Results tagged “Kylie Minogue” from Birmingham Mail - Blog Rockin' Beats

Last week's Single File caused a tiny bit of controversy when I handed the ZX Spectrum computer the dreaded 'one star' rating in the guide.

Of course, I didn't really mean it. As we had a Commodore 64 when I was a kid, I remember the arguments about which computer was the best and I was just trying to wind Speccy owners up by labelling the machine as the worst. And boy did it work. I was inundated with angry Spec heads (well, three of them) accusing me of blasphemy.

But, regardless of which machine you had, weren't those days great? Don't you get all nostalgic and misty-eyed when you are transported back to the 80s? For me, having a Commodore goes hand in hand with watching Top Of The Pops when it was still good, reading my sister's copies of Smash Hits and Look In, taping songs such as "19" by Paul Hardcastle off the Top 40 countdown on Radio One and eventually falling in love with Kylie Minogue as she belted out "I Should Be So Lucky" in 1988.

Yesterday (October 10) saw the first anniversary of "Radiohead Day" where people were able to download their "In Rainbows" album for whatever price they wanted. An incredible and startling event. And obviously something that could never have happened in the pre-internet days when Commodores and Spectrums ruled most households.

Yes, technology has moved on and it is amazing. But despite the improvements - and maybe this is just the sad old git in me wearing rose-tinted specs - I think I preferred having to wait ages for a computer game to load on the tape deck or going into a proper record shop to buy vinyl or cassettes when I wasn't taping the songs off the charts...

It's that time of the week again when I run the rule over a few tunes out this week. This batch will be reviewed against the following ratings guide:

***** Coronation Street
**** EastEnders
*** Emmerdale
** Family Affairs
* El Dorado

"Letter From God To Man" - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Ok, I'm going to count to 10, go for a walk and pretend they haven't dared to sample "Planet Telex" by my beloved Radiohead!
Actually, having listened to it a few times, it's not as bad as I first thought. Although the impassioned sermon being delivered over the sample might grate after a while.
**

"The Other Side" - Pendulum
This is more like dance a la Prodigy rather than the drum n' bass older Pendulum fans are used to.
Not as good as their previous efforts but head and shoulders above most of the dance music out there.
***

"If This Is Love" - The Saturdays
Right, listen girls. You are not Girls Aloud. In fact, you are not even Bewitched, so get over it.
If this is love then I'd rather be consumed by hate. A poor, poor, triple poor, weak pop effort that even Hear'Say would have rejected.
*

"The One" - Kylie Minogue
Strangely, this is a digital only release, with no promo video as yet, which is a shame as it's a little corker of a tune.
There are small traces of her under-rated mid 90s era clashing with her recent electro-disco style and it sure works for me.
****

"Sleep Through The Static" - Jack Johnson
More whimsical, acoustic driven, laid back, adult pop from old JJ.
Alright, I'll level with you, I'm struggling to avoid saying this is dull as a dishcloth.
**

"Gossip" - You Me At Six
That's a really silly name and this is really just a cliched, typical "indie" rock effort which will no doubt see them lauded in the NME of something.
Next...
**

"Lend Me Your Face" - Fight Like Apes
Oh this is much more like it! Frenetic, fuzzy guitars with vocalist MayHay shrieking her vocals over the sonic assault going on around her.
A few rounds with this punky lot and you will be knocked out! Fantastic, single of the week without question.
****

"Everybody Wants Me" - The Pigeon Detectives
It seems fashionable to mock the Pigeons and, I have to say, listening to this forgettable effort shows why.
But having just basked in the glory of Fight Like Apes, I'm in a better mood so even though I'm under-whelmed I'm going to cut them some slack and give them at least two stars more than they deserve.
**

Here are a few of this week's new singles that I have put before my critical ears. And, as always, they will be judged using the following ratings:

***** Rocky
**** Rambo - First Blood
*** Cliffhanger
** Lock Up
* Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

"Falling Down" - Scarlett Johansson
She's beautiful, a great actress and just to prove she is closing in on perfection, she releases this dazzling, unique, Wall Of Sound-ish gem.
It's a Tom Waits cover with David Bowie on backing vocals and is far better than people may have been expecting. SJ's deep, near-Nico style vocals add to the sense of drama on this track. An unexpected delight.
****

"Beloved" - Minnie Driver
Another song, another Hollywood actress crossing the divide. But the difference here is Minnie already has last year's Sea Stories album, where this is lifted from, under her belt.
A more conventional, country-tinged rock effort than Scarlett's single, but a solid effort nevertheless.
***

"In My Arms" - Kylie Minogue
I will argue till the day I die that Some Kind Of Bliss remains her best song, despite the British public largely ignoring it.
But here she sticks to her current winning disco formula and she delivers again. Deliciously catchy, a dancefloor filling hit-in-the-making from a girl it's impossible not to adore.
****

"That's What You Get" - Paramore
Maybe it's just me, but this sounds more like an "edgy" effort by someone who was probably the winner or runner-up on American Idol.
Of course. it's anything but edgy and has radio-friendly stamped all over it. It's not bad, it's just a tad unremarkable and the sort of power pop effort that could be on in the background without you ever noticing.
** (and a half)

"Alone" - Celine Dion
Incredible. And not in a good way. She somehow contrives to make Heart's orginal, overblown, epic sound as soft and under-stated as a Nick Drake song.
Having a voice that can shatter windows from 100 miles away is NOT good. It's been 10 years since she inflicted that horrid Titanic theme on us, but unfortunately her career hasn't gone the same way as the famous old boat did...
*

"Poison" - Martina Topley-Bird
What a welcome sound for sore ears! Her long awaited second album The Blue God is finally out next week, five years after he first LP, and this is a superb taster.
It's clever, it's infectious and it's actually pure pop but, as ever, her gorgeous voice remains the main highlight - just as it was on her debut Quixotic and Tricky's first two albums back in the 90s.
*****

"Daddy-O" - Wideboys feat Shaznay Lewis
A little curious, this collaboration. Why would the most talented one from All Saints lend her vocals to what is really a monotonous dance track?
Whatever her reasons, this isn't the mess it could have been, although it'll probably struggle to avoid not getting lost amongst a million other dance tracks out currently out there.
***

"Galaxy of the Lost" - Lightspeed Champion
A quite lovely piece of folk rock from the former Test Icicles man.
It may be acoustic driven but there are enough twists and turns to lift it beyond the ordinary.
***

"Bluebirds Flying High" - James Fox and Cardiff City FC
Oh how we laughed as all those David's slayed Goliaths including Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, in this year's FA Cup.
But we are not laughing now we realise Portsmouth v Cardiff awaits us at Wembley. Be honest, other than fans of the clubs, how many will watch without a Ronaldo, a Torres, a Drogba or a Fabregas on show? Thought so.
Oh the song? Well, it's sub standard Championship fare, like the team it backs, and is littered with golden lyrical nuggets such as "We are Cardiff City and we're going to Wembley". Where's Chas & Dave when you need 'em?
**