Monkey - Journey To The West

MINE

Yes, it's Damon, but it's also opera.  Chinese opera, at that.  And opera's one of those musical genres that I just don't get.  Not that I can't be swayed by some of the truly great arias, and I also have a small soft spot for the operettas of Gilbert and Sullivan, but generally being sung to unintelligibly in a foreign language for hours - well, I'd rather do algebra.  No Aida or Don Giovanni for me, thanks.

Not that this isn't well done (it is) and the music is generally quite listenable.  In short bursts.  And skipping over those high-pitched squawky songs that the Chinese seem to love but give me a headache.

It's nice to see he can do it, and I promise I'd tell him it was a work of great musical expertise and passion if I should ever see him (but really I'd be much more likely to be stammering out short phrases based on his staggering output in other genres and trying to rip his clothes off).  But really, I think this CD's only for the completists - if you love Damon that much (so no prizes for guessing who bought it) - or if you're turned on by Chinese opera.  Not for me though.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

YOURZ

As Mine says, this is an opera.  It is actually described as a circus opera, although, as far as I can tell, there are no clowns or trapeze artists.  If there ain't either, then it's not a circus as far as I'm concerned.  The second noteworthy point she mentioned was this is the work of Damon Albarn.  Now, anyone who knows me knows my love of all things Damon (although I'm not as inclined to the clothes-destroying histrionics of Mine, thankfully).  And as she astutely points out, it's in our collection because I'm a bit of a completist when it comes to my favourites.

Did I happen to mention this is an opera?  An ostensibly Chinese opera, based on a 16th century Chinese classic and the same story used as a basis for Monkey, the OTT 70s television series.  Like Mine, I am not an opera fan, not in the slightest.  In fact, I'm proud to say this is the only opera in our collection and this is only due to Albarn's involvement.

There are some great moments of joyous noisy mashing of East and West, such as I Love Buddha,  Heavenly Peach Banquet and Monkey Bee but a lot of the album is ambient and doesn't have much relevance to the listener, particularly those completely unfamiliar with the Monkey story.  Yeah, definitely for the completist.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

For more information: http://www.monkeyjourneytothewest.com/

Gorillaz - Demon Days Special Edition with bonus DVD

MINE

I love this album, I love Gorillaz, I can't wait for the new album, but it does piss me off how these special edition CDs muck up our storage. We have a lovely set of drawers that fit three rows of CDs across beautifully - except when confronted by albums like this. And while Damon Albarn's responsible for yet another of these misfits - our limited-edition copy of Blur's 13 - many others conspire to annoy collectors. I'm looking at you, Radiohead. And you, Nick Cave.

Anyway, back to Demon Days. Inspirational, joyous, musically layered and how about them special guests? Neneh Cherry, Dennis Hopper, Shaun Ryder, Ike Turner... not bad for an animated band. Featuring the vocal stylings of the man who's definitely on my list. You know, THAT list. I can't really write about this album because it just makes me want to listen to it. Or to play our DVD of Demon Days Live which never gets old. I guess I could give you an indication of how much this album has affected our lives by telling you that the "Feels Good" refrain from Feel Good Inc has entered our lexicon for any two-word or two-syllable communication. As in "mustard" or "Yes, dear". You know, it goes "dum, da-da-da DA DA - yes, dear" And if you don't, go out and buy this album. NOW. You won't regret it. I'm off to YouTube the videos.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP (put it on repeat all day)


YOURZ

Let me say it from the outset. Damon Albarn can do no wrong.

If I were any other way inclined, Damon would probably top my ‘To-Do’ list simply because of the sheer musical joy he's provided me over the years. This is how simple it is for me. Forget Lennon, forget Dylan, Springsteen or maybe even Strummer. Damon Albarn can do no wrong.

I’m sure the man, if he heard this statement, would scoff and say it's far from the truth. And maybe it is. But then, maybe it's just the sort of thing someone who really can do no wrong would say. It's cyclic, you see. (And you can also see I’ve thought about this far too much).

I’m not usually given to sweeping statements, but I believe his track record speaks for itself. Not only do you have his first band, Blur, to know how good he is, then there's the brilliant Mali Music, The Good, The Bad & The Queen and the opera Monkey: Journey To The West.

Then there's Gorillaz.

On paper, the idea of a virtual band starring four cartoon characters sounds like it could be an opening for ridicule and worse. In reality, Albarn’s intent was to highlight how manufactured pop music had become and in doing so, introduced the world to smart, genre-hopping music that spearheaded success around the globe on the back of their first album. The irony was delicious. As a result, Gorillaz were awarded an entry in the Guiness Book of World Records for being the Most Successful Virtual Band ever. Yeah, Josie & The Pussycats this ain't.

Demon Days, their second proper album, improved on their winning formula and resulted in even greater success around the globe. The Demon Days Live DVD, a run through of the album from start to finish, and shot over 5 sold-out shows in Manchester, is quite simply one of the best live concert pieces I’ve ever seen.

But then, I guess if you’ve read this far, you’d realise you’re talking to one of the converted and while a Gorillaz record might not be a religious experience, it's damned close.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP, waaaaay up…



For more information: http://www.gorillaz.com/

In our collection, we also have Gorillaz, G-Sides, Laika Come Home and D-Sides as well as the DVDs Phase One: Celebrity Take Down, Demon Days Live and Bananaz