ipod push button rhcp gh

iPod: Push The Button - RHCP: GH

Push The Button (The Chemical Brothers)

Their 2005 album: the first of theirs that I haven't particularly

enjoyed. I have always liked The Chemical Brothers' albums, with a few

tracks on each album, usually the singles, really standing out; and

after Come With Us, I had high expectations for this album. But I am

left somewhat underwhelmed after listening to it. Don't get me wrong,

it isn't total tripe: there are a few decent tracks - the lead single

Galvanise is a typical CB track, though I'm not a fan of the rapper

that features in it. Believe is a good dance song, ideal for clubs

(I'm not sure if it was ever released as a single), but even that has

odd bits in it that aren't compatible with my tastes. I hope they find

new inspiration to take their music in a new direction for the next

album.

Recommended Track: The Big Jump

The highlight of the album. A typical dance song with a single hookly

loop which has some vocals and bizarre sounds added on top. Simple,

effective and non-offensive to your ears. I think it is the strongest

track here.

Ray of Light (Madonna)

This is IT. This is the album that made me a Madonna fan; I completely

and utterly love it. I bought it on minidisc in 1998 when it was

released purely for Ray of Light (the single). I didn't listen to the

rest of the album for about a year, but when I did I couldn't believe

I had such quality music sitting on the shelf not being listened to!

It has regularly listened to ever since! Mature, adult pop music. Her

voice changed forever after having the vocal training for Evita, and

this is the first album to fully showcase her 'older' voice. Many many

good songs here with developed instrumentisation. Sublime production

from William Orbit (and a tiny bit from Mirwais - though it is nothing

like Music or American Life) provide a sophisticated ambience. This is

her best ever work and should be heard by everyone. I love

Shanti/Ashtangi which is a spiritual chant over an electronic thump;

Mer Girl provides a sparse ending to the album. This really is the

highlight of her career and was rightly acclaimed worldwide by

critics.

Recommended Track: Drowned World/Substitue for Love

Absolutely gorgeous. Not a typical album-opener. I've heard it

described as 'soft rock' but it couldn't be further away from this.

Smooth, gentle, sublime and melancholic; dark and moody. First class

production and is a strong song. Check it out.

Reason (Melanie C)

2003 saw the second solo offering from the artist formerly known as

Sporty. Unlike her eclectic debut, this cd boasts a more mature

collection of songs which, for the first time, puts more emphasis on

her vocals, rather than the production. She showcases her full range,

sounding particularly good in the lower ranges. My ultimate favourite

song here is the infectious Home; an odd number (which, by the way,

sounds amazual live) - drifing effortlessly bewteen light, quaint

vocals and a powerful kick-ass chorus. It did take me a while to

develop a relationship with this album. I was expecting Northern Star

Part II, but that certainly isn't what you get. With this album, you

can appreciate Melanie for her vocal talent. There are a couple of

duff tracks on here though - beware!

Recommended Track: Reason

Accompanied only by a piano, the title track of the album serves as a

great introduction to the talent of Melanie C. If only she still made

music like this...

Red Book (Texas)

The most recent studio album from the Scottish band. I have to say, I

think, after Careful What You Wish For, this sees the band return to

form. Not only do the songs sound great on cd, they execute them well

on stage. Red Book is a fusion of all the sounds that made them

famous, a wise move. This is a pop album, radio friendly to the hilt.

It features many songs that are sing-a-long-able. I have seen Texas

live a few times and the gig they did at the Birmingham Academy in the

run-up to the launch of this album is one of my favourite ever gigs -

the atmosphere was exstatic and the crowd were lapping up the new

tunes and showing much appreciation for them, despite never having

heard them before. It is classic Texas, done with modern tunes. A

great album: why it didn't chart higher than #16 I will never

understand.

Recommended Track: Sleep

A duet with Paul Buchannan. His and Sharleen's voices complement each

other extremely well. Put aside the extrememly cheesy introduction

that make you look like you're listening to music that plays in padded

cells, the harmonies are great and the tune is typicall Texas:

synth-pop.

Greatest Hits (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

One of the greatest bands of our time released the high points from

their catalogue back in 2003, when they switched record labels. They

could not have chosen a better time than this as, since then, they

haven't produced anything worthy enough to be called a 'greatest hit'.

There are few bands around today that exist in the commercial world

because they truly love music: many let fame and money take-over, yet

the RCHP have always remained focused on their passion - the music.

They have a signature sound; the twanging guitars and uplifting drums

and Kleidis' vocals are unmistakeable. They join the realms of Blur

and Texas (albeit on a more international level) in that they are one

of those bands whom you don't realise you recognise so much of their

music until a GH package comes out. This one truly is first class: so

many modern day classics on it, each worthy a place on the track list.

Two new tracks were recorded for the release: Fortune Faded and Save

The Population - both following the typical RHCP forumla for success.

Recommended Track: Under The Bridge

A tough call, as there are so many fine tunes on this cd, but I chose

this as it was the one that put RHCP on the map and reaped them the

reward of international stardom. A quality tune that is fairly