Neneh Cherry - Raw Like Sushi

YOURZ

I have to be very careful here.  Neneh is one of the very few artists Mine loves so much, any bad-mouthing is bound to be met with swift and ultra-violent retribution.  So...

I guess I can say Raw Like Sushi is alright.  I mean, Buffalo Stance is a pretty good song, even if the sounds are very dated.  And there is no doubting her ability to both rap and sing.  Her work with The Gorillaz on their track Kids With Guns is one of the highlights of their second album, Demon Days.

She also is truly a child of the world; her biological father was from Sierra Leone while her mother is Swedish.  Her step-father is Don Cherry, the American-born jazz man.  And she has that kind of earth-mother quality which is just beautiful.

Unfortunately, most of this album is just too 80s dance sounding for me to have any real appreciation of it.  But at least I didn't say it was shit, now did I? (Mine says: Greater love hath no man...)

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

MINE

In the (very) early 90s I was living in an inner-city suburb with its associated high crime rate.  One day I came home and tried to put my key in the door, only for it to fall inwards, revealing the fact that most of my valued possessions were gone.  I had no insurance (never again) and had to spend the next few months re-buying the most vital parts of my CD collection (they ignored the vinyl, much as they'd ignore the CDs these days!)

Raw Like Sushi was the very first CD I re-bought.  Not just because it's a good album, and it is, but because I really needed me some high-end girl power to get through that time.  There are some killer remixes on here, in fact I prefer the alternate mix of Heart to the original.  It's one of the first rap albums I bought, and helps me remember I really prefer the girly rappers.  At least they can sing worth a damn.

Nowadays I look at this and remember just how young I was then, even though I was convinced I was all grown up and sophisticated.  Much as Neneh would, I suppose.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP give me a motherfuckin' break beat!

For more information go to: http://www.nenehcherry.de/

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

YOURZ

On another blog I write, I recently named Danger Mouse as my favourite producer of the decade.  Let's recap for the sake of the discussion: he started with the mashing of The Beatles' White Album and Jay Z's Black Album.  Whatever there is left to say about this, there is absolutely no denying its scope and genius. 

Then there's his production for The Gorillaz' Demon Days, undoubtedly a modern classic, The Good The Bad and The Queen's debut and for The Black Keys Attack and Release.  He rescued Beck's flagging career with his production of the under-rated but brilliant Modern Guilt.  He also added his weight to a staggering array of other projects.  His touch was not just golden, it almost guaranteed platinum success.  But it does make me wonder when he's had time to sleep in the last half dozen years or so?

St. Elsewhere came across as a breath of fresh air in pretty tired and hackneyed scene.  Like Katalyst, Gnarls Barkley paved their own way, relying on both fresh sounds and updates of old school ideals to bring something altogether new and uniquely their own but somehow also comforting and familiar.  Cee Lo continually hits the mark and astounds with his versatility.  From the gospel-on-steroids of the first track, appropriately called Go-Go Gadget Gospel (don't you just love a good piece of alliteration), the soaring chorus of Crazy, the loyal interpretation of Gone Daddy Gone, the pumping rhythm of Smiley Faces, the authentic modern soul of Online and so on, Danger Mouse pulls out all stops and Cee Lo meets it all head on.

I don't doubt Danger Mouse is going to continue to push himself and those he works with to achieve bigger, better and grander musical masterpieces, but as a standalone work, St. Elsewhere is a shimmering success and a constant delight.  Now, why don't we have The Odd Couple?

VERDICT: TURN IT UP

MINE

Okay, YourZ has said it all here - hail, hail Danger Mouse.

And I love this album with its high-class bop and classy lyrics.  But it's one of the slow songs that makes it really stand out for me.  I understand why YourZ hasn't name-checked Just A Thought - we've discussed together many times the fact he doesn't really understand depression (YourZ sez: I think I do have an understanding of it - had too many friends suffer it over the years not to have some small understanding) he's never experienced it (lucky bastard).  This song expresses depression perfectly - and the final lines are just exactly how I've felt when I've had my deepest depression and yet have tried to shake it off when around my nearest and dearest.

And so I've tried/ Everything but suicide/ But yes - it's crossed my mind/ But I'm fine

Getting out of that deep "Great Depression" isn't easy, and happens in different ways for different people.  Me, I favour counselling, diet, exercise, avoiding alcohol and drugs.  Others take different routes, and I say - whatever works.

I didn't mean to be all down about Gnarls - this CD has so many great songs on it I'm also wondering why we don't have The Odd Couple.

VERDICT:TURN IT UP

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