Gorillaz
Gorillaz
»
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Virgin, 2001
RiYL: Deltron 3030, Blur, Tricky |
The music, ranging from dub reggae to hip-hop, pop-punk and skewed samba, was created by Albarn, Dan The Automator and a host of musicians including Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Miho Hatori, Ibrahim Ferrer, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. But Hewlett and Albarn want you to believe it was made by satanic bass-player Murdoc, zombie-like singer 2-D, 10-yr old Japanese guitarist Noodle and hulking hip-hop drummer Russell.
The album has its share of enjoyable tunes, and more than a couple great ones. But the person willing to listen to the entire thing must have a curious melange of musical interest: fondness for electric soundscapes, spacy jams, raps, simple punk songs, and the distinctly British falsetto vocals of Albarn. When you think about it, this mix has a great pop appeal, but on more of a singles level than an album as a whole.
That said, there are some great moments here: the hypnotic groove of "Double Bass" pulls up a sort of Beck-remixes-Tortoise feel. "Re-Hash" and "Tomorrow Comes Today" deftly insert Blur-like melodies into more beat-focused arenas, while "Rock The House" features Del as a mildly ridiculous dance hall toaster reveling within a catchy trumpet loop.
First single "Clint Eastwood" is probably the most fully realized Gorillaz track, an addictive piano-bass-and-drum groove with a simple chorus sung by Damon in rock zombie style and memorable verse rapping from Del. The "story" behind his presence on the record is that Del was a rapper friend of drummer Russell, and died in a Bronx car crash. Russell had been possessed by demons as a child and been exorcised, so he was a bit of an open vessel, and Del's spirit jumped into him at the point of his death. He "comes out" every once in a while to bust a few rhymes, and in this song, delivers a great self-referential rap in character: "Finally, someone let me out of my cage / now, time for me is nothing, cuz I'm counting no age."
All in all, it's a fun ride, although it admittedly wouldn't be quite as much of one as simply a Damon-and-Dan musical project, without the images around to give it a bit of a fun story. Is it hard to suspend your disbelief about the group being fake? Not really. It's a very pop idea. It's not so far off from Milli Vanilli, only neither their image nor their music was half as cool.
Anyway, unless you are seeing a group play live, the visual and the aural facets of the band's music don't have to be very connected in your mind. You can watch the videos, go to the web site, read the liner notes, and listen to the music. It's no use wondering how this particular foursome weaves its way through Albarn's varied compositions, but enough to just enjoy the sound and the image on different levels.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.