Site New Answers Search Boards ILE ILM Answers New Question New Questions New Poll Blog View Register Login

Rachel Stevens - Come And Get It

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed
That's now officially the title of her new album. 30 sec. clips from all of the songs have leaked and most of them sound pretty good. Definitely not ground-breaking stuff, but this will likely be my favourite album of the year.

I really, really like "Funny How". I'm also not disappointed at all by "Crazy Boys". On the other hand, "Nothing Good About This Goodbye", well...

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 00:52 (twenty years ago)

...the song's probably not that bad at all but I don't know. More than the tempo change, I'm not liking the dynamics. I miss the pauses and subtle pace changes in Alexis' version (like the clearer distinction between the verse and the bridge). I think Rachel's version lacks these subtleties and sounds a bit like it just wants to be done with the whole thing as quickly as possible. I also miss the deep pulsating bassline which has now been smeared a little. I still have to listen to the chorus of course.

I wonder if Xenomania did this new version too. Does anybody know if the production/writing credits have been released.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 00:54 (twenty years ago)

"Funny How" appears to be an absolute stand-out - great disco-pop chorus - and "take these fools away from me" = genius, probably not a subtle backward reference to her earlier song "Fools" which goes "Send me in the fools, throw away the heroes", but still GRATE.

I can't judge "Crazy Boys" on the clip. People I trust say it's amazing, so it probably is. I think "I Will Be There" sounds amazing just from the clip, though. "Every Little Thing", hmm, well I'd be more impressed by reheated "Chain Reaction"s in 2005 if it hadn't been for a trio of Bosnian lasses doing it better, but pretty good. I have a feeling I'll probably skip "Je m'appelle", and many others will skip the floaty trip-hop-lite "Secret Garden" but I actually quite like that.

Releasing "So Good" as the second single when "Funny How" was lying around seems baffling in hindsight, actually. "I Said Never Again" makes perfect sense, and the video looks great.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:03 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and "Dumb Dumb" is great too. I'm on the fence about "Nothing Good" - the original is pretty much perfection, so anything will be less brilliant.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:04 (twenty years ago)

Ah. So that's why Popjustice said that "Funny How" sounds like Pet Shop Boys. "Take these fools away from me" = I'm not scared.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:08 (twenty years ago)

I agree, the bar was set too high. It probably shouldn't have been released in the first place.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

I'm referring to edward o's commend on NGATG.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:10 (twenty years ago)

Alexis loves Rachel's version, fwiw. I mean, the lady's mad to have not kept it for herself as even though her sampler is good (four strong songs, one that's weird but decent), nothing on it touches NGATG.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:17 (twenty years ago)

Maybe she didn't owned the rights to it.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:20 (twenty years ago)

It's also much better than her new stuff.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:21 (twenty years ago)

Well, actually, "It Could Be You" does come quite close - possibly the best middle section of the year (you know the "The way I feel..." bit is pretty brilliant, isn't it?).

I'm just wondering if the things perceived as lesser lights are being sold short by the clips, because "It's All About Me", well, it doesn't seem like a very representative bit as the bit you WANT to hear surely comes after where the clip cuts off.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:25 (twenty years ago)

I haven't listened to "It Could Be You" yet. Actually I just listened to a few songs from Cocoon and it sounded a bit too 'Tori Amos' for my taste, but I'm curious about it now.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:34 (twenty years ago)

Silly me, I don't have that one on my computer at work, or else I'd sent it right now.

Rachel promos have been sent out, surprised it's not up everywhere.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:51 (twenty years ago)

I've found it. Thanks anyway.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 01:55 (twenty years ago)

So, "Crazy Boys", then. A work of indisputable genius.
And (duck), I like the guitar wanking in "Nothing Good About This Goodbye", which at least keeps that jagged riff thing in the second verse.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 8 September 2005 22:27 (twenty years ago)

So is this on slsk? I need to hear Crazy Boys something fierce.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Friday, 9 September 2005 02:07 (twenty years ago)

"if i was you,i wouldn't treat me the way you do ,etc"

― katsy pensit, Friday, 9 September 2005 03:34 (twenty years ago)

Not on slsk yet. Oh, whatever, here's a YSI. I'm too good to you people sometimes...

http://s25.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1Y7AF0O0GI78U2FW1PHIKX8G4F

BEST THING ABOUT CRAZY BOYS - the "forever and ever" bit in the backing vocals which I take as a vague reference to "Glory Box" by Portishead, even though it isn't.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 9 September 2005 04:22 (twenty years ago)

This song is very awesome. Easily the most awesome thing out of Richard X since that Freeform Five remix.

also Edward O.: king among men.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Friday, 9 September 2005 05:37 (twenty years ago)

I think the two versions of 'Nothing Good About This Goodbye' (Rachel's
version has now leaked) could be used as a textbook example on how a pop
song can be radically transformed by slight
production changes. Listening to Rachel's version, I couldn't notice
a lot more
than a small change of tempo and a couple of very sublte harmonic variations
in both the verse and the chorus (OK, the radical difference
between the three verse parts in Alexis' version is also missing).
Yet it seems to me that, rather tragically, the escence of the original is
lost. I really can't explain why, but it just doesn't take me
anywhere near the original version does.

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 9 September 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

If you YSI Rachel's version, Daavid, I'll try to help you figure it out. Heh. (I put Alexis's version on the YSI/Gmail thread for anyone interested.)

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 9 September 2005 07:25 (twenty years ago)

Give the Rachel version a few more listens. It actually is quite effective, though, I do miss the abrupt change in dynamics after the first chorus that is in Alexis's version.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 9 September 2005 07:30 (twenty years ago)

(I can't YSI as my connection's a bit slow, but can gmail it to you directly as it's already in my outbox)

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 9 September 2005 07:33 (twenty years ago)

brittlelemon AT gmail.com, if you are indeed addressing me, Edward. Thanks.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 9 September 2005 07:47 (twenty years ago)

Please please let the YSI remain potent for another 11 hours or so. xxx

― Alex in Sheffield (Alex in Doncaster), Friday, 9 September 2005 07:52 (twenty years ago)

Oh, well, it's not that bad. Not bad at all, in fact.

The early reports (not necesarily on here) had me thinking that Rachel speeded up the song to the point that it's some sort of ill-advisedly hysterical stomper. But it's only a little faster, really. The new tempo isn't bad -- as wonderful as the original was, it was probably a bit too subtle to be a properly poptastic tune. Rachel's feels a bit more like it's trying to be fabulous. The way the music bursts forth as we go into the chorus is quite nice and in that spirit.

I'm not a big fan of the electroclashy riff that starts the song, though. Given that it's on the same album as "So Good," I think we are running the risk of having the production seem a bit limited ("NGATG" a bit too sonically close to "So Good," "ISNA(BHWA)" = a faster "Some Girls"). But in and of itself, the track is quite good. I'm pleased!

I can't defend the guitar solo, though. It should have been replaced by swooshing sounds, and then a final chorus with even more multiply-tracked backing vocals. Possibly. And I do miss the little faux-Eastern plonk-plonk sounds from Alexis's version.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:14 (twenty years ago)

If only Rachel Stevens played an acoustic guitar as part of her set...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:17 (twenty years ago)

And, oh, "Crazy Boys" is indeed ace. The backing is like some electro-soul record -- maybe Stazi's "Love is Lethal." The drum rolls could have been even more dramatic, but it's an all-round excellent showing.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

careful with those "all-round excellent showing" comments, you might be asked to review it for unc*t!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:34 (twenty years ago)

"a tidy job, all in all" -- ipcmedia

― N_RQ, Friday, 9 September 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

"a stunning return to form"

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:42 (twenty years ago)

"avoids the perils of that 'difficult second album'"

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

"proving once again that they're in for the long haul"

― N_RQ, Friday, 9 September 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

"a solid effort"

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 9 September 2005 08:56 (twenty years ago)

brittle-lemon in "Inarticulate!" shocker.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 9 September 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

(I can't YSI as my connection's a bit slow, but can gmail it to you directly as it's already in my outbox)

if there's any chance of anyone doing that for me, too, that'd be great - tobygee at gmail.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 9 September 2005 09:39 (twenty years ago)

Rachel Stevens: Crazy Boys

― davidsim (davidsim), Friday, 9 September 2005 13:38 (twenty years ago)

that's blocked as well.

gmail anyone pretty please?

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 9 September 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

Rachel Stevens - Nothing Good About This Goodbye

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 9 September 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

I also will belatedly put in a request for gmailings of all/any of this wonderful heady lovely.

― Alex in Sheffield (Alex in Doncaster), Friday, 9 September 2005 15:03 (twenty years ago)

And me too, niche.ian @ gmail.com please. (and hello Alex, did j0e brag already about how awesomely awesome PayTV were? When I get broadband back I'll upload their 'Material Girls' cover to the YSI thread I reckons).

― Affectian (Affectian), Friday, 9 September 2005 15:23 (twenty years ago)

Affectian, Lex, Alex and Toby, you got mail.

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 9 September 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

Could anyone please send me "Crazy Boys" too?

― ana (ana), Friday, 9 September 2005 15:31 (twenty years ago)

Thank you to whoever sent it to me.

Here it is, hope it holds:
Rachel Stevens - Crazy Boys

― ana (ana), Friday, 9 September 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

There are some very excellent and giving people on this board. On the strength of this stuff I am pretty confident that this is going to be my album of the year. Ace ACE.

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Friday, 9 September 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

Well, that Delia & Gavin album is pretty much untouchable from where I'm sitting, but I already like more songs off the new Rachel than I do off the new Kanye. And I *really* like the new Kanye.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Friday, 9 September 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

ooh, I've been searching for Crazy Boys everywhere! Thanks for that link. I looove it. I hope this will be a single, although judging from the clip NGATGB would make a really good single too. If 19 were smart, they'd release 5 singles.

― Charles, Sunday, 11 September 2005 05:48 (twenty years ago)

Three new songs have entered the WWW: "Dumb Dumb", "Je m'apelle" and
"Every Little Thing". All decent stuff. "Dumb Dumb" has a great chorus actually.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 17:24 (twenty years ago)

"Every Little Thing" still sounds like "Call Me" by Femminem, but since "Call Me" is ace, I love. "Dumb Dumb" is to be a b-side to "I Said Never Again", which I think is a waste.

The two songs that sound like they might be standouts, "I Will Be There" and "Funny How" remain elusive.

5 singles? No. This labour of love from 19 is doomed to go down.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 21:59 (twenty years ago)

Three new songs have entered the WWW: "Dumb Dumb", "Je m'apelle" and
"Every Little Thing". All decent stuff. "Dumb Dumb" has a great chorus actually.

YSI? Please?

― a. begrand (a begrand), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 22:11 (twenty years ago)

Ahh, I'm dieing looking for those tracks.

― Charles, Tuesday, 13 September 2005 22:35 (twenty years ago)

My connection's a bit slow. I can gmail them from my work computer later.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 13 September 2005 22:48 (twenty years ago)

You may have mail, and such.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 01:57 (twenty years ago)

'Crazy Boys' is as king as I remember from Popjustice's Eurovision night. Jury out on NGATGB.

And Edward, where's the lovemail?

― Drowning Man (Barima), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 07:44 (twenty years ago)

Barms, it's in yo inbox.. oh! ARe you on a fastish connection? I may require a favour...

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 07:53 (twenty years ago)

Check your ROCK account, but ignore the favour - don't need it now. ENJOY, though.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 08:07 (twenty years ago)

Out of those three new ones, I think I prefer "Dumb Dumb"..."Every Little Thing" is a bit too pedestrian, but decent enough.

― a. begrand (a begrand), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 09:03 (twenty years ago)

Filling up the 'Pod now! Will report after a day of listening to the record, but there seems to be lots of electropop fun to be had. I don't quite vibe off Alexis like others do, but the cover ain't bad (though the original is so much like Prince and FC Kahuna's 'Machine Says Yes' that Rachel couldn't really have bettered it outright).

― Drowning Man (Barima), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 09:54 (twenty years ago)

hello, my ginbox has the outstretched arms as well...(ditto for the tatu album if anyone's got that incidentally) (what's the bitrate incidentally?)

why are people saying that rachel ruined 'nothing good about this goodbye'? her version is perfectly fine.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

I've really grown to like Rachel's version now. YES EVEN THE GUITAR BIT, though I do think that bit would have been done better by Vanilla Ninja or similar.

The only song on the album that is not great in some way is "Je M'Appelle" which is merely OK.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

i'd appreciate those four songs too, please! thanks!

― william, it was really nothing (superpopelectro), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 13:00 (twenty years ago)

it leaked today

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Wednesday, 14 September 2005 16:31 (twenty years ago)

As long as Taller In Many Ways is still a month or two off, I'm making no firm pronouncements re: UK pop, but frankly, this record has made complete and utter bitches of poptimist touchstones wwtns? and Anniemal. 'Every Little Thing' is your sugar mommy. Second listen in, the Alexis cover is pretty good, even on its own merits (livelier in parts, but not as sultry in others). Likely to slot in my top 5-7. I have to grab the last 3 tracks tomorrow and I can't wait too long.

― BARMS, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

I met Rachel Stevens once and she hugged me. It was pretty sweet.

― Elisabeth (Elisabeth), Thursday, 15 September 2005 01:18 (twenty years ago)

ysi plleasse

PLEASE

please.

― william, it was really nothing (superpopelectro), Thursday, 15 September 2005 01:27 (twenty years ago)

william, check your email. :)

― daavid (daavid), Thursday, 15 September 2005 03:36 (twenty years ago)

It's not that I think Rachel's NGATG is bad in any way. It's just that to me, Alexis' version is one of the most brilliant things I've heard in the past decade. And Rachel's version simply isn't.

― daavid (daavid), Thursday, 15 September 2005 03:43 (twenty years ago)

Love the album. Looove it.

― a. begrand (a begrand), Thursday, 15 September 2005 04:06 (twenty years ago)

How does "Every Little Thing" manage to top everything else she's done this year/ever? I don't know, but it does, despite ploughing the customary stomp-splash furrow somewhat. I like the groans under the chorus, they make it sickly and lovely and warped, she is MBV for a bit, magic.

I've not had a chance to digest this en masse yet but every individual segment has delighted me lots in isolation. It's nice that "Some Girls" is here, again. And that she has trumped it several times.

― Alex in Sheffield (Alex in Doncaster), Thursday, 15 September 2005 07:49 (twenty years ago)

I am also Gmail greedy, and grateful to those who have YSIed already...

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 15 September 2005 08:10 (twenty years ago)

'Every Little Thing' - soundtracking a final, romantic dance sequence/bow-taking in an acclaimed teen movie any year now.

― Drowning Man (Barima), Thursday, 15 September 2005 08:55 (twenty years ago)

where are you all finding this?! i don't see it on slsk (even the ilm room), or public trackers, and i want it!

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 15 September 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

"Every Little Thing" is just one of those songs - the clip sounded so unpromising, but the whole thing works so well. I love how Rachel delivers the lyrics too, the way the rhymes at the end of the verses spill onto an extra line, and such. Magnificent.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 15 September 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

In honour of the album title, I hope the CD cover features the subtitle "Hot, Ready and Legal."

― Drowning Man (Barima), Thursday, 15 September 2005 10:37 (twenty years ago)

Thanks so much for the YSI links. "Nothing Good About This Goodbye" is on endless repeat on my iPod right now. I agree that this is shaping up to be the album of the year.

― John Hunter, Thursday, 15 September 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

It's funny but "Every Little Thing" is one of the few songs I don't like. It may be the "country" feel to it.

However "Funny How" is my absoulte favourite now, to the point that I avoid listening to it too much so that I won't get bored of it. I would say IT SHOULD BE THE NEXT SINGLE! but i'd be too sad if it flopped.

― daavid (daavid), Thursday, 15 September 2005 19:39 (twenty years ago)

i kind of like rachel's NGATG although the first few seconds kill me. but when she starts singing its all ok.

also i would kill for funny how.

― johnnyamerica, Friday, 16 September 2005 01:17 (nineteen years ago)

Long thread, didn't read all of it...

But did anyone notice the Cure sample that "It's All About Me" was built around? It's one of the songs from Disintegration, but I'm drawing a blank as to the title of it.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 16 September 2005 01:40 (nineteen years ago)

I noticed it, and know which song it is, but I'd rather force Cure fans to download the song and be annoyed by it.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 16 September 2005 04:56 (nineteen years ago)

Cd:uk

tx Saturday 24th September 2005 11.30

Presented by Myleene Klass, Johny P and Lauren Laverne

Performances from

Rachel Stevens I said never again

McFly I wanna hold you

Mariah Carey Shake it off

Sugababes Push the button

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 16 September 2005 10:21 (nineteen years ago)

The Cure song it samples is Lullaby.

i like that track

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Friday, 16 September 2005 10:31 (nineteen years ago)

The CD:UK line-up looks like half my pop fantasises getting together for 10 minutes.

― Who the hell do you THINK I am? I'm the goddamn Batman! (Barima), Friday, 16 September 2005 10:33 (nineteen years ago)

>>Lullaby

Thanks, Googley! That was making my brain hurt.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 16 September 2005 13:31 (nineteen years ago)

This album deserves to sell a billion copies.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Saturday, 17 September 2005 04:38 (nineteen years ago)

is there anyway someone could direct me or send me a copy of funny how?

i can't seem to find it anywhere.

i can reward those who can with cookies of the chocolate variety.

― ollie, Sunday, 18 September 2005 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

A torrent of the album appears to be up at TorrentSpy, ollie (haven't checked it myself yet).

― carson dial (carson dial), Sunday, 18 September 2005 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

I just heard the whole album. Oh my god. The last track "I Will Be There" is unbelievable. The "is it okay / if I meet you in heaven" chorus is the greatest thing since . . . I don't know what. A million synthesized Rachels cooing away over the ultimate euroballad backing track.

― John Hunter, Monday, 19 September 2005 01:25 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah. It's pretty good. I didn't like it at first because I think the chorus is a bit boring (not the "is it okay / if I meet you in heaven" which is fantastic but the "I will be there" part) but everything else is just perfect, so it's really growing on me.

I can't remember when was the last time since a pop album as good as this was released. I actually like it a lot more than Anniemal.


― daavid (daavid), Monday, 19 September 2005 02:26 (nineteen years ago)

It's miles better than Anniemal.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 19 September 2005 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

It's miles better than Anniemal.
-- edward o (edwardo...), September 19th, 2005.

funny but, this may actually prove to be true. astonishingly.

― piscesboy, Monday, 19 September 2005 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

Thirded/fourthed. and WWTNS? too, even more astonishingly.

― Alex in Sheffield (Alex in Doncaster), Monday, 19 September 2005 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

wwtns? what's that?

― piscesboy, Monday, 19 September 2005 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

What Will The Neighbours Say?

― daavid (daavid), Monday, 19 September 2005 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

who on slsk has this right now?

ello? holla back n that.

― piscesboy, Monday, 19 September 2005 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

After listening to this about ten times over the past 24 hours, I have one nitpick: I wouldn't have included Some Girls. The album is so strong that it doesn't need a year-old single to prop it up. Of the remaining 12 tracks, 10 could be singles (only Je M'Apelle and Secret Garden don't make the cut, and they're still great). I find it hard to believe that Nothing Good About This Goodbye has not already been released as a single - it sounds like a slam dunk number one to me.

Album of the year (at least until Playing the Angel comes out).

― John Hunter, Monday, 19 September 2005 20:58 (nineteen years ago)

This album is fantastic.

― Jimmy_tango, Monday, 19 September 2005 21:02 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah - the Cure sample on It's All About Me = genius.

― John Hunter, Monday, 19 September 2005 21:10 (nineteen years ago)

Including Some Girls is fine, a nice gesture to those who didn't want to shell out for the Funkydory re-issue. You can always skip over it, I reckon. But I would never want to.

"Nothing Good About This Goodbye" is rumoured as the next single, assuming "I Said Never Again" goes half-well.

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 19 September 2005 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

on 2nd listen, only "secret graden" comes across as filler. "i will be there" is easily in the top 10 ballads by anyone, ever.

― toby (tsg20), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 11:12 (nineteen years ago)

I will listen to this later as a reward for finishing some work, and also because I have just downloaded what looks like a Pink Floyd eurodance version and that needs my attention first.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 11:15 (nineteen years ago)

Album of the Year.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 20 September 2005 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

je m'apelle is my favorite. i think its insanely sexy.

― ollie, Thursday, 22 September 2005 00:44 (nineteen years ago)

I just cant believe how strong this album is. I mean every song has something so unique about it, even though "J'MA" isnt the strongest I still think it has a pretty interesting and catchy chorus, and "secret garden" although not one of the strongest I still think its amazing, its so different. Lyrically this album is ACE. Like I said though every song has something unique about it, whether it be the production or the lyrics or the chorus. Its FANTASTIC. Have any of you heard the clip of the new b-side to 'ISNA'
"waiting game"? Rachel co wrote it with hannah robinson who helped with "never go back" "some girls" "so good" and "crazy boys". Its AMAZING, it has video game sounds that twinkle and pop in the backround and the chorus is BRILLIANT. Her BEST b-side ever. Really though, everyone has downloaded the full album now, but I just wanted to say I really hope that some of you plan on buying it as well. If we want Rachel to come back with an even more AMAZING 3rd album We have to buy it. I downloaded the whole thing but i also preordered a copy. Just think, this album is LIGHT YEARS above 'funky dory' and she only made that leap in one album, could you imagine what they could create for a 3rd album? buy it or we wont get the chance. Bye guys, peace.

― Robert Munoz, Friday, 30 September 2005 08:18 (nineteen years ago)

It's miles better than Anniemal.
-- edward o (edwardo...), September 19th, 2005.

Hell yes. Also, she (jailhouse) rocked CD: UK.

― bARMS, Friday, 30 September 2005 08:37 (nineteen years ago)

I've now received the finished album (which I may also be reviewing for Time Out hurrah!) and it's amazing - on a par with Anniemal, if not better. "Crazy Boys" is the entire career of Goldfrapp compressed into one song ("Nobody does it better" as it were). "All About Me" is easily the best use of a Cure sample in popular music. "I Will Be There" is Trevor Horn's Dollar in the afterlife. And let's not forget "Every Little Thing" which is schaffel pop at its finest (Akufen meets the Glitter Band with THF Drenching on dictaphone) and the nice table-turning of the concluding "Dumb Dumb."

These are initial thoughts only, but more to come once I've had a chance to settle in with the record. Still - Rachel, Sugababes, tATu, Charlotte, Robyn - it's the second coming of New Pop Mk II innit?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:38 (nineteen years ago)

indeed yes!

(I can't believe I still haven't heard the full Robyn album, or tATu for that matter)

(..."concluding" Dumb Dumb? Have they rejigged the order from the version which leaked?)

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:45 (nineteen years ago)

The final track order is as follows:

1. So Good
2. I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
3. Crazy Boys
4. I Will Be There
5. Negotiate With Love
6. All About Me
7. Secret Garden
8. Nothing Good About This Goodbye
9. Some Girls
10. Je M'Appelle
11. Funny How
12. Every Little Thing
13. Dumb Dumb

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:50 (nineteen years ago)

that's such a bizarre re-jigging! 'Every Little Thing' and 'Dumb Dumb' work perfectly in the middle, maybe breaking up the trip-hoppy ballads was a good idea but surely 'I Will Be There' = perfect closer à la 'I Believe In You'. (Kylie is closest comparison to Rachel in terms of vocals and what they do/don't do, I think.)

on my burnt copy I have replaced 'Some Girls' with the extended version.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:53 (nineteen years ago)

Aside from moving "Je M'Appelle" from the start, that doesn't look like an improvement. "I Will Be There" is an obvious closer, and breaking up "Some Girls" and "Every Little Thing" is insanity.

xpost!

Also, I have ordered it on import so I can have the real thing.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

Singles are fabulous, the rest is a bit average at first listen.

― zeus (zeus), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

oddly, it's one of the few pop albums I've ever heard where the singles - which I'd previously thought were fantastic obv - are actually overshadowed by the album tracks. 'Crazy Boys' and 'Funny How' are the highlights for me.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 30 September 2005 08:58 (nineteen years ago)

I rather doubt it will be better than Hunky dory. The presence of "Some Girls" is not encouraging. But I'm still looking forward to this.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:01 (nineteen years ago)

I really think that if you played this to someone who knew nothing about Rachel Stevens but liked pop music, they wouldn't be able to tell you which songs were the singles.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:02 (nineteen years ago)

Trust me, Jeff, it's even better than David Bowie's Hunky Dory!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

come and get it > funky dory > hunky dory

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

I'd quite like to hear our Rachel have a go at "The Bewlay Brothers."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:07 (nineteen years ago)

I want to think about how RS's lack of personality makes this album great. I was a bit sceptica about the whole "she's a cipher" thing circa 'Negotiate With Love' but listening to this album it's undeniable that she IS, she's neither blank nor emotionless but neither does she have any Rachel Stevens-specific qualities which she stamps on the songs. she's definitely the vehicle for the songs rather than the other way round. BUT - this is somehow entirely perfect for them, the idea that anyone could be singing them.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:07 (nineteen years ago)

I think the "could you turn down the track a little bit please" aside on "Negotiate With Love" threw a few people off the track - the implication being She Doesn't Care, whereas, say, Charlotte Church Does Care (and this isn't a slur on Our Glorious Charlotte - Tissues And Issues gets better and better on repeated listening). It's what I'd call an attractive kind of semi-blankness; there's the same overtone of vulnerability that you get with Annie, but you don't get the notion that Rachel would rather be DJ-ing than singing. I think her voice is pretty much ideal for these songs - and presumably "Dumb Dumb" now comes at the end as an about-face to Everyone Who Thinks She's A Careerist.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:11 (nineteen years ago)

It's her phrasing that sells some of these songs, I actually doubt there are many that could have pulled off "Negotiate With Love" properly, and it's actually her personality that carries "It's All About Me" and makes it properly good.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:12 (nineteen years ago)

Wow. I finally heard the new single and her voice is still one of the most expressionless, dull & polite I've ever heard. I can't believe it.

She truly kills any enjoyment I might get from one of her songs every single time, by boring me absolutely rigid.

I don't get the ILM love at all.

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:14 (nineteen years ago)

Okay, maybe not her 'voice'as such. But her singing, phrasing etc. Wake me when it's over please.

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:15 (nineteen years ago)

(edward o xpost)

Indeed. That "1-2-3-4!" intro to "I Said Never Again" almost makes you want to give her a big hug!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:16 (nineteen years ago)

The spoken asides on NWL were what briefly convinced me that RS's personality was important to her songs! but while her phrasing &c is mostly spot-on (either because she's keeping it really simple, staying out of the song's way, or because her voice works in a v subtle way I haven't yet picked up on) there's never any sense that she wants to make the songs distinctively hers (which actually means that no one else could do them as well because 99% of other pop stars these days are rabid egotists) (apart from Kylie whose voice works in exactly the same way).

She actually sounds most distinctive when doing the meta stuff - about the only impression of her personality I get from the album is the vague sense that Rachel Stevens Is Not A Rockist. The NWL asides, the "told you never to play that new guitar" etc.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:26 (nineteen years ago)

does tissues and issues get better, really? i just about managed to not turn it off the first time through. not that there weren't good bits, just it drowns in the gluey expanse of the rest of the album

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Friday, 30 September 2005 09:48 (nineteen years ago)

moving "i will be there" = total madness!

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 30 September 2005 10:07 (nineteen years ago)

I see that her ex-bandmate's first solo outing has not been well received...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 10:51 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic/story/0,16373,1581046,00.html

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 10:51 (nineteen years ago)

wow, if an interview with sam and mark on totp reloaded can't help her, nothing can

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Friday, 30 September 2005 11:45 (nineteen years ago)

There would appear to be a Gary Barlow and Robbie Williams-type situation going on here...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 30 September 2005 12:37 (nineteen years ago)

I was iffy about the rejigged tracklisting but on relistening have realised that this way you have pretty much (subject to change) the three best (or most instant, at least) songs all crammed together right at the end, and yet the rest is still flawless, so it peaks and peaks and PEAKS and then it is over. Although "I Will Be There" was great where it was, but this way the first third gets to be epic instead and "Dumb Dumb" is a fantastic tidy slick closer (like "Everything You Ever Wanted" on the first GA elpee). "Negotiate With Love" has more oomph earlier on, "NGATG" is more of a heartwrenching pivot rather than being tossed away nearer the start.

"Funny How" is very nocturnal, long-dark-night-soul, the later it occurs in the running order the better.

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Friday, 30 September 2005 19:49 (nineteen years ago)

It's out on Monday! Hooray! It's genius! In honour of this, I propose that all nine people still interested RATE the songs in order, as many seminal elpees on this very board have had done to them.

For some people, ISNA (BHWA) runs tired very quickly, however, I think it gets more insane and mental with every listen, how it is due to only make #11 this week is scandalous.

1. I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
2. Every Little THing
3. Some Girls
4. Nothing Good About This Goodbye
5. Funny How
6. Crazy Boys
7. I Will Be There
8. Negotiate With Love
9. Secret Garden
10. Dumb Dumb
11. It's All About Me
12. So Good
13. Je M'Appelle

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 7 October 2005 06:35 (nineteen years ago)

I can't believe "Waiting Game" is a b-side! Did Richard X produce it as well??

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 7 October 2005 06:56 (nineteen years ago)

There is at least one RX song that didn't make the album, I knew the name but have forgotten.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 7 October 2005 07:03 (nineteen years ago)

No, wait, it's called "Nothing In Common".

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 7 October 2005 07:04 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, let's play the rating game! (See what I did there, etc.)

1. Crazy Boys
2. Funny How
3. Every Little Thing
4. Nothing Good About This Goodbye
5. Some Girls
6. Negotiate With Love
7. I Will Be There
8. Dumb Dumb
9. I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
10. Je M'Apelle
11. So Good
12. Secret Garden
13. It's All About Me

"Waiting Game" would be #7 or 8, probably.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 7 October 2005 08:56 (nineteen years ago)

I hope Rick Astley stops by; in Boyz magazine, he apparently only gave "ISNG(BHWA)" 2 stars out of 5. My world is shattered. Shattered, I tell you.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 7 October 2005 09:03 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, well, Rick Astley in 2005...

Chris Evans was bitchy about the single on Radio 2 last week, saying it was just a bad copy of Antmusic, Rachel doesn't believe what she's singing, etc. But, then again, Chris Evans in 2005...

What I didn't realise about "ISNG(BHWA)" until I got the finished album was that it was co-written by Rob Davis, so really he's just taking back from the Ants what they got from Mud ("The Cat Crept In" in particular). Adam & Marco have always been very open anyway about pilfering from Burundi, Morricone, Link Wray etc.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 7 October 2005 09:07 (nineteen years ago)

1. Funny How
2. Negotiate With Love
3. So Good
4. I Will Be There
5. Crazy Boys
6. Dumb Dumb
7. Some Girls
8. I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
9. Nothing Good About This Goodbye
10. Secret Garden
11. Every Little Thing
12. Je M'Appelle
13. It's All About Me

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 7 October 2005 16:42 (nineteen years ago)

edward o, did you write the Stylus review Why did you give it an A- ?
Nice review, BTW.

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 7 October 2005 20:42 (nineteen years ago)

I wrote that review, yes. Grades are assigned nowadays, but everything that's been put on one of mine has been within one point of what I'd have given it anyway, i.e. I'd have just said A, but I'm more than happy to admit that I would give out a LOT of As, way more than anyone else, so I'm not too bothered about the minus.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 7 October 2005 21:17 (nineteen years ago)

1. Crazy Boys
2. Some Girls
3. I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
4. So Good
5. I Will Be There
6. Dumb Dumb
7. Funny How
8. Secret Garden
9. Every Little Thing
10. It's All About Me
11. Nothing Good About This Goodbye
12. Negotiate With Love
13. Je M'Appelle

― Brandon, Friday, 7 October 2005 21:19 (nineteen years ago)

beautiful girl
fun song
fun video
let's go...will there be a dvd soon.

― retroboy, Saturday, 8 October 2005 13:01 (nineteen years ago)

I couldn't possibly rank all the songs - I still can't keep from skipping around to my favorite tracks, which is a pretty remarkable testament to the staying power of these songs (especially in light of how often I play them). That being said, "Crazy Boys" is my favorite song from 2005 flat-out, and "Every Little Thing" and (to a somewhat lesser extent) "Funny How" and "I Said Never Again" are pretty high up there too.

This is still my second-favorite album of the year after Delia & Gavin, and then it's a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong gap between it and #3. The time between the moment I find out I have a permanent job again and the moment I order this from Amazon.uk will probably be measured in nanoseconds.

There is at least one RX song that didn't make the album, I knew the name but have forgotten. (...) No, wait, it's called "Nothing In Common".

Is this around anywhere? I didn't even know it existed.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Sunday, 9 October 2005 03:20 (nineteen years ago)

RX mentioned it on his website that it exists. It's not around, sadly, but I'd imagine it will emerge at some point.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 9 October 2005 03:40 (nineteen years ago)

Kylie will probably record it hurriedly and stick it on a b-side so that no one else can have it.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Sunday, 9 October 2005 04:03 (nineteen years ago)

I believe Richard X is talking about "Nothing in Common" but I'm not completely sure. That posting on his website has been there for a while (note the Freaky Trigger link!).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 9 October 2005 05:39 (nineteen years ago)

So I got the new single yesterday. Hmmm. Neither song is an RX production but it seems Richard X Disease is catching. Bah.

― Jeff W (zebedee), Sunday, 9 October 2005 13:05 (nineteen years ago)

this is my preferred running order for the album:

Negotiate With Love
I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)
Crazy Boys
Je M'Apelle
It's All About Me
So Good
Dumb Dumb
Every Little Thing
Funny How
Nothing Good About This Goodbye
Secret Garden
I Will Be There
Some Girls


Not sure if I'll love it as much as I love Anniemal but I can see how it could indeed be the better album. Deserves to do very well indeed.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

Much as it pains me to say it, Petridish does actually have a point here...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

well he has a point because the entirety of that review seems to have been lifted bodily from the various ilx and lj-poptimists threads on the album.

hi alexis!!

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:45 (nineteen years ago)

no but fair play, he came up with "personality of a boiled egg" several months ago!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:48 (nineteen years ago)

i liked the slade and big black analogies. he's obviously been reading my stuff more than he cares to admit.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:49 (nineteen years ago)

I don't agree. He says she can't do feisty, but where on this album is she actually TRYING to do feisty?

I'm not entirely convinced by Rachel having no personality. Not living in the UK, I don't get to see her being boring and having no personality, I just know her from the records, which are great and fun and the videos, which are cheap, but cute. Could this knowledge that she is bland, from your experiences of RS as a cultural entity, be impacting upon the way some UK-types are hearing this album?

It just sounds great to me, still.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:50 (nineteen years ago)

I am in fact taking the "brittle and hopeless" comment as a personal shout-out to me.

(I may also be deluded.)

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:50 (nineteen years ago)

Like Edward, I don't know if Rachel has an actual personality, but I do agree that her voice could do with an infusion of -- never mind personality -- affect when she sings.

I still love the record, of course...

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:53 (nineteen years ago)

I think the big question stemming from this album is 'What does it mean for Pop music now that we can attach strong cutting edge writers and producers to performers who frankly don't quite match up in terms of the strength of their own abilities? does it make the performer look better or the team behind them worse? does it matter at all now how good the performer is as long as the sound is interesting/exciting wrt Pop aesthetics'

but then I suppose that has ALWAYS happened really, or has it?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

its true that she has 0 personality, if the songs are so great (i havent heard them) couldnt they have gotten ANYONE ELSE to sing them? whatever happened to that scrawny JENTINA!!

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

i went off on a massive tangent at my flatmate last night over rachel's voice. it's the most intriguing instrument in 2005 pop because i can't pin down for the life of me how it works or what its appeal is. but it DOES work and it DOES have an appeal.

there really is no personality in it (she sounds fun and a bit jolly, but i don't think that counts). it really could be anyone, even jo o'meara. nothing about it is distinctively Rachel Stevens, in the way eg girls aloud and sugababes have very distinctive vocal schticks. but it's not a britney-esque robo-voice, it's very human and she does sound invested in the songs - it's just that there is no clue as to who the 'she' is.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:55 (nineteen years ago)

(stevem xpost)

well frankie goes to hollywood seemed to work. at least for one album.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:56 (nineteen years ago)

i mean AP is bang on with this point (whether or not he nicked it from someone else's blog): who seem to have taken the precarious state of Stevens' career as an excuse to let their imaginations run amok: it's probably going to flop, we may as well experiment.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:57 (nineteen years ago)

Frankie were an instant success, without compromise (seemingly). Of course they burned out pretty quickly as a result. Best way really.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 10:59 (nineteen years ago)

i thought that was more appropriate to the g stefani album, personally, which really is quite unexpected and mad in places. come and get it is fantastic but pretty much as expected in the way it takes its cues from electro and glam.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 11:00 (nineteen years ago)

i'm still pissed off that Bubble Pop Electric wasn't a single (let alone a number one smash).

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 11:01 (nineteen years ago)

and 'the real thing' as well!

i heard that 'luxurious' might be the 5th single which is pure insanity.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 11:03 (nineteen years ago)

x-post

As I've said elsewhere, the way Rachel sings the lines in something like "I Said Never Again" turns them into single entendres.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Friday, 14 October 2005 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

the gwen album isn't all that great really, though, is it? an awful lot of tarted-up AoR filler among its three or four truly good tracks. no fillers on CAGI as far as i can see.

by frankie i of course mean the horn/ztt frankie, which biographically was about as compromised as a pop group could ever get.

that thesis about "it's probably going to flop, we may as well experiment" doesn't hold water when you consider that the album was finished and dusted back in the spring, before NWL came out.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 11:04 (nineteen years ago)

but they were thinking she was going to flop before that, 'Some Girls' relative success was miraculous frankly.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 11:11 (nineteen years ago)

i don't understand the time out review of this elpee, it spends most of its time saying richard x has made 'tory girl rachel' 'queen of schaffel', almost like it's showing off that the critic has heard of schaffel. is 'isna(bhwa)' even schaffel? whatever, it's a bit like reviewing 'it takes a nation of millions' by talking about the 'funky drummer' break ad nauseam.

― N_RQ, Friday, 14 October 2005 12:02 (nineteen years ago)

look at who reviewed it and work out where (or whom) he got it from. not rocket science, is it?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

well, certainly there's only one person i know who says she's a tory hem-hem!

― N_RQ, Friday, 14 October 2005 12:17 (nineteen years ago)

really? i know another one who says it - rachel stevens. in the evening standard, just before the election.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:25 (nineteen years ago)

yeah, but you're the only person who's told me that, dwelt on it, etc. and duder put it in his first line! imagine a film review beginning 'democrat voter (until 1964) john ford had a worldwide smasheroo with this human story about men and horses...'

― N_RQ, Friday, 14 October 2005 12:27 (nineteen years ago)

yeh it seems completely irrelevant that she is/votes Tory in the context of reviewing her album, given the lack of political sentiment in there, doesn't it?

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:34 (nineteen years ago)

Is Rachel's voice really so impressively/depressingly blank? Why not talk about Dannii Minogue if that's the point of interest? Rachel seems far more, er, present.

Ha, perhaps I could get away with arguing that the extent to which she is less distinct/idiosyncratic than some pop stars makes her very Australian.

A shame then that none of her singles have even been released over here!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:55 (nineteen years ago)

lex is right about rachel's voice.

― N_RQ, Friday, 14 October 2005 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

The thing is you can hear Dannii's voice and think 'Kylie' because of the accent and natural similarity. It's actually enough for her to get by on.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:58 (nineteen years ago)

No I see the point and it's correct, I just think there are a lot of pop stars who are even more so. But then most of them are in Australia!

x-post yeah I guess it doesn't work that way over here.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 12:59 (nineteen years ago)

But Tim, Dannii isn't actually that blank. Have you ever listened to the "Girl" album in its entirety? "Sweet Dreams" got played on Video Hits once, apparently.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

haha Tim the pop star whom Rachel most reminds me of is actually Kylie (as in current electro Kylie), who also deliberately refuses to allow any trace of personality into her voice but who gets away with this because she is National Institution &c &c.

xposts

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:00 (nineteen years ago)

I'd consider Kylie to be a good reference point for Rachel's mixture of presence and blankness, with the caveat that Kylie has recorded much more warm upbeat stuff where she leavens the mixture with camp affectation.

ha ha x-post!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:02 (nineteen years ago)

"But Tim, Dannii isn't actually that blank. Have you ever listened to the "Girl" album in its entirety?"

Yes, but only a couple of times way back in 1997; I only remember the singles now, but then I'm judging Rachel on the same basis. I don't hate Dannii you know Ed! And I don't think blankness is bad per se.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

but it's not really 'blankness' which I think is the issue here. I don't think Rachel is blank - she's not a robot, she's a girl (next door) and the way she sings the songs is entirely plausible, there's no "omg SHE is singing THIS" suspension of disbelief necessary.

It's that...I dunno. She doesn't leave her mark on the songs. Almost like she's a vehicle for them. I think the listener has do a hell of a lot of projection to enjoy the album - either imagining Rachel into any number of roles, all of which are malleable and unstable, or by imagining themselves into the role of narrator to an even greater degree than pop usually demands. Because it's impossible to have an attachment to Rachel Stevens either as artist or pop star because she's just not there.

Of course the fact that there is this overwhelming 'anyone could be singing this' sense which nevertheless doesn't matter means that only Rachel could possibly pull these songs off, because virtually every other pop star in the world treats the songs as vehicles for their personalities...

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

I know you don't Tim! I'm just saying that on the Girl album she actually shows FAR more emotional range than Kylie or Rachel. Actually, maybe what Rachel should aspire to is one of Dannii's B-sides, the fantastic "Goodbye Song" which is kind of like a more throbbing metallic "Negotiate With Love" - "You can call me... sometime... I think I have a moment in 2029...", delivered with WIT and SNIGGERING.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

Ha ha Lex your theories are definitely revealing the imperialist taint! (no offence meant, you just speak from the privileged position of UK pop music)

I want to inflict Tamara Jabara on you all.

Edward that song sounds excellent. BTW I revived that Kylie thread to say that I watched the Showgirl tour on video and it's pretty great, though not, I'm reliably informed, as mindblowing as the Fever tour.

The party at the house next store is playing "Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head" right now.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:13 (nineteen years ago)

I think I've got that Showgirl tour video on my computer. I mean, I have something like that, I just don't know if it's the same thing you watched. It's fantastic anyway. I should totally send you "Goodbye Song", in fact, I'm going to.

TAMARA JABARA! Tim, don't do it.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:17 (nineteen years ago)

it's Tamara Barnett-Herrin you want. a better 'soft and narrow' voice than Stevens I think (maybe cos she's American?)

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:19 (nineteen years ago)

Tamara Jabara has an intriguing name!

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

Edward: Okay! Did I ever tell you I love "Monkeytrap"?? (but I'm iffy w/r/t Black Market Music, sorry...)

Lex I would just love for you to take Tamara off our hands. More info here.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:29 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, thread derailment alert. I knew Monkeytrap would appeal to you, it's the most BC-like thing on there, but the up-tempo electro-pop stuff is great too.

FOr the UKers: Tamara Jabar is roughly equivalent to... um.. Kym Marsh, I guess.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:34 (nineteen years ago)

Edward did you hear/see her astonishing second single? I only witnessed it once on Video Hits. Karl Sanderlantz evidently holds no sway.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:38 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah I have to track down that Anneli Drecker album, every track I've heard from it has been great (I'm so glad I found Birds of Passage, it's quickly become my favourite Bel Canto album!).

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

I actually didn't hear it, but I have been told that it was quite something. Only what "quite something" actually meant, I'm not sure.

FWIW, Kym Marsh's third single was pretty damn decent.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

oh christ that tamara woman petrifies me. that hideous fashion-crime photo! her HAIR! keep her.

edward, re: kym m - no it wasn't.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

It was! It was cheesy and tacky and adorable. Lex, just be glad you never heard the horrible group she was a part of. It had a boy with a guitar in it!

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

"I actually didn't hear it, but I have been told that it was quite something. Only what "quite something" actually meant, I'm not sure."

A drag queen's performance of Tori Amos's "Caught A Lite Sneeze" as rewritten by Mark Holden is probably the closest I can come.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

Until you mentioned Mark Holden that sounded like a really good idea.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:53 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah I know, it's the sting in the tail.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:58 (nineteen years ago)

do i want to know who mark holden is?

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

He's one of the judges on our version of Idol. He was a mediocre, cheesy pop star in the 70s, and I think he wrote "Absolutely Everybody" by Vanessa Amorosi.

i.e. he's shit.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:02 (nineteen years ago)

hahaha (xposts)

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

absolutely everybody? that was him! haha! i guess it has a good message. i liked when he was picking on the 'punky fish' guy on idol for not being political enough

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:08 (nineteen years ago)

We should probably get our own thread for this, but it'd just die of disuse.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

Rachel Stevens' album is still awesome though.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

oh god vanessa amorosi. so many different ways to be terrible in one person.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

I'd consider Kylie to be a good reference point for Rachel's mixture of presence and blankness, with the caveat that Kylie has recorded much more warm upbeat stuff where she leavens the mixture with camp affectation.

yeah see this is why with rachels cold disinterested electropop material you need the singer to bring the warmth. i know im harping on this, its because im actually really happy that ive found a pop star i really hate. i started liking that robbie williams fake reggae song and i felt a bit lost

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:13 (nineteen years ago)

I've hated Vaness Amorosi for so long now it's imprinted in my DNA, but I saw her do an tribute band performance of Janis Joplin on some TV show and she was astonishing!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

Tim: I think "Goodbye Song" should have sent by now, unless I accidentally did it twice, in which case you'll have got it about an hour ago.

I'm tempted to recount the story behind Vanessa's third single, but Tim and Minna probably know it and I mentioned it to Lex a while ago.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

i dont know it!

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

Minna! You would have adored Kylie's "Back to 1991" segment in her live show. An italo-house piano version of "Spinning Around"!

Tell me Edward cos I'm not sure what you're referring to ("Shine"?). BTW I'll check my e-mail now.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:19 (nineteen years ago)

Okay, you know how that awful song goes "Everyone you see, everyone you know is gonna shine?". Vanessa wrote it herself, you know. Except, in the original lyrics, it was "everyone you see, everyone you know is gonna die". The record company apparently told her that she should consider a bit of a rewrite to make it a bit more palatable. So she changed the last word to "shine" which is why the line makes absolutely no sense when put next to the rest of the chorus.

The Back to 1991 segment is ABSOLUTELY GREAT, yes, I am watching the same thing you have watched.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

An italo-house piano version of "Spinning Around"!

|:-0

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

haha edward you are totally lying

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:26 (nineteen years ago)

I also love the performance of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and "Your Disco Needs You".

I have heard that Amorosi rumour before! But I'm not sure if it's a Richard Gere/Gerbil kinda thing.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

No, it's actually true. Honest, guv.

― edward o (edwardo), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:29 (nineteen years ago)

I always thought "you can bang your head or you can drown in a hole" was an odd lyric, but this has changed the song's courage-in-the-face-of-adversity message into... outright morbidity??

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

haha this is crazy, i never even knew the other lyrics besides 'everyone bla bla shine'. wow! i wonder if she has one of those chapels built entirely out of skulls in the back yard

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

"You can live your life
You can lose your soul
You can bang your head or
You can drown in a hole
Nothing lasts forever
But you can try
Everyone you see
Everyone you know
Is gonna...DIE!!"

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

haha am i ruining a good story by saying i STILL DONT BELIEVE IT because the melody is too uplifting!!

― minna (minna), Friday, 14 October 2005 14:49 (nineteen years ago)

I think the big question stemming from this album is 'What does it mean for Pop music now that we can attach strong cutting edge writers and producers to performers who frankly don't quite match up in terms of the strength of their own abilities? does it make the performer look better or the team behind them worse? does it matter at all now how good the performer is as long as the sound is interesting/exciting wrt Pop aesthetics'but then I suppose that has ALWAYS happened really, or has it?

Of course it's always been this way. Just think back to the nobodies that Phil Spector and Motown turned into pop stars. Diana Ross was far from the greatest vocalist of her day, but when she was singing a Hollan/Dozier/Holland song with a James Jamerson bassline and Flo & Mary's backing vocals behind her, the results were magic. Even most rockists agree that the Spector and Motown records were great - they just can't process modern manufactured pop such as Xenomania/Girls Aloud or Richard X/Rachel. In 30 years, there will probably be a cult that fetishizes Kylie, Rachel, and Girls Aloud records while dismissing the manufactured holographic pop videos of 2035.

On the other hand, I don't find Rachel to be a blank, vacant puppet. In terms of good-old fashioned singing, she's certainly better than Kylie and the aformentioned Diana Ross.

Not that there's anything wrong with blank and vacant - Ladytron's new album is the epitome of blank and vacant and I love it.

― John Hunter, Friday, 14 October 2005 19:18 (nineteen years ago)

after reading this entire thread, who's up for a nice hot cup of slashing my wrists?

― Idle Idle (idleidleidle), Friday, 14 October 2005 22:20 (nineteen years ago)

rachel stevens cd has 7 music videos.

― retrogurl, Saturday, 15 October 2005 13:43 (nineteen years ago)

The album is out today!

― daavid (daavid), Monday, 17 October 2005 20:09 (nineteen years ago)

listened again for the nth time and OMG best pop album EVER!

― Paul (scifisoul), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 15:12 (nineteen years ago)

every
little
thing

is a *bonus track* (!) on the cd!!

i am actually going to buy this, and at HMV and with the extraas dvd cause i feel sorry for rachel.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 18 October 2005 15:54 (nineteen years ago)

In terms of good-old fashioned singing, she's certainly better than Kylie and the aformentioned Diana Ross.

surely both Kylie and esp. Ross have a bit more power and use it more?

Not that there's anything wrong with blank and vacant - Ladytron's new album is the epitome of blank and vacant and I love it.

aye but like Rachel they're under-performing in the charts as well.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 16:32 (nineteen years ago)

"In essence she is the quintessential modern pop star, and when we look back at this era [she] will be one of the defining people."~Richard X

― Paul (scifisoul), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 20:53 (nineteen years ago)

aye but like Rachel they're under-performing in the charts as well.

I'm not sure that Ladytron are expected to perform on the charts to the same degree as Rachel.

― John Hunter, Tuesday, 18 October 2005 22:41 (nineteen years ago)

repeated reaction of friends when played album over weekend: "wow, this is great! it's the next step from kylie!" "if only this had been a kylie album people would have bought it." "it's like kylie innit?"

suggestion accordingly: re-record vocals and reissue album next year as a kylie album. then it will sell bucketloads, sympathy vote included, kylie being better at being a pop star than rachel, whose sofa hopping on various yoof tv progs over the weekend smacked of "please buy me/like me" desperation.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 06:32 (nineteen years ago)

album now #54 on Amazon.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 06:33 (nineteen years ago)

I've finally listened to the retail album version of NGATG. I liked it more than the promo version but I still a lot less than Alexis' version.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 06:56 (nineteen years ago)

I have now convinced my normally pop-hating older brother (who said, of "Graffiti My Soul": "Nothing happens in it and there's no chorus, it's flat") to buy a copy of this as well. Do copies sent overseas count toward the charts, actually?

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 06:57 (nineteen years ago)

I hope they do, cause the album is not doing very good on the charts so far. I think this album will eventually start selling as long as it keeps getting good reviews.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 07:11 (nineteen years ago)

In terms of mainstream broadsheets it's had virtually no reviews, good or bad.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 07:14 (nineteen years ago)

four stars in the guardian.

i am actually going to buy this, and at HMV and with the extraas dvd cause i feel sorry for rachel.

-- piscesboy (piscesxx...), October 18th, 2005.

yerce, the dvd will certainly cheer one of you up hem-hem.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 19 October 2005 07:21 (nineteen years ago)

i did say "virtually" no reviews. and those four stars of petridish's were guarded ones, in a review which basically explained why the record was likely to sell only to three winos and a dog.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 07:55 (nineteen years ago)

if you looked at the weekend papers, depeche mode got the Week's Big Release treatment, closely followed by my morning jacket, and rachel was either not mentioned or buried in the also ran section of the OMM.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 07:56 (nineteen years ago)

i only read the guardian.

― Enrique (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 07:58 (nineteen years ago)

I suppose someone has to.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 08:02 (nineteen years ago)

Post mortem?

Some of the comments I randomly heard in Oxford Circus HMV at Saturday lunchtime (genuine, not made up):

"Who does she think she is, Goldfrapp?"
"She's just embarrassing."
"Like my mum thinking she's Kylie."
"Has she been on You've Been Framed yet? She's been on everything else!"
"Ewww, I wouldn't like to be in her knickers!"

It wasn't quite as humiliating as the occasion when I witnessed punters virtually queuing up to laugh at display copies of Neither Fish Nor Flesh by Terence Trent D'Arby but it wasn't far off it.

They really didn't know how to market this, did they?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 07:28 (nineteen years ago)

i picked the album up cos of the ILM/pop justice love.
and fuck this is a good'un. at first the non-electro-glam tracks passed me by as a little bland and, but by the fourth listen these are seriously beginning to reveal themselves as glorious.

and you know, when i bought the album i was actively sneered at, i felt like a dirty old man .. (yeah yeah .. it was the dvd version ..)

read on PJ board that this has sold a mere 9300 copies last week, some people have no idea what they are missing.

BRW : has alexis strum ever properly released NGATG .. or was this only promo'd ?


― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:03 (nineteen years ago)

Just out of interest, where did you buy the album, so we can give the shop in question some deserved bad publicity?

I suppose all these ILM/Popjustice-inspired downloads didn't do the sales figures much good either.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:12 (nineteen years ago)

The Other Gay One In Our Office bought CAGI on its day of release, and came back after lunch waving it round excitedly.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:25 (nineteen years ago)

What was the general response?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:26 (nineteen years ago)

There was a five-track promo sampler of songs by Alexis Strum that made the rounds in 2003, which included her version of NGATG.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:27 (nineteen years ago)

There's an Alexis Strum album scheduled for release in the New Year but NGATG ain't on it.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:29 (nineteen years ago)

shop : monsieur le fopp : he who spoils us.

xpost. i have that promo, i see MC has answered my Q. ta !

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:30 (nineteen years ago)

That would be the same Alexis Strum album that's been scheduled for August, October, etc, and which, while pretty damn good, could use a tinker (hint: YOU NEED MORE THAN TWO SONGS THAT ARE NOT BALLADS, OR ROUGHLY THE SAME TEMPO AS A BALLAD, ALEXIS, though "Long Way Home" is one of the best weepies in recent memory)

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:33 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...
g*d damn this is good

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 11 November 2005 22:36 (nineteen years ago)

i was going to start a "queens of new album glam: taking sides" thread but there's really no point is there?????

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 11 November 2005 22:43 (nineteen years ago)

also, starting a thread with the word "glam" in the title would have driven marcello into the arms of islamic extremism

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 11 November 2005 22:45 (nineteen years ago)

Album of the year so far.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 11 November 2005 22:55 (nineteen years ago)

Battle of the Electro Glam-Bot albums 2005: Goldfrapp vs Sugababes vs Rachel Stevens vs Girls Aloud

― Paul (scifisoul), Saturday, 12 November 2005 02:35 (nineteen years ago)

i'm thinking about sending this out to strangers for christmas.

― Jimmy_tango, Saturday, 12 November 2005 02:45 (nineteen years ago)

haha paul!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Saturday, 12 November 2005 03:22 (nineteen years ago)

read on PJ board that this has sold a mere 9300 copies last week, some people have no idea what they are missing.

I have a hard time understanding how this album didn't go Top 5 in the U.K., when the Sugababes album and single both went to number one. No disrepect to the Sugababes, they're great, but Rachel's album is like a Pet Sounds for the ProTools era, imho. Maybe it will be critically rehabilitated one day like Pet Sounds, I dunnol. Pop listeners of Great Britain, how could you ignore this record?

― John Hunter, Saturday, 12 November 2005 06:53 (nineteen years ago)

I'm actually on the verge of deciding that the Sugababes album is better than Come and Get It. Of course, it's not 27 chart positions and however many thousands of copies better.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 12 November 2005 07:24 (nineteen years ago)

Push the Button, Red Dress, and Ugly are as good as anything on Come and Get It. However, the album tracks on Come and Get It destroy the album tracks on Taller in More Ways, imho.

― John Hunter, Saturday, 12 November 2005 07:34 (nineteen years ago)

While I'm pissed off:

What imbecile at 19 Recordings decided to wait until the fifth single from the album to release "Nothing Good About This Goodbye"? This song is one of the five greatest pop singles of all time, along with Paperback Writer/Rain, This Charming Man, Regret, and Raspberry Beret. In my alternate reality, "Nothing Good About This Goodbye" would have immediately followed "Some Girls," and topped the U.K. charts for 20 weeks in a row.

― John Hunter, Saturday, 12 November 2005 07:51 (nineteen years ago)

That's what I used to think, and while "Crazy Boys" and "Funny How" are still untouchable, I've come to prefer "Ace Reject," "Better," "2 Hearts" over the lesser Rachel album tracks like "Je M'Apelle" or even "Every Little Thing" and "I Will Be There."

But ask me again next week.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 12 November 2005 07:58 (nineteen years ago)

Brittle-lemon, I can maybe agree with you on Je M'Apelle (although I love the Disintegration-style bassline on that track), but "I Will Be There" is anything but a "lesser album track." It ought to be the sixth number one single off of Come and Get It.

― John Hunter, Saturday, 12 November 2005 08:05 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, don't get me wrong -- I like "I Will be There," but in the battle of the big album ballads, I now love "2 Hearts" way more.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Saturday, 12 November 2005 08:17 (nineteen years ago)

John Hunter is correct re:NGATG. That song was pretty much all I listened to for days after downloading it. Give it a less gay electro, more starbucks-wimp-rock style arrangement and it would conquer america as well.

― jason., Saturday, 12 November 2005 08:48 (nineteen years ago)

That song was pretty much all I listened to for days after downloading it.

I had it on endless repeat on my iPod for about a week. Which is currently the case for Lady Sovereign's "Hoodie," but I digress. Speaking of NGATG, has Alexis Strum's album been released yet?

― John Hunter, Saturday, 12 November 2005 08:54 (nineteen years ago)

I wouldn't say this is the album of the year, but I love at least the half of the record, and I have to listen 'Dumb Dumb' a few times every single fucking day.

― zeus (zeus), Saturday, 12 November 2005 10:52 (nineteen years ago)

Do you think they will even bother with a third Rachel record? I can't see how she will improve on this formula, and certainly the interest (and the money to pay for good songwriters) for a Rachel Stevens album seem to be at, or just past their peak at the moment.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Saturday, 12 November 2005 11:50 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, thread derailment alert. I knew Monkeytrap would appeal to you, it's the most BC-like thing on there, but the up-tempo electro-pop stuff is great too.
FOr the UKers: Tamara Jabar is roughly equivalent to... um.. Kym Marsh, I guess.

-- edward o (edwardo...), October 14th, 2005.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Edward did you hear/see her astonishing second single? I only witnessed it once on Video Hits. Karl Sanderlantz evidently holds no sway.
-- Tim Finney (tfinne...), October 14th, 2005.
i saw the second video only once.
...no offence kim...lol
tamara's second song was bland - sounded like a dub pof forsut single which sounded like toni basil"mickey " or gwen stefani "hollaback girl" - a dumb cheerleader rant.

― retrogurl, Saturday, 12 November 2005 12:37 (nineteen years ago)

I meant "astonishing" in the worst possible way, retrogurl, as in "astonishingly bad". In that sense I think "bland" is actually kinda inaccurate!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Saturday, 12 November 2005 13:06 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...
Daavid - well part of the fun of Come And Get It is the emergence of Rachel as an interesting character (counter to the view of - oh almost everyone). first heard on "Some Girls" especially the bridge, "you made a promise, to make me a star", which she delivers so perfectly we don't know if it's a construct or HER or her making fun of expectations - it's so f**kin' loaded - it's on some meta-meta level. then there's the nth-level pep talk of "So Good" - Goldfrapp are "Oh La La"-ing and Rachel drives this immense well-oiled Chieftain over the top, I mean this is a song Madonna needs for lyrical cred, Kylie couldn't even go there and even delinquent Dannii would bow down. so much more emerges over the course of the album: probably the strongest criticism I've heard is re: the single-entendre-reversion on "I Said Never...", but I see this as Rachel felt she didn't need to go there and again as Tom said is at her best when not trying to be clever (which seems to contradict my meta but the meta is serious bizness, especially for her). then the kiss-off laugh on "Every Little Thing" that shows how much fun she's having and the raptures of the likes of "I Will Be There" and "Nothing Good..." where she inhabits the song almost in a state of disbelief at the beauty of the material, self-doubt and desire for her own worthiness - it's better than anyone else could have managed or dreamed for. at least my buttons are pressed... "Dumb Dumb" only adds to the mystique: "Her laugh is living under her skin". these are games on at least a Roxy-esque level. "Queen" again plays with the image you'd have of Rachel and what I like most is the pampered petulance with which she draws out "daaance with me".
really she's gone from zero-to-hero in my world - someone always there that you'd not even thought of before but today you might take a bullet for them.

― Paul (scifisoul), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 05:48 (nineteen years ago)

I understand what you mean now. And I agree, although the music alone would probably be enough for me to make CAGI my pick for album of the year. In most of the songs you mention I percieve her as being someone who's not big enough for the part, yet decides to play along with it. And that gives her this special kind of power that's very appealing.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 08:52 (nineteen years ago)

just gotta say again that 'Waiting Game' (b-side of I Said Never Again) is pretty good.

― Sororah T Massacre (blueski), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 10:34 (nineteen years ago)

my high placing vote (#2 i think) for CAGI made the album appear in this chart - ha !

http://www.playlouder.com/feature/+readerspoll-3/

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 10:53 (nineteen years ago)

fucking hate playlouder.

― Theorry Henry (Enrique), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 10:54 (nineteen years ago)

Playlouder is the shit.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 12:09 (nineteen years ago)

I'm very confused. Why are there multiple tracklistings for this album? And how come the album includes "So Good (Radio Edit)"? Doesn't that imply that the other version would be an album edit, and if so, why isn't that on the album!?

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 03:04 (nineteen years ago)

I made an edit of that song that's exactly the same except it omits "i'm gonna stand the test of time / i'm gonna get back what is mine" or whatever, every single time it comes around in the chorus (i can't even precisely remember the line anymore, thank god)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 03:18 (nineteen years ago)

seven months pass...
just found my preferred tracklisting for this album again, after not being able to find the playlist. i don't know if this was a promo release or what, but i like it a lot better. if anyone cares, mainly for posterity/so i don't lose it again:

1 nothing good about this goodbye
2 so good
3 crazy boys
4 je m'appelle
5 i said never again but here we are
6 some girls
7 every little thing
8 dumb dumb
9 funny how
10 negotiate with love
11 secret garden
12 it's all about me
13 will be there

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Saturday, 26 August 2006 03:03 (nineteen years ago)

I always preferred that tracklisting that was on the initial leak too. I still listen to this record regularly. One of the best of last year for sure.

― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Saturday, 26 August 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

six months pass...
did we go overboard about this?
it feels like it when you consider that no one else outside 'the blogging community' and ILM seemed to care. and pop justice obviously...

but then you LISTEN to it again and...oh man.

― pisces, Thursday, 1 March 2007 21:21 (eighteen years ago)

did we go overboard about this?

no.

― mark e, Thursday, 1 March 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

eight months pass...

It's in that list of Guardian 1000 albums today. Canonical!

― pisces, Thursday, 22 November 2007 13:45 (seventeen years ago)

lol 2005

-- That one guy that hit it and quit it, Wednesday, November 21, 2007 8:49 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Link

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Thursday, 22 November 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago)

Passantino on GA at DiS OTM

― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 22 November 2007 13:53 (seventeen years ago)

/\/\

the Gerrard and Lampard of ILX/pop crit

― blueski, Thursday, 22 November 2007 14:03 (seventeen years ago)

^^^4-5-1

― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 22 November 2007 14:12 (seventeen years ago)

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THESE NUMBERS!!!

(OK, I do really) (sort of)

― Mark G, Thursday, 22 November 2007 14:14 (seventeen years ago)

two months pass...

I make sexytime!

― Dom Passantino, Monday, 18 February 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

/\/\

the Gerrard and Lampard of ILX/pop crit

-- blueski, Thursday, November 22, 2007 2:03 PM (2 months ago) Bookmark Link

^^^ haaaaaa

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Monday, 18 February 2008 15:50 (seventeen years ago)

Kuyt and Babel morelike

― Dingbod Kesterson, Monday, 18 February 2008 15:59 (seventeen years ago)

i don't know who they are : /

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Monday, 18 February 2008 16:09 (seventeen years ago)

five months pass...

Still stands up.

I wonder what happened to her?

― piscesx, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 19:06 (seventeen years ago)

Rachel is currently back in the studio recording her third solo album and she's not interested in much else it seems. She told the Daily Express: "I have never been too tempted to do those reality shows such as I'm A Celebrity. It's not really my thing. I'd rather stay out of the limelight until I've done something I can feel proud of."Not much is known at this point in time but of her new album she says: “I’m not turning my back on pop. It’s going to be a good quality pop album to dance to in your bedroom.”[citation needed]

― daavid, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 19:19 (seventeen years ago)

if 'Don't Stop' is good then this will be too

― blueski, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 19:25 (seventeen years ago)

Strangely, I'm not really looking forward to this happening because I'm sure she'd want to "do things differently this time".

― daavid, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 19:32 (seventeen years ago)

Like, promote it properly?

― Dingbod Kesterson, Thursday, 24 July 2008 10:21 (seventeen years ago)

I hope she calls the album 'Citation Needed'.

I miss Rachel Stevens.

― CharlieNo4, Thursday, 24 July 2008 12:30 (seventeen years ago)

She looks like Stifler's mum now right?

― Raw Patrick, Thursday, 24 July 2008 13:16 (seventeen years ago)

People just don't like Rachel Stevens, as a personality or as a pop star, she's seen as a lads mag staple who blokes don't want to listen to and girls just don't like. She's fine as one of S Club but regardless of the quality of the album it just isn't going to sell.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 24 July 2008 13:18 (seventeen years ago)

Rachel Stevens/personality: oxymoron

― Dingbod Kesterson, Thursday, 24 July 2008 13:42 (seventeen years ago)

Is she really working on a new album? I haven't heard any legit news sources say so. I would love to hear more from her but there's just about no way it will be as good as CAGI, and since CAGI was a "failure" anyhow I doubt she'll attempt to replicate it...I'm thinking Timbaland/Dallas Austin/etc (or lower-rent varieties thereof).

― musically, Thursday, 24 July 2008 15:38 (seventeen years ago)

it's the musician's version of actors' 'resting'

― Mark G, Thursday, 24 July 2008 15:39 (seventeen years ago)

as good as CAGI was at the time it's really not an album I return to ever.

― lex pretend, Thursday, 24 July 2008 16:02 (seventeen years ago)

"Although I would love to do more singing at some point, it's not the right time for me to get back into it at the moment," she said.

"I'm throwing myself into acting and focusing on that.

"I just turned 30 in April and, when you get to 30, you get a sense of who you are and a new-found confidence."

http://www.rachelstevensonline.com/

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 24 July 2008 16:39 (seventeen years ago)

RSO Closing...
by Steve on Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:05 pm

This is just to say that RSO is closing for good. Its been on and offline several times these last two years. I have decided to keep it open because I honestly thought Rachel would have done something. But everytime I bring it back and spend time refreshing the site nothing ever happens with. Hits are extremely low despite good search engine rankings and few people post on the forums. I have lost all interest in Rachel's career and have not been following it for some time and wouldn't really call myself a fan anymore. I have no reason to spend the money keeping the site and forums alive and will be closing it as soon as the current months hosting has expired whenever that is.

eep

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 24 July 2008 16:47 (seventeen years ago)

SO Closing...
by Steve on Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:05 pm

This is just to say that RSO is closing for good. Its been on and offline several times these last two years. I have decided to keep it open because I honestly thought Rachel would have done something. But everytime I bring it back and spend time refreshing the site nothing ever happens with. Hits are extremely low despite good search engine rankings and few people post on the forums. I have lost all interest in Rachel's career and have not been following it for some time and wouldn't really call myself a fan anymore. I have no reason to spend the money keeping the site and forums alive and will be closing it as soon as the current months hosting has expired whenever that is.

That is what it sounds like when doves cry.

― Hamildan, Saturday, 26 July 2008 17:04 (seventeen years ago)

three years pass...

every single thing she ever did (or near as dammit) is on Spotify (UK @ least); seven singles and all their attendant B sides, remixes and both albums.

― piscesx, Thursday, 13 October 2011 04:55 (thirteen years ago)

Still love Come and Get It.

― Night Nurse with Wound (Jack Battery-Pack), Thursday, 13 October 2011 06:05 (thirteen years ago)

ditto, it will never not own

― punk rock hyrax (jamescobo), Thursday, 13 October 2011 08:24 (thirteen years ago)

agreed.

― mark e, Thursday, 13 October 2011 08:49 (thirteen years ago)

eight months pass...


Still stands up.

I wonder what happened to her?

― piscesx, Wednesday, 23 July 2008 19:06 (3 years ago)

totally.

this album = perfect pop.

― mark e, Saturday, 16 June 2012 01:56 (thirteen years ago)

agreed... probably my favourite pop album of the last 10 years... at least the one i play the most in the car...

― Talcum Mucker, Saturday, 16 June 2012 09:03 (thirteen years ago)

four years pass...

Was anyone here aware of this demo from the CAGI sessions but that only leaked, like 5 years ago? It's good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mYljQrb1PU

― daavid, Thursday, 15 September 2016 05:46 (nine years ago)

Apparently one of the tracks she recorded with Richard X.

― daavid, Thursday, 15 September 2016 05:46 (nine years ago)

I'm now realizing that people already knew about the existence of it around the time the album was released. Wow, it's been so long!

― daavid, Thursday, 15 September 2016 06:26 (nine years ago)

"Every Little Thing" still sounds like the most perfect distillation of T.Rex I've heard in my life.

― cpl593H, Thursday, 15 September 2016 14:26 (nine years ago)

one year passes...

I came across this the other month looking for inspiration for something to listen to and still loved it. It really is the great lost British pop album.

― Thomas Gabriel Fischer does not endorse (aldo), Friday, 22 December 2017 09:46 (seven years ago)

otm i should revisit. heard some girls poolside recently & it sounded amazing still

― johnny crunch, Friday, 22 December 2017 18:04 (seven years ago)

no need to revisit.
its a regular playlister.
i love love love this album.

― mark e, Friday, 22 December 2017 21:48 (seven years ago)

three years pass...

there's a story on the wiki page for "some girls" that claims warp records tried to get richard x to give it to geri halliwell instead of rachel stevens

as best as i can tell someone muddled a bunch of different stories into one there but i'm going to believe it's real 100%

― ufo, Thursday, 8 July 2021 17:08 (four years ago)

I want a book-length oral history of this record

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 8 July 2021 17:10 (four years ago)

Annie's "Me Plus One" is about Geri locking herself in a car because Richard X wouldn't let her sing "Some Girls"

― boxedjoy, Thursday, 8 July 2021 23:23 (four years ago)

Geri and Rich both otm tbh

― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Friday, 9 July 2021 00:36 (four years ago)

two years pass...

Feel like this album is ripe for rediscovery by the zoomers. Come on Pitchfork, let’s see a Sunday review. The ball’s in your court.

― Mr. Snrub, Sunday, 16 June 2024 23:41 (one year ago)

Still a masterpiece

― kitchen person, Sunday, 16 June 2024 23:47 (one year ago)

She did a small solo set at Mighty Hoopla this year, was trailed as her only performance of CAGI material.

Seemed to have gone down well so maybe she can be persuaded to do other shows.

― Overtoun House windows (aldo), Monday, 17 June 2024 12:50 (one year ago)

just today noticed the similarity between So Good and elements of 'Passion' by The Flirts. The bassline obv but also the little synth fillips that start up in the second verse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcpj1j31jWc

― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Monday, 17 June 2024 21:51 (one year ago)

or of course the Moreno J remix

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPj9_FqyMKk

― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Monday, 17 June 2024 21:54 (one year ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.
Site New Answers Search Boards ILE ILM Answers New Question New Questions New Poll Blog View Register Login