Rachel Stevens - "So Good"

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Apparently, this will be Rachel's next single and it's produced by Richard X. Has anybody listened to it? Is it good?

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 1 April 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

uh-oh.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 1 April 2005 20:55 (twenty years ago)

uh-oh

What?

― daavid (daavid), Friday, 1 April 2005 20:56 (twenty years ago)

"the electroclash revival" - wow!

― JoB (JoB), Friday, 1 April 2005 21:22 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

There is a rumour that this song has leaked. Has anybody heard it? Comments?

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 06:01 (twenty years ago)

Rachel Stevens is so September 2004.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 06:04 (twenty years ago)

[i]Apparently, this will be Rachel's next single and it's produced by Richard X[/i]

OH GOD I'M SOLD ALREADY

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 06:56 (twenty years ago)

Nice to see we've all moved on with our lives over the last nine months.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:02 (twenty years ago)

Yes, clearly!

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:05 (twenty years ago)

riight.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:24 (twenty years ago)

OK I posted this thread a while ago and I should have corrected earlier that Richard X is NOT producing. From Rachel Stevens forum:

Rich X DIDN'T produce it. According to the man himself, "So Good" was "produced by Pascal Gabriel and co-
written with Hannah Robinson." Hannah Robinson also cowrote "Crazy Boys" along with "Some Girls", on which she does a bit of background vocaling. X went on to say..."it's good stuff."

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:26 (twenty years ago)

Can we get Howard Devoto to produce her instead?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 07:28 (twenty years ago)

OK l've heard it. Well actually it's just a 1 minute clip, not the whole song. And it's very good indeed. Definitelty more imediate and anthemic than "Negotiate with Love"; maybe not as original though. Just perfectly crafted electropop.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

...oops, immediate

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 22:55 (twenty years ago)

Could you yousendit the clip?

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

http://s41.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=3QTR1RJDVX3IV06K8MKDSMEZZT

― Shane (Shane), Wednesday, 18 May 2005 23:24 (twenty years ago)

OK I had to leave, thanks Shane :)

― daavid (daavid), Thursday, 19 May 2005 00:00 (twenty years ago)

All my posts start with OK...annoying

― daavid (daavid), Thursday, 19 May 2005 01:00 (twenty years ago)

Ah very good! Better than "Negotiate With Love" (which I think is a dud, really), but not quite on the level of "Some Girls" and "Sweet Dreams My LA Ex."

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Thursday, 19 May 2005 01:12 (twenty years ago)

It's great, but NOT as good as "Negotiate With Love" (Matthew you are a mentalist) or "Some Girls" but one gets the impression that despite the fact that it will sell shit all, this RS album has been crafted with loving care by a whole slew of very clever people which will lead to everyone reviewing it describing it as "unfocused" and "uncohesive" and all sorts of other things that are completely irrelevant. I'm reading good things about her cover of "Nothing Good About This Goodbye", at least.

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 19 May 2005 01:13 (twenty years ago)

If it's two thirds as good as the Alexis Strum's version it will still be fantastic. BTW is Xenomania still producing it?

Anyway, I'm anticipating this album more than anything now. I'm so impressed by what I've listened so far.

― daavid (daavid), Thursday, 19 May 2005 01:25 (twenty years ago)

Xenomania have done at least two tracks, but not sure which ones they are. Probably NGATG is one of them as Brian Higgins co-wrote it (although you can never trust writing credits on tracks where Xenomania is involved).

― edward o (edwardo), Thursday, 19 May 2005 01:28 (twenty years ago)

Hmm. The beginning of that is like "Giving you up" sang over the Felix da Housecat riff.

And then it turns a little meh.

― brittle-lemon, Thursday, 19 May 2005 02:14 (twenty years ago)

"I'm gonna stand the test of time"?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 19 May 2005 03:14 (twenty years ago)

I really like the beat, though, what can I say!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 19 May 2005 03:15 (twenty years ago)

The whole thing has leaked all over the Internet, leaving a poppy mess all over my hard drive. The whole thing is MUCH better than the clip implies, but I reckon everyone who claims this is more immediate than "Negotiate With Love" is only saying that with the hindsight of chart positions. THIS one is definitely a grower, but it'll get more radio support that will give it a chance.

I predict it'll be a Number 6.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 22 May 2005 07:56 (twenty years ago)

How high do you think she'll need to chart to not get dropped? Top 10?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Sunday, 22 May 2005 10:59 (twenty years ago)

The album will come out, no questions.

― edward o (edwardo), Sunday, 22 May 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

This was played last night at the Popjustice party, and it rocked it so damn hard. It was 3rd out of 4 Rachel tunes too. This deserves to be top 3 if not no.1.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Sunday, 22 May 2005 12:43 (twenty years ago)

was that after we left Barima? did the night get better?

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 22 May 2005 13:03 (twenty years ago)

So it's available in some form? Oh man, I am totally bumrushing slsk later today.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Sunday, 22 May 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

The "so good, and so good, and so good" bit sounds like the "all over all over" bit from 'Dress You Up'.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 22 May 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

(this song doesn't sound nearly as good as 'Negotiate With Love' to me, but I'll give it time)

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 22 May 2005 17:48 (twenty years ago)

was that after we left Barima? did the night get better?

Only in terms of which tunes you like! Robinson >> X > Amstell.

Anyway, as I've actually heard the whole thing, I'm pretty settled in saying that this is at least even with 'Negotiate', but it's all dance, baby.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:16 (twenty years ago)

http://s40.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2BSMRTOO6IDGK15X42LFDU1KGT

― snowballing (snowballing), Monday, 23 May 2005 07:47 (twenty years ago)

Excellent cue-taking, s-ball.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:16 (twenty years ago)

Did I mention that this is totally Dannii Minogue?

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:17 (twenty years ago)

Good thing, too.

Neon Nights is the best Minogue sisters album. (Fever has better singles, but NN wins on album tracks)

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 23 May 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

This breaks her cycle of following up a great single with a heinous one, but the break is not so much a decisive shattering as it is a gentle crack. Or something. It's just that the electroclash riff is at the point of sounding like bloody speeded-up calypso to me.

I predict that this will only be #14.

― brittle-lemon, Monday, 23 May 2005 10:18 (twenty years ago)

"Totally Dannii Minogue"?

I hear no "Horst Wessel Song" sample on this record.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:19 (twenty years ago)

This shit is teutonic. T-E-U-T-O-N-I-C.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Monday, 23 May 2005 10:22 (twenty years ago)

BIG UP YASELF SNOWBALL.

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:14 (twenty years ago)

If/when the YSI dies, I got the song from here:
http://www.sclub7esp.com.ar/index.php

Who knows if it'll last there...

― edward o (edwardo), Monday, 23 May 2005 12:32 (twenty years ago)

It's definitely growing on me.

"It's you you you" - classic

"So good and so good and so good" - less classic

But at least she doesn't do anything meta this time.

― Tom (Groke), Monday, 23 May 2005 16:45 (twenty years ago)

The whole song is meta though! Not clever-clever-meta but standard pop meta about how she is Doing It On Her Own ie Having A Solo Career ie Please Don't Call Me Rachel Out Of Sclub Again.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 23 May 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

Hmmm. Not as sold as I was on 'Negotiate with Love'. But stay alert for the minute 'Crazy Boys' leaks, becuase OH MY GOD that song is amazing.

― Abby (abby mcdonald), Monday, 23 May 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

Oh man, so classic and I haven't even finished my first listen.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 23 May 2005 21:43 (twenty years ago)

Please forgive my ignorance, but can someone explain me what is meant by "meta" here? thanks.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 03:02 (twenty years ago)

The verses really remind me of Duran's 'Wild Boys'. Borrowing from Duran song verses is far, far better than jacking their sound and LeBon's voice.

Daavid, pop meta is a catch-all for pop artists singing about their real life dramas in occasionally thinly disguised lyrics that comment on their situation.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)

That's not what I meant! I meant things like "could you turn down the track a little bit please?"

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

The Duran Duran song I'm reminded of is actually "Hungry Like THe Wolf", bits of the verses..

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

pop meta is a catch-all for pop artists singing about their real life dramas in occasionally thinly disguised lyrics that comment on their situation

it's not as 'honest' as that, much of the time it's singing about the song itself, or even other songs (Britney's 'Stronger' referencing 'BOMT'); commenting on the whole pop package from the outside. if the artist's situation gets mentioned it's more likely to be about their place in the music industry hierarchy rather than their personal lives - thus 'Some Girls' is meta while 'Everytime' is not.

'So Good' is not so good, it's a bit predictable and blah.

― The Lex (The Lex), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:09 (twenty years ago)

The Duran Duran song I'm reminded of is actually "Hungry Like THe Wolf", bits of the verses..

Dammit, that's actually what I meant.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

Alex, yeah, tho' he did ask what was meant by "meta" here in this thread.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 09:20 (twenty years ago)

"You you you" bit is indeed like "doo doo doo doo doo doo" in "Hungry Like the Wolf"!

But there's another song which the "oh you come & get it" reminds me of... Can't work it out.

I do love the dark choral backing in the chorus, it's somewhere between Depeche Mode's "It Doesn't Matter Two" and Wayne Wonder's "Everyday".

"The verses really remind me of Duran's 'Wild Boys'. Borrowing from Duran song verses is far, far better than jacking their sound and LeBon's voice."

Hmm I dunno. I don't think any of the nu-post-punk bands have actually entirely jacked Duran Duran's sound (closer to the early Spandau Ballet maybe) - "So Good" is as close to DD sonically as "Somebody Told Me" or "Honest Mistake" is.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

"Honest Mistake" sounds close to DD, early DD anyway. "Somebody Told Me" - nah.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:38 (twenty years ago)

The early demos of Somebody Told Me are quite DD-esque in dynamics, actually, though not as much SWEEP and BOMBAST.

― edward o (edwardo), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

Tim, think VHS or Beta.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

Barima I'm not good at these games!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 13:42 (twenty years ago)

Oh, sorry. They're a super-average Daft Punk go nu-wave band who love them some Duran. Seriously, even the Cut Copy remix of their last single is somewhat meh.

Apparently, there were 5 Rachel tunes on Saturday - Richard played 'Crazy Boys'. Hell if I can remember it especially, but it must have been the dancey electro track I couldn't place but really liked. Rachel is going to make up for the last GA album big time.

(Incidentally, the worst thing about 'NWL's volume-change line is that the request is totally denied)

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

I thought you were making some conceptual point!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 14:02 (twenty years ago)

"Rachel is going to make up for the last GA album big time."

i'm not sure what this means.

― N_RQ, Tuesday, 24 May 2005 14:04 (twenty years ago)

Heh, I also noticed the "Hungry Like the Wolf" similarity!

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 14:07 (twenty years ago)

It's a great similarity, ain't it?

i'm not sure what this means.

That I thought it was a major disappointment and RS is going to restore my faith in UK album chartpop for 2005.

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 14:27 (twenty years ago)

it's more "khanada" than anything

― simon le taylor, Tuesday, 24 May 2005 14:28 (twenty years ago)

I do love the dark choral backing in the chorus

I love it too! But it reminds me more of "Blue Monday" or the Pet Shop Boys.

― daavid (daavid), Tuesday, 24 May 2005 23:59 (twenty years ago)

Actually yeah it's "Blue Monday" innit.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

http://www.rachelstevensonline.com/music/discography/singles/sogood-cd1-lg.jpg

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

That's a hideous photo!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:11 (twenty years ago)

That's the cover. I would have chosen the promo artwork instead though:
http://www.rachelstevensonline.com/graphics/newsitems/05-20-05.gif

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:13 (twenty years ago)

I agree, it's pretty bad.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:15 (twenty years ago)

OMG that's so much better!

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:17 (twenty years ago)

"Crazy Boyz" has been confirmed to be the third single, and "Nothing Good About This Goodbye" may be fourth.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:21 (twenty years ago)

I guess since NWL didn't do very well in the charts, they're not taking any risks this time (like not showing Rachel's face on the cover). That's the only explanation I can think of.

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 00:24 (twenty years ago)

Apparently, there were 5 Rachel tunes on Saturday - Richard played 'Crazy Boys'

As in Richard X? In a DJ set? Jesus, does he have sets floating around the intarweb? I've played his Back To Mine album just about out.

re "So Good": I like it, but every song Rachel Stevens ever writes will only suffer by comparison to the majestic "Some Girls". Can't wait to hear "Crazy Boyz", though!

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 02:38 (twenty years ago)

Increasingly I'm thinking that Rachel Stevens' singles form a very slow, very slight descending trajectory from the secret peak of "Sweet Dreams (My L.A. Ex)"

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 02:39 (twenty years ago)

... to which I had a mild epiphanic moment at Club FT when I was in London.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 02:40 (twenty years ago)

You must be leaving out the two rubbish singles between the big ones, Tim,

Some Girls > Negotiate With Love > Sweet Dreams > So Good > Funky Dory > More More More

(obv I consider the first three to be rather godlike). I envisage I'll probably rate "Nothing Good About This Goodbye" above "Sweet Dreams" assuming Rachel hasn't made a complete mess of it, but there's no reason to expect this will be the case.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 03:04 (twenty years ago)

Oh I don't count "Funky Dory" and "More More More" of course...

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 03:10 (twenty years ago)

'Funky Dory' is secretly not that bad, it's no worse than 'So Good'!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 07:41 (twenty years ago)

I guess since NWL didn't do very well in the charts, they're not taking any risks this time (like not showing Rachel's face on the cover). That's the only explanation I can think of.

i think every RS release has put her face on the cover!

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:05 (twenty years ago)

The Rachel doubters are forgetting that her music has coaxed TWO good remixes out of Tom Neville ('Breathe In, Breathe Out', 'NWL').

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:14 (twenty years ago)

Funky Dory is not anywhere near as bad as people say, but it made no sense to release it. DO NOT RELEASE TITLE TRACKS OFF YOUR ALBUMS, IF IT SINKS IT SCUPPERS NAME RECOGNITION. If she'd released the mighty "Fools", it would have been another story.

― edward o (edwardo), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

"So Good" is a dead ringer for "Don't Look The Other Way" by Pleasure (feat Justine Frischmann).

Ein, Zwei, Drei, you told me that you loved me. Ein, zwei, drei, you told me you don't love me no more...

― davidsim (davidsim), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:22 (twenty years ago)

'So Good' is lots better tho'. The best Pleasure tracks are the non-dancers ('Sensitivity' excepted).

― The Irrelevant Man (Negativa) (Barima), Wednesday, 25 May 2005 09:36 (twenty years ago)

Hmmm, not sure I quite hear the "Don't Look"/"So Good" similiarity, though I guess the keyboard are may be third cousins twice removed.

And the best Pleasure track must surely be "Disco Doctor"?

― brittle-lemon, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 13:25 (twenty years ago)

"..the keyboard riffs are may be third cousins twice removed."

― brittle-lemon, Wednesday, 25 May 2005 13:26 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1502653,00.html#article_continue

what is it you don't understand / respect is all that we demand

i knew the writer once. shame on you hadley!

― N_RQ, Friday, 10 June 2005 08:00 (twenty years ago)

"I mean, think of all the great bands from the past who didn't write their own music, like the Beatles." A slight pause. "Well, actually, the Beatles did write their own music, didn't they? But loads of others."

ouch.

― william, it was really nothing (superpopelectro), Friday, 10 June 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

The video is all about her gloves (and homages to 'Around The World').

― BARMS, Friday, 10 June 2005 13:23 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

"So Good" has entered the midweek charts at #9
:(

― daavid (daavid), Wednesday, 6 July 2005 05:45 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...

WHERE IS EVERYONE ELSE SHOUTING AT THE TOP OF THEIR LUNGS ABOUT THE AWESOMENESS OF "I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)"? Best thing Rachel's done since "Some Girls" - although this is the definition of "damning something with faint praise".

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Thursday, 18 August 2005 04:17 (twenty years ago)

ILM needs YSIs before we can shout

― kit brash (kit brash), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:02 (twenty years ago)

http://www.sendmefile.com/00045459

― James.Cobo (jamescobo), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:19 (twenty years ago)

It's not bad, but seems to be subscribing a little too enthusiastically to the theory that if "Some Girls" is good, then it can certainly be improved by speeding it up. (I almost expect the voice of Satan to start speaking in the midst of the seemingly 78 rpm madness.)

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Thursday, 18 August 2005 05:57 (twenty years ago)

haha this is brilliant and deserves a thread of its own!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:07 (twenty years ago)

er is that clip meant to be 13 seconds long? or shoudl i try again?

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 18 August 2005 14:57 (twenty years ago)

try again.

― kit brash (kit brash), Friday, 19 August 2005 04:42 (twenty years ago)

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