Killing Joke - Outside the Gate.: Can ANYONE defend this?

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Can anyone at all defend this album? Heres what AMG says:
Eminently avoidable — being the Killing Joke album that wasn't — this is, in effect, a Jaz Coleman solo effort, which the record company thought might do better under the group moniker. None of the tracks stick, and some, like "Stay One Jump Ahead," are acutely embarrassing. The powder-puff production and charmless, rinky-dink keyboards sink what's left of the songwriting, which isn't great to begin with. This is the sound of a once-great group disappearing down the plug hole. — Alex Ogg

― Samir, Saturday, 2 August 2003 22:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Not even Alex in NYC defends it. But an old roommate of mine in 1989 had a copy and liked it.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 2 August 2003 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex In NYC a big fan then?
Are you Ned Raggett from AMG? Like your work there! Just one thing why does Night Time only get 3/5? Im aware that you dont personally choose the grades.

― Samir, Saturday, 2 August 2003 22:44 (twenty-one years ago)

"Alex In NYC a big fan then?"

*rimshot*

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 2 August 2003 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

apparently just shit keyboard demos from jaz, right? and godawful art to boot.

― notfazed (notfazed), Sunday, 3 August 2003 02:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Thank ya -- and while I do select grades for albums as I review them, the updating process for those can take longer than the placing of the reviews themselves!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 3 August 2003 03:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry, was away yesterday. Just catching up.

Not their finest hour, no (to put it extraordinarily mildly), but I do still listen to it. They sort've write it off as a botched "Jaz solo effort," but sorry...that doesn't wash. At the end of the day, it was a brief detour into ill-advised waters....but one it took all parties concerned a great deal of time and humility to recover from (some say they still haven't). The "rap" on "Stay One Jump Ahead"'s extended mix alone can strike a palpablem, worrying blow to the foundations of even the most zealous Killing Joke fundamentalist.

Still, it's better than the new Radiohead album.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 3 August 2003 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

that should've been "palpable," not palpablem, which seems like an an interesting hybrid of "palpable" and "pabulum"...two of my very favorite words.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 3 August 2003 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

After getting into KJ with the excellent 'Brighter Than A Thousand Suns' album in 1986, I remember being hugely disappointed when my two-year wait for new material was ended by 'America' and then 'Outside The Gate'.

However, over the last few years I've come to quite like at least half of the album (Obsession, Until The Ends of the Earth, My Love Of This Land, and even America itself).

Conclusion: much maligned, somewhat unfairly.

Don't see how it could be passed off as a Jaz solo album. Geordie was still involved after all..

― Marcel Gallingez (Marcel Gallingez), Sunday, 3 August 2003 20:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Geordie was indeed involved, yet never before have his signature guitar stylings been as cruelly muted.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I like "Stay One Jump Ahead"!

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 4 August 2003 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

what's the lamest record Youth ever had a hand on? and don't say Bananarama, cuz i like that album.

― scott seward, Monday, 4 August 2003 00:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Tough call, but possibly some of the Brilliant stuff (his post KJ project after the Revelations/Iceland debacle). It's godawful.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 10:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought "Push" was great Alex - it did sort of go downhill from there 'though....

His lowest point? Fortunately the inclusion of Wet Wet Wet on his resume saves me from having to choose between Dido and Heather Nova.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 11:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Forgot about Dido.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 12:01 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AGWK8.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg or http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000086EMX.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Your votes, please: Which cover is worse?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 12:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I reckon it's

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000026XY4.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg or http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000026XY7.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 12:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Although

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005AQAK.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg and http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000009AX.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

are contenders too!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 12:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Who IS that on the cover of ".... No Way Out..." btw? It looks almost like an extremely youthful Youth!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 12:57 (twenty-one years ago)

A GOOD KJ sleeve:

http://www.popsych.co.uk/images%2025/killing2.jpg

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 13:15 (twenty-one years ago)

I listen to and enjoy this album sometimes.

It's got a unique feel to it, like being alone in a fitted kitchen warehouse on a warm sunday afternoon.

It was a let down for Killing Joke but luckily I didn't get into them untl after the Virgin 'Laugh? I nearly bought one!' comp.

― mei (mei), Monday, 4 August 2003 13:17 (twenty-one years ago)

The guy on the cover of No Way Out... is from an old ad, I believe. Ask Mike Coles: http://studio-c.co.uk/

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 13:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the cover of What's THIS for... The Fire Dances one has never been a favorite (that's not Jaz, but some Australian model! WTF?) The Democracy cover's alright. The "Empire Song" sleeve is indeed lovely, but the best of theirs, in my opinion, remains....

http://studio-c.co.uk/killingjoke/KJ2P.JPG

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 13:45 (twenty-one years ago)

"that's not Jaz, but some Australian model! WTF?"

If anything it should have been The Wizard!

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 13:59 (twenty-one years ago)

THE classic KJ sleeve imo:

http://www.popsych.co.uk/images%2025/killing8.jpg

(particularly with the Enlistment Notice included!)

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 4 August 2003 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Not sure of the Wizard's whereabouts. No mention of him on the tour just under way (he did, however, re-appear circa the Pandemonium era, tho'.)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 4 August 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

i like the cover of Ha!

― scott seward, Monday, 4 August 2003 14:08 (twenty-one years ago)

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