Enigma - MCMXC AD

MINE

OK, in my defence this is a "moment in time" CD.  It was on high rotation on a long weekend holiday I had with some friends (hi, Viv and Andy!) north of Sydney in the early 90s.  We drove for hours and ended up at a place where some friends were hoping to open a gay-friendly holiday experience.  It was warm, and we swam in the river, lazed in hammocks, and bent our minds with various substances.

At one stage, very late at night, I found myself completely alone in a large room, dancing to this album which was turned up very loud.  It's a moment I won't ever forget.  One of my best dancing moments, but of course surpassed by the Kangaroo Valley Michael Jackson/Billie Jean moment (hi, David!) when everybody in the room unexpectedly swayed to the song in a small knot, in silence.

Listening to Enigma today though, I realised I'm not likely to ever want to hear this CD again.  And I don't need to look at the album to remember that weekend.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

YOURZ

Oh, this is boring...

While there are many things I do like about electronic music, Enigma are everything I don't.  Washy pads and twee sounds coupled with disposable melodies and the sort of atmospherics you'd expect to find playing in a World Vision shop (not putting down the World Vision organisation, who do a lot of good work, mind you).

This is not offensive, nor is it inoffensive.  Its simply not anything.

Did I mention it was boring?  Oh, I did!  Good...

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

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

The Lightning Seeds - Sense

YOURZ

I have vague recollections of this band for some reason I can’t figure out. Listening to this album didn’t help. It kind of sounds like a Pet Shop Boys rip-off but I might be wrong. It certainly sounds like nothing I would pay money for even though I have brought some absolute crap in the past.

I’m hoping Mine thinks the same way.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

MINE

It's funny, but I haven't listened to this album all the way through for ages. And while the title track always makes me smile and sing along, by the time I got to A Cool Place I was thinking how this could be just another generic late 80's-early 90's British indie-pop band (think Prefab Sprout, XTC, Teenage Fanclub).

In fact the whole album's a bit same-y. Not to say that it's bad, but it made me realise why I've taken my favourite songs and put them on my iPod. Because I don't really need all of them. Mind you, although Blowing Bubbles isn't one of the songs I've iPodded, it'll always make me smile, because of its status as "The Michael Jackson song" in a previous relationship I had. (Get it? Oh boy, I've made some enemies there.)

I must admit I haven't bought any more of the band's work - although I've been tempted by Jollification and I'm very fond of their football song Three Lions.

Anyway, I've been wondering why I've hung on to this album for so long, and now I know. I've been waiting for the invention of the iPod! Objective achieved.

VERDICT: THROW IT OUT

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