ilpanes

In my opinion, Cornell's voice has improved over the years. It's rougher and less cocky... But there's no doubt he's seriously losing his mind! I don't know if anyone has heard the previews of the songs he made with Timbaland... I mean... Has he gone crazy?! Why does he have to start singing Justin and Pussycat Dolls songs?!?!?! A guy who has sung real masterpieces... I have nothing against dance music and I also think Timbaland is a good producer, but we're really on two different concepts of music! Cornell on the dance floor is as credible as Britney would be with an electric guitar!

Great piece. White has great skills as a composer, and even greater ones as a performer. Honestly, when I read about a duet with Keys, I frowned... Her voice seemed too angelic, I thought. Instead, it turned out to be a good collaboration, where everyone leaves their mark on the piece. Well done!

Mmm... They are not the Abba I prefer... I appreciate more the subtle line that separated trash from masterpiece in their previous albums. That great knowledge of music, used in the service of sparkling and sugary melodies... Here, that strength seems to fade a bit, in my opinion.

They were quite good, but already out of fashion by at least 5 years when they released (a problem shared by many other electronic or post trip-hop groups, like the good Hooverphonic or Morcheeba). Heap's voice is very personal, but in the long run it becomes tiring because it’s overly monotonous, and unfortunately, the solo albums confirm this.

@ Fraxinus: sorry, I felt called out and I’m going straight for a reply :-) ... There is absolutely no doubt about the commercial nature of this project, about its carefully crafted inception, about its simple look designed to contrast with previous, more trashy styles, and even about the more refined music chosen to project a more serious image. It’s all crass marketing, I agree with you. That said, (on the first record) very talented people worked on it (the fact that they preferred to use their skills to create commercial successes is another story). Obviously, as I’ve said before and I'll reiterate, I’m not so naïve as to think that the music on the CD is that of the 4 little whores, who, as you say, are artistically assembled. However, commerciality doesn’t always mean poor quality, and their debut album is proof of that. The arrangements are very interesting, and the sought-after sounds with the double vocals are less predictable than one might believe. Who is behind this music doesn’t really interest me. It’s not the motives that should be judged, but the result (in my opinion, of course). Not to mention that I firmly believe a person can easily listen to both engaged or artistic or anti-commercial music as well as commercial music. I don’t see a major drama in that. PS. It might also be clever to anticipate the 1s that would come (I was referring to the review...), but the fact remains that this is a site where people vote without having listened to the albums being reviewed. That’s not exactly an intelligent attitude, don’t you agree?

Great review. Don't pay attention to the 1s you'll receive; this is a shortsighted site. Anyway, the album in question truly deserves little. Contrary to everything a music lover should say, I appreciated the first album by the All Saints. It actually contained (at least for a good half) rather original r'n'b, arranged in an interesting way. For me, tracks like 'Bootie Call' and (now I'm really going out on a limb) the famous and much-hated cover of 'Under the Bridge' were definitely noteworthy, unlike the other girlbands and boybands of the time, which never focused on quality. Of course, I know that the credit was solely and exclusively due to excellent production work, not to these girls. The second album indeed reveals a great lack of creativity. The touch of Orbit (whose qualities are also quite debatable) is not enough to save it from absolute boredom.

@MICHOOS: I confirm what I said in the review. The album contains beautiful and smart pop, and for this, it deserves to be noticed amidst the crowd... then whether I’m a bit melodramatic in my writing... that’s true! I am melodramatic indeed! @WOLF85: I don’t think I follow you...

It's not pointless, Allevi, someone will listen to him and appreciate him for heaven's sake. And above all, he's surely a good pianist at a technical level. But what I believe annoys all the reviewers the most is what is being made to believe about Allevi. His music isn't classical; it's a concentrate of very easy (sometimes childish) melodies with a popular national flavor. It's a strictly commercial operation disguised as a great revelation of cultured music. The underlying hypocrisy is what bothers the most. I firmly believe that this (talented) guy wouldn't have had even half the success if he had presented himself in a more 'classical' way: instead, he has a very cool vibe like Caparezza, big ‘nerd’ glasses (but the trendy ‘nerd’, mind you, not the one who gets kicked around at school), sneakers… and stands in front of the most classic instrument of popular imagination. I think this contrast, certainly intentional, is the true source of his success. In other words: all smoke and no fire! It's a shame because he's a likable guy.

Poor Alanis is no longer racking up awards... she's deflated like a popped balloon!

I listen without prejudice, and I'm willing to go through a few excessive Björk-like moments, but today I stumbled upon Alizée's biography by chance. Do you remember the Lolita of 2000? Well, her latest album, from 2007, is titled 'Psychédélices'!!! And Meg has been getting all emotional in interviews for months, talking about the completely original meaning of its title! Come on, Meg... but you did make a pretty decent record, though...