I had heard threw my vines long ago that the new Gorillas joint should be really interesting. There was a lot of chatter and thusly buzz with the indie crowds and internet radio communities. I first heard about this record sometime last year on Triple J , the Australian juggernaut that I stream regularly. The Auzzies are wayyyy ahead of us in my opinion as far as playing and exposing quality indie music. Big fan props to theTriple J ! So Word was that the Rilla’s put a real eclectic guest star line-up of collaborators on the new release out now – Plastic Beach.* I had the Rilla’s vibe a bit from previous worx, I mean how do ya not dig the Guinness book record holder for the most successful 2D virtual band. Hokey some say and take respect from them - but those people are idiots – and allegedly are into having sex with farm animals, because Gorilla’s got skills for days. I would not however say it was on my heavy rotation by any stretch. So let me get out front by saying im not a Rilla’s officiator. Yet a new collection with hitters like Snoop, Lou Reed, Mos Def and The National Orchestra for Arabic music ! – well that 4 pack made me scratch and sniff a lil bit for sure. WTF is going on here man !? Couldn’t wait to check this shit out. Which gives me hope that hype still does exist for me.
Following is first listen comments of trax:
The Snoop title trackPlastic Beach
The Snoop title track
With just over a minute of an Orchestral intro feat. Sinfonia Viva whom I know nothing about but it’s a very nice piece and pretty bad ass transition into Snoop. Love a record that’s gonna hit ya with phunk right off the get. In a world of tracks its nice to see there’s those dedicated to putting together the right order of things for a collection of released work. It gets pretty repetitive in its chorus verses of “welcome to the world of the plastic beach” it is good in driving home that oh ya this record is called plastic beach and were being welcomed. I get it, I found near the end too much but its not enough to bother me first listen. It might wear on me though?
They lose me a bit with White Flag that seems too much like an experiment to me. Which is what most of this music is I do understand that. It just didn’t get me first listen and observations of the Orchestra and electronic with added percussion just didn’t get me, but I will give it a chance, there’s some interesting shit going on there for sure.
On to the first Gorillaz only song – This is what I recall from past Gorillaz. I like it, Rhinestone Eyes has a good vibe, don’t think its terribly complex its just got a good beat and some catchy lyrics with that vocal makes it a keeper I think.
Stylo: The first of 2 Mos Def colabs im curious about. Bobby Womack is also onboard here, whom I almost mistook for the Godfather at first, he’s got his good James brown-esk performance happening! I need to check out some old Womack. I expected def was gonna carry the heavy load here. But I don’t think so in this track. Seemed like all 3 had a good chance at this one but I went away with Womack taking the gold in this track. WAIT – just had to come back after youtubeing the video for this track ! Go watch in 1080p hd and turn it up ! Great fuckin video and pushing boundaries. Love it !! Everytime I think im over Bruce Willis and he's out , we'll he brings me back in. He’s holdin it down ok for an old man !
Superfast Jellyfish is a song title I liked at first and with del
Nope – chorus still gay.
Empire Ants also kinda loses me. Maybe im just at the half way sluggish mood. Maybe I also need to check Gorillaz history – I don’t pretend to be an expert ive mentioned, so maybe this is there kinda style. It felt a little like filler to me, but the build is good. It starts so slow that its turning me out …,but it does pick up nicely to a 2nd stage that I can find the groove in, but then that stage goes a little long – its only a 4:30 half minute tune but feels much longer. Maybe your just gettn me tuned up for something yet to come right ?.
Glitter Freeze is club gold. We do know that half of the Gorilla's is the guy from Blur and we hear that here. I see it should be a good uk
Been waiting for Lou. I Wondered how the fuck he was gonna fit in on this thing ! But man does he ever!. Feels like a completely different place I just got taken to. Some kind of Nature I like a lot, first time I think. I mean Lou has a way of slapping you to attention with his tone, but I admit he can lose me on a lot of his shit. This track doesn’t. Great collaboration. Way to switch it up and kick a goal. I mean if you would ask me what a Gorillaz and Lou reed song would sound like before I heard it, I bet i couldn’t do it, be like no way mate i got nuthin?. But now its like - fuck ya, of course this Is what I would expect a Gorillas Lou Reed song would sound like. It will be the commercially released first single im sure.
On Melancholy Hill is another Gorillaz only tune. First listen is just ok. Risk of sounding stereotypical I can tell there a uk
Broken: Gorillaz only. I don’t like the flow at all. Least fave so far. I think its even bad maybe.? Again maybe drugs would change it? I think its still a buzz kill.
Again maybe they were setting me up? Worst track followed up by the best !? Is this a good producer or artists picking the track list ? Collaboration ? Id Like to ask that interview question. I note its doing a strong job of the track order selection.
So BLAMO ! Theres the Mos Def I was hoping would show up. I got a spot for Mos, he’s one of my faves from that genre, several of his things in his flow I just really get down on ! But he can also lose me sometimes and for the first minute I can see where it might lose some people in this track,, just feels a little off, but it aint ! - its just different, and by 1:30 if your not into this build then forget it, your not in.
I think this track is ree-dick-uluss !! It is the Math of the Day !! It blows my mind ! Nuthin is touching this shit on this record Im bettin. In my opinion it’s the strongest ive heard so far. . I dunno how there gonna figure out what singles to release, im thinking this one will stay buried and snoop and Lou will get play before this one, but the fans are gonna find it and groove on it. Its untraditional, there’s long rhymes that your not gonna be able to keep up with first run threw – no way, but its got the rap/hip/hop repetition in chorus that we all like. It should attract listeners from a couple different genre’s I think, which is key these days. Used to be able you could stick with one way and ride that shit, but not too many success stories like that these days. Ya gotta mix shit up, grow, try different things and just hope ya bet on enough of the right horses. This horse won the sweeps here - im in !! LETS EAT !! When Mos is in flow here you better pay attention bitch ! He schools us. Its Gonna take me many listens to figure out everything he’s telling me and I probably still wont get it all. Gorillaz mixing this just the way it was meant to ! Its big time ! Record should stop here for me. Load to the face, im out. But I just won the Sweepstakes ! so greedy monkey wants more.. whats next.!!? *clearly obsessed with tune as I go and make it my first custom ringtone tune! SWEEEEEEPSTAKES !!.
Hmm mighta been the end of orginals as this is a Plastic Beach version with a couple different artists that I didn’t know nor was I inspired enough by the tune to investigate im afraid. Maybe Mos took it all. But it does sound phunky, it will get a better chance next run threw.
To Binge (feat. Little Dragon) doesn’t grab me at all. Another 4 minute song that feels maybe it woulda been better as 2 and a half.
Cloud of unknowing. They were definitely trying to get an eclectic vibe for this record. Bobby Womack is back for this track. Not sure who Sinfonia Viva is but this track is chilled wayyyy out and im not feelin it first listen.
I like anything to do with Pirates (big surprise) so a track called Pirate Jet is gonna get some added attention maybe ? I hope im not that fuckin simple ! Turns out it’s the tune that’s pretty simple. Theres not much going on here but its catchy none the less and its only 2:33 which I think is its saving grace. Im feeling the theme again which is nice atleast you can feel the social consciousness the act has. I assumed the Plastic Beach
Another Pirate title, this one - Pirates Progress. So maybe theres something goin on that I just haven’t picked up on with the first listen. Which is also a nice thing about records. Your not suppose to get it all first time out. Were so goddamn greedy and want it all first listen or its out. Im on the last track and ive heard enough that will put it into heavy rotation for my ears right now until im satisfied I have my handle on it. I think those will be the records I will be reviewing.? It must push me enough to get into rotation to write about. I’m a shitty typist so its gotta feel worthwhile to me to blabber on to myself for pages, because I know know one else is here reading it cept maybe a few. This one is just another Orchestra piece picking up from the intro and taking us out with another piece. Which I don’t hate. Its pretty strong stuff. Any piece that can take you out drummer boy styles deserves another listen.
I feel on maybe 1/3 of the tracks on here they could drop 1 maybe 1 and half minutes from the songs and accomplish a better result within that timeframe. Maybe drop the 2 worst tunes. But the record may not have been made just for me so I leave it open to some more listens and the respect of the act. But they got my attention big time with 3 maybe 4 tracks with Snoop, Lou & Mos. With maybe just 1 of the Gorillaz only songs. But maybe that’s the catch these days – Gotta get your attention with those guests and you’ll come around eventually, hopefully. Gorillaz fans I bet are hard all over this record. Newbie over here hard only on 1/3 of it but that’s a good first listen. Its 2 thumbs and a wink fur shure.
http://gorillaz.com/ - check out the neat interactive game on there web site you can play. Creative. Cant say too many acts with a site like this. Before i know it ive spent an hour on this damn game.
in case ya didnt hit first time - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vAOzYz-Qs
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