in a code with the CD.

Scottie · Loudmouth

these great album reviews just keep on coming
"Recommended"
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2011/01/bob-geldof-how-to-write-popular-songs-that-sell/