Friday November 10, 2006

Gorillaz

I first heard of this band while watching an early morning music show. I saw two tracks which were Dirty Harry and El_Mañana. I find their music very addictive. The band is known as a cartoon band and its members are:

    * 2D - (born in Crawley, United Kingdom) - vocals, keyboards
    * Murdoc Niccals - (born June 6, 1966 in Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom) - 
      bass guitar
    * Russel Hobbs - (born in New York, New York) - drums
    * Noodle - (born in Osaka, Japan) - guitar, backing vocals
    * Del - the blue phantom in the "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House" 
      music videos and the Gorilla Bite "Jump The Gut" was, one could say, 
      another band member. In 2003, he was exorcised; it took Russel a 
      year to recover. (In real life Albarn and Hewlett did not ask the 
      real Del to come back.)

Their first album is good and these are my favourite tracks off that album.

Rehash. Which starts with a great bass/drums line then the guitar comse in. We then hear Damon Albern's voice. The whole effect seems slightly out of tune.

Clint Eastwood. With a reggae start then a rap or hip-hop section cuts in. There is a respin of the track at the end of the album.

Double bass. A brilliant intrumental with an odd popping sound. In the middle there is a short interlude where someone says All of which makes anxious sometimes unbearably so.

Rock the house. A funky track with a trumpet piece on it too.

19-2000. My second favourite track with much evidence of the vocals of the girl member of the band Noodle in it. Great line A monkey in the jungle, watching a vapour trail, caught up in a conflict between his brain and his tail

A1/M1. An odd start to the track with someone shouting hello or is anyone there?. A strumming guitar enters the track becoming louder and then a bit tater on this excellent punk track cuts in. Very good.

The later album Demon Days is almost perfect.

The cd cover is really part of the whole package so I make no apologies for referring to it. There is one picture in the insert for each track.

Intro. Almost a Pink Floyd style number it reminds me of their track Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a pict.

Last Living Souls. Starts with an electronic drum beat then Damon Albern's voice cuts in Are we the last living souls, simple track but very clever. cd insert; picture of the band with a load of outlines of other folks all numbered.

Kids with guns. Neneh cherry is on track. Song develops as it progresses it has a great bass line. cd insert picture of gun with a cartoon child in each of the barrels bullet holes.

Green world. cd insert shows a barren wasteland . Perhaps the insert indicates the future of our world?

Dirty Harry. My favourite track I think. Mainly intrumental with a nice keyboard line then a rap section, this then repeats itself. cd insert picture of Noodle with a gun that has a US flag hanging down it like one of those spoof guns.

Feel Good inc. Constantly changing track very good.

El_Mañana. Accompanying video was of Noodle on her floating island which is attacked by helicopters. The track is an excellent slow ballad.

Every Planet we reach is dead. Piano by Ike Turner . cd insert is of the band members in space suits waving from an unknown planet surface. Behind them is the earth.

Novemmeber has come. Perhaps not my favourite tracks. cd insert shows a calander of Oct with all the dates crossed out.

All Alone. Intrumental with a chorus of All alone. cd insert shows a corridor of a hotel rooms in Japan, which are the really small human sized ones.

White Light. Classic twin tempo track. cd insert of toothless drunk holding a can of White light crack booze 100% proof.

Dare , Human League style track. Very catchy track.

Fire coming out of the monkeys head. Intrumental with narration read by Dennis Hopper perhaps a dig at the US. It is a story about Happy folks whos serene lifestyle is destroyed by invaders wearing dark glasses. cd insert shows a sinister monkey holding a cigarette.

Don't get Lost in Heaven and Demon Days follow on from the last track both of which use a choir. Good conclusion to the album. The very same choir was used on a track on a Blur album.

With Albern working on a new project named The Good, the Bad and the Queen will we hear from Gorillaz again?