The internet is probably going to go a bit bonkers in the next few days with the seemingly forever delayed Lady G'Gah video and more excitingly (for me) the probable youtube rip of the new Sophie Ellis Bextor single. The latter I'm postively kvelling for - heartbreak may have made me a darnsar, but Bittersweet makes me want to run through a shower of glitter and sparkles in a tight tank top. Or something. While the world holds it's collective breath for any of the above to happen, there are two very different, but very familiar sounding albums i've become VERY obsessed with...
The Gentlemen Thieves present MaDonna Summer:
Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that are staring you right in the face. Two blokes (DJ Shy Boy and DJ Freddy King of Pants - not to be confused with DazPanteloons) have become the Gentlemen Thieves and thought, hey, if we put Ma in front of Donna Summer it sounds jolly familiar. And if we take some of their respective greatest tracks, smoosh them together and make them sound all new but like an old friend visiting with a new haircut, it might well just be blooming marvelous. And in the most part they are right. Donna Summer's work with Moroder in the 70s remains seriously exquisite. And Madonna has put together some of the most memorable songs of the past 25 years. Separately they both have had brushes with brilliance (repeatedly so) - together it's a sometimes bonkers sometimes amazing collection of work. Feel Like A Virgin is now an intense, echoing, pulsating disco epic that sounds throbbing and dirty, where Madonna sings over Donna's insinuating bass. She Works Hard For Material sees Donna sing over Madonna's Material Girl - it's a bit abrasive at first, but it soon gels together and works fairly well, particularly with the "ow, ow, living in a material world" juxtaposed over the background of the chorus. Secret Affair becomes a lush, sumptuous, warm, engaging girl group affair with woooo's in the background of the chorus and those lovely strings mixed with funky guitar. It's the clever matching of song themes that make this an above average collection of mash-ups ~ Heaven Knows A Prayer loses some of the religious solemnity from the music but merges from a hand clapping gospel epic into a hand clapping swirl that worships at the altar of disco. Dance Another Day gets a bit confusing but there's almost nothing you could do to Last Dance to make it any less enjoyable and the Madonna song loses it's electro current, but gains a gorgeous whirling string laden, tambourine banging instrumental background. Not everyone will like everything here, but there's certainly enough for curiosity factor, it's free and some of it is pretty bloody entertaining!
The Bird & The Bee ~ Interpreting The Masters:
.PNG)
Covers albums are sometimes a bit hit and miss aren't they? For every Susannah Hoffs with Matthew Sweet, there's an Eoghan Quigg. Sigh. Still, Bird and the Bee have blooming gone and outdone themselves with a love letter to Hall & Oates that includes 8 of their songs and something new that seamlessly blends in. In the past, Bird and the Bee have proved themselves to be whipsmart lyricists of the jazzy synth-pop variety, often funny, always meaningful. Here they show that they have a great knowledge of how to arrange songs - whether they are their own or borrowed from someone else. That original tune (Heard It On The Radio) sounds so in sync with their production values on the covers that it's hard not to assume it's a little known Hall & Oates b-side. The rest of the tunes are a great reminder of what terrific melodies the oft-maligned, mustachioed duo could come out with and presented here in a sometimes peppy pop format and a sometimes a wistful stroll down memory lane. Tracks like Rich Girl are as fresh as a delicious crisp salad while Maneater positively fizzes with sass and exuberance. The more melancholy stuff like She's Gone and One on One are also a sweet treat, lovingly delivered and perfectly crafted. Such a delightful project and one i'm going to enjoy for a long time to come.
Tomorrow: ABCD-D
Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that are staring you right in the face. Two blokes (DJ Shy Boy and DJ Freddy King of Pants - not to be confused with DazPanteloons) have become the Gentlemen Thieves and thought, hey, if we put Ma in front of Donna Summer it sounds jolly familiar. And if we take some of their respective greatest tracks, smoosh them together and make them sound all new but like an old friend visiting with a new haircut, it might well just be blooming marvelous. And in the most part they are right. Donna Summer's work with Moroder in the 70s remains seriously exquisite. And Madonna has put together some of the most memorable songs of the past 25 years. Separately they both have had brushes with brilliance (repeatedly so) - together it's a sometimes bonkers sometimes amazing collection of work. Feel Like A Virgin is now an intense, echoing, pulsating disco epic that sounds throbbing and dirty, where Madonna sings over Donna's insinuating bass. She Works Hard For Material sees Donna sing over Madonna's Material Girl - it's a bit abrasive at first, but it soon gels together and works fairly well, particularly with the "ow, ow, living in a material world" juxtaposed over the background of the chorus. Secret Affair becomes a lush, sumptuous, warm, engaging girl group affair with woooo's in the background of the chorus and those lovely strings mixed with funky guitar. It's the clever matching of song themes that make this an above average collection of mash-ups ~ Heaven Knows A Prayer loses some of the religious solemnity from the music but merges from a hand clapping gospel epic into a hand clapping swirl that worships at the altar of disco. Dance Another Day gets a bit confusing but there's almost nothing you could do to Last Dance to make it any less enjoyable and the Madonna song loses it's electro current, but gains a gorgeous whirling string laden, tambourine banging instrumental background. Not everyone will like everything here, but there's certainly enough for curiosity factor, it's free and some of it is pretty bloody entertaining!.PNG)
Covers albums are sometimes a bit hit and miss aren't they? For every Susannah Hoffs with Matthew Sweet, there's an Eoghan Quigg. Sigh. Still, Bird and the Bee have blooming gone and outdone themselves with a love letter to Hall & Oates that includes 8 of their songs and something new that seamlessly blends in. In the past, Bird and the Bee have proved themselves to be whipsmart lyricists of the jazzy synth-pop variety, often funny, always meaningful. Here they show that they have a great knowledge of how to arrange songs - whether they are their own or borrowed from someone else. That original tune (Heard It On The Radio) sounds so in sync with their production values on the covers that it's hard not to assume it's a little known Hall & Oates b-side. The rest of the tunes are a great reminder of what terrific melodies the oft-maligned, mustachioed duo could come out with and presented here in a sometimes peppy pop format and a sometimes a wistful stroll down memory lane. Tracks like Rich Girl are as fresh as a delicious crisp salad while Maneater positively fizzes with sass and exuberance. The more melancholy stuff like She's Gone and One on One are also a sweet treat, lovingly delivered and perfectly crafted. Such a delightful project and one i'm going to enjoy for a long time to come.
