Why: pre.shrunk obsessed.
Tell me more: As the reason I bought this was to hear some early Dave-on-bass-and-effects action, I wasn't disappointed. Many of the trademark pre.shrunk bassy-sounding-like-guitar solos are here, as are Dave's great slapping riffs.
The most well known track is "Australia Don't Become America" and dang it ain't half catchy. The rapper is a New Zealander? I certainly think of Supergroove listening to this.
They're a unique band, bass riffs, drums, loops and samples, flute and nuzz-uland-repping. It almost works.
"Mars" is the most pre.shrunk sounding track, easily fitting in on one of their first EPs, with Dave singing slapping and soloing all over the place. Even the not-quite-great sounding chorus is so early pre.shrunk.
"And Yet... Somehow" had me cracking up on the train, "I get up, and I have a wee, and I sometimes have a coffee, and yet... somehow... and yet somehow one can't help but wonder..." RIFF. Repeat. It's almost a pity when the rap finally kicks in.
"Adrift" and "Relax" are both instrumentals with some nice riffs and horns but not outstanding.
"Australia Don't Become America (River Donovan Mix)" remix ain't great, but "Adrift (Qualude Mix)" slows it right down, much improving the song.
2/10: "Mars" and "And Yet... Somehow" have some merit, and the instrumentals are pleasant enough... but even with fan-boy hat on this ain't much worth talking about.
Why?: One of many CDs in a pile that was saved on the way to the charity bin.
Tell me more: I thought I already had this album, but I mixed it up with 1999's "Hours" (they have broadly similar covers) so finding it in the pile of random was a nice surprise.
I first got into David Bowie properly with "Earthling" so I've always liked his more electronic leanings, however I had nothing but dislike in my head for the Pet Shop Boy's "Spaceboy" remix so I wasn't sure what to make of the album.
After numerous (ten?) listens over the last couple of weeks I've decided, on the whole, I like this album, but the "concept" wears thin after 19 tracks.
I'm always happy to be taken along for the ride, right up until Track 10, "Segue - Algeria Touchshriek", when Mr. Bowie puts on another of his silly voices, first heard on Track 5, "Segue - Baby Grace (A Horrid Cassette)", a track that reminds me of nothing more but the "hey, stop tickling me" voice at the end of Mr. Bungle's "After School Special" from "Disco Volante". David's funny voices are neither funny, nor interesting... random words over jazz doodling. Later the "American detective" voice gets me imagining "Assy McGee"...
Tracks worth pointing out as being surprisingly excellent are "The Hearts Filthy Lesson", "Hallo Spaceboy" (the original is an industrial pop masterpiece, killing the naff remix cold), "The Voyeur Of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)",
Strangely a lot of this album had me thinking of Midnight Oil's "10,9,8...", especially the background chorus vocals, some of the drum effects and melodies. "I Have Not Been To Oxford Town" in particular, once you get past the terribly dated intro and get to the "all's well" parts.
It's such as pity the album ends with "Strangers When We Meet", a terribly boring song that seems to the tacked-on "single song".
6/10: But only if you remove all the "Segue" tracks and "Strangers".