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"These are the songs they always play," says the uncredited voice at the beginning, and that says it pretty well. As an evocation of the three- or four-person Spank Rock's party-hard aesthetic, Fabriclive.33 can hardly be topped. But the kind of mix date that may sound incredible on the dancefloor is going to come with a few caveats when it's studded with innumerable songs that have already enjoyed a long shelf life before Spank Rock first put them on the decks, songs like Yello's "Bostich," "The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight" by Dominatrix, Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks," Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart," Mylo's "Drop the Pressure," the Contours' "Do You Love Me," and the Romantics' "Talking in Your Sleep" (to name seven). The occasional raps by Amanda Blank and Naeem Juwan make things a little better than the sum of their parts, but Spank Rock sounded much more original on their debut album than they do here. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
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Your Love Alone Is Not Enough Manic Street Preachers |
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The Manics have always had a knack for crafting modest pop masterpieces, regardless of which side of the band you fall on 'enigmatic psyche Richey Edwards' or otherwise. Take for example 1992's "Motorcycle Emptiness"; lyrical turmoil bathed in delicate lullabies and sun-kissed guitar licks. Ironically enough though, whilst not bleached in such noticeable acidic, jagged-edged angst as their early, career-defining work, the Ritchie-less New Testament boasts just as many "biblical" moments as the Manics of old. With "Your Love Alone Is Not Enough", the Manics at long last sound hungry again. This is the sound of the Manics exorcising the demons that derailed them through a recent spell of half-realised experimental albums. The football terrace-destined chant may not be the optimum repellent against the "lad rock" label they despise so much, but it offers a shameless pop accessibility that the recent albums lacked. When that relentless hook jousts with the ambition, that recent albums did pack plenty of, through string-laden, fist-in-the-air sensibilities, we realise the Manics are once again rejuvenated, and in doing so they've produced what is easily their best work since Everything Must Go. Narrowly missing the UK top spot at number 2, the lead single from 'Send Away The Tigers' blends together the heavenly pipes of James Dean Bradfield and Cardigans vocalist Nina Persson like some euphoric cocktail of fine wines, improving with age. The 'Street Preachers have mined the peaks of their best material to reclaim the public eye in the same 'Generation Terrorists' fashion as of their beginning. ~Daniel Robinson Copyright (c) Shazam Entertainment Limited 2009. All rights reserved |
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