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Elly Roberts reviews
Warners
- Cat.no: 2564632672
- Released: April 2006
- Rating: 4/10
Spawning another monster hit might not prove so easy for hip-hop duo Cee Lo and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) aka Gnarls Barkley.
Their record-breakingsingle Crazy, took the music industry by storm, primarily through itsinitial download success. Main feature of the single apart from the hooks isCee Los amazing voice. Kids dont know it, but its actually 21st centurysoul music, not hip-hop.
Putting it bluntly, there isnt another Crazy onoffer which might disappoint the casual listener. The album named after a UShospital drama does not live up to expectation, though it will sell (w/cMay 1, No.1, UK album chart) based on the single.
Some of it has an Outkast feel: the rasping and freewheeling Go – Go Gadget,Gone Daddy Gone, without then Fergie factor.
Dance-orientated Smiley Faces may well follow Crazy as the next single, withits Motown beat and basslines, dressed by some spacey synths.
Low points include pointless and mediocre fillers like Boogie Monster,Necromancer, Just A Thought (complete with Meg White drum bashing) andcacophonous Transformer. Back on hip-hop territory, Feng Shui, with itsplayfully mocking lyrics on how things should be.
Penultimate pacey andexpansive Storm Coming (shades of Massive Attacks Unfinished Sympathy) is awelcomed crescendo, before Cee Los soulful magic holds together an averageLast Time. Most tracks dont make the best use of Cee Los incredibletalents, and a solo career may bring more opportunity to broaden his appeal.
Weblink:Gnarls Barkley.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Go-Go Gadget Gospel
2. Crazy
3. St. Elsewhere
4. Gone Daddy Gone
5. Smiley Faces
6. The Boogie Monster
7. Feng Shui
8. Just A Thought
9. Transformer
10. Who Cares?
11. Online
12. Necromancer
13. Storm Coming
14. The Last Time
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.