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Rating: Playstation Rock
(Oscar Wilde at the console)
Music for kids. Yet another rock band that's not exactly talented, quite pointless, not outstanding for innovative qualities, will not leave a mark in the Historia de la Musica Rock. Let's add that it is multi-derivative (The Cure, REM, Smiths) and therefore scarcely original. Period. And new paragraph.
The same was said in the eighties about Duran Duran, later reevaluated as a group "anything but popular," it was discovered the level of the artwork, the quality of the bass lines by John Taylor, today covers like those of "I Don't Want Your Love" or "Big Thing" are considered of historical and artistic interest (almost "Mondrian-like"). The same was said about Depeche Mode (how many discussions about "non-played" music, "soulless" music, and so on, zigzagging about electronics?)
Flashback. The "indie" label Hut discovered and brought to the world's attention three main bands: first the Verve (ups and downs in their albums, the best perhaps being "Storm In Heaven" but with that famously celebrated song from the "Urban Hymns" they managed to place the best-selling single of the Brit-rock era, beating Blur and Oasis), then the Smashing Pumpkins (incomparable talent and creative genius, from "Gish," a little gem of post-Bauhaus-Jane's Addiction rock, to "Siamese Dream," a masterpiece parallel to grunge, "Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness" a milestone of nineties rock, a 360-degree rock opera on a three-dimensional scale), and Placebo. The common denominator of these three bands is the success achieved very, too quickly, combined with not exactly brilliant stage presence (rather poor as live performers), an indirect sign of musicians too prematurely projected from the "garage" (meaning the room under the house) to world arenas. Or perhaps a too heavy marketing level planning that has impaired the best qualities of artists who may have had talent.
That said, a central consideration must be made (for which I thank the Editor of the OndaRock tab). Placebo, and their frontman Brian Molko do not "exactly" make rock music. In the sense that, by a bizarre point of contact with songwriter music and its literary surplus value, the lyrical and poetic aspect has become clearly predominant, enough to overshadow the construction of the sound. Which globally will not be, therefore, very original. Or in any case it will not be the main reason for attraction to listen to a Placebo record. In other words, Brian Molko does not sing (as usual) traditionally rock songs, with the usual pop coloring and declination, but declares (or at least tries) verses in music. That this sound coincides with the same post-brit rock construction, powerful and well built, with dark-wave hues, with heavy accents, etc., does not change the substance: to realize this just read some titles even of this latest "Meds". Which follows the eponymous debut (the only successful track "20 years"), the subsequent and more interesting "Without You I'm Nothing", with truly intense and emotional moments ("Burger Queen" and "The Crawl"), the next "Black Market Music" less interesting musically, also because lyrically it represented the peak expression of Brian and Co.'s poetics, greater homogeneity and power, but too heavy to arouse great enthusiasm. Not very immediate, perhaps because it was not inspired enough, or perhaps too mediated. With "Meds" the point of equilibrium is reached between the pop-melodic intuition of "Without You" and the poetic and narrative tendency of Brian Molko. Poetry? Literature? Who, Placebo?? It is evident from titles like "Nella luce fredda del mattino", "Dopo la tristezza", "Ritorno a casa accompagnato dalla polizia". Brian Molko has a beautiful and very distinctive voice, similar to Michael Stipe, but more intense, sharp, psalmodizing, declamatory, indeed. One might say, an impressionistic voice, which for the style of singing almost makes one lose sight of the music because, as in the paintings of Signac, or Seurat, it does not need "outlines" and demarcations.
This album moreover counts some musically really successful moments like "Infra-Red" (counterpart to "Ultraviolet" by U2?), and the aforementioned "Return Back Home With The Cops", nocturnal and permeated by a deep melancholy sentiment, the duet with Michael Stipe of "Broken Promise", first slow and pianistic then explosive and powerful, similarly to the title track placed at the opening, commendable appearance by VV of Kills, acoustic-metal break, female voice and pop melody that couldn't be more perfect; there are then a couple of really suggestive episodes, that stand out from the rest of the album: "Post Blue", the border of melancholy, and the awakening of "In The Cold Light of The Morning" (a counterpoint to the awakening in the light of "Pure Morning") and to close, the perfect closure, "The Song To Say Goodbye", nothing to say, simply beautiful.
Not much else to add, except that this is a work interpretable as a concept-album on the theme of sickness and death, and therefore implicitly a reflection on life, quite interesting subjects, as it is interesting to note how after "The Cure" there were "Therapy?" and the unknowing help to the previous effect "Placebo". Perhaps they don't convince, they are certainly not comparable to the mentioned masters of new-wave, and perhaps many (too many?) don't like them. Many but not all. I like them. And sometimes emotion sweeps away geometric reflections in which one tries vainly to fill a bottle with sand, uncritically critical discussions, because after all there is beauty even in a bottle left empty on the beach.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Infra-Red (03:17)
One last thing before I shuffle off the planet
I will be the one to make you crawl
So I came down to wish you an unhappy birthday
Someone call the ambulance
There's gonna be an accident
I'm coming up on infra-red
There is no running that can hide you
'Cause I can see in the dark
I'm coming up on infra-red
Forget your running, I will find you
One more thing before we start the final face off
I will be the one to watch you fall
So I came down to crash and burn your beggar's banquet
Someone call the ambulance
There's gonna be an accident
I'm coming up on infra-red
There is no running that can hide you
'Cause I can see in the dark
I'm coming up on infra-red
Forget your running, I will find you
(I'll find you)
[Distorted singing]
Someone call the ambulance
There's gonna be an accident
I'm coming up on infra-red
There is no running that can hide you
'Cause I can see in the dark
I'm coming up on infra-red
Forget your running, I will find you
'Cause I can see in the dark
I'm coming up on infra-red
There is no running that can hide you
'Cause I can see in the dark
I'm coming up on infra-red
Forget your running, I will find you
I'll find you
I'll find you
03 Drag (03:23)
You're always ahead of the game
I drag behind
You never get caught in the rain
When I'm drenched to the bone every time
You're the first one to swim across the Seine
I lag behind
You're always ahead of the game
While I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
You're always ahead of the pack
I drag behind
You posses every trait that I lack
By coincidence or by design
You're the monkey I've got on my back
That tells me to shine
You're always ahead of the pack
While I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
You're always ahead of the rest
When I'm always on time
You got As on your algebra tests
I failed and they kept me behind
I just gotta get off my chest
That I think you're divine
You're always ahead of the rest
While I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
I drag behind
04 Space Monkey (03:53)
A Space Monkey in the place to be
Riding in a rocket to a planet of sound
She and the unplanned Dominos in drag
Increasing population of 100%
Space monkey in the place to be
With a chemical appeal
And a picture of me
Arm around in the carnival of me
Raising the temperature 100 degrees
We're sewn together
She's born to last my
Side of stronger
I die inside her
A Space Monkey in the place to be
A mass of contradictions in golden frame
Raising the roof in a calamity way
Completely meretricious as a poke in the eye
Space monkey in the place to be
Talk of the town with a Colombian rock
Out on a limb in the carnival of me
Raising the temperature one hundred degrees
We're sown together
She's born to mesmer
Beside astride her
I die inside her
It's far too sacred
Don't ever fake it
And don't, and don't, and don't let me down
Like you let me down before
Like you let me down before
Space monkey in the place to be
With some free-association and a hole in her head
Out on a limb in the carnival of me
Raising the temperature one hundred degrees
We're sown together
She's born to mesmer
Beside astride her
I die inside her
It's far too sacred
Don't ever fake it
And don't, and don't, and don't let me down
Like you let me down before
Like you let me down before
Like you let me down before
Like you let me down before
08 Blind (04:03)
If I could tear you from the ceiling
And guarantee a source divine
Rid you of possessions fleeting
Remain your funny valentine
Don't go and leave me
And please don't drive me blind
Don't go and leave me
And please don't drive me blind
If I could tear you from the ceiling
I know best have tried
I'd fill your every breath with meaning
And find a place we both could hide
Don't go and leave me
And please don't drive me blind
Don't go and leave me
And please don't drive me blind
You don't believe me
But you do this every time
Please don't drive me blind
Please don't drive me blind
I know you're broken
I know you're broken
I know you're broken
If I could tear you from the ceiling
I'd freeze us both in time
And find a brand new way of seeing
Your eyes forever glued to mine
Don't go and leave me
And please don't drive me blind
Don't go and leave me
And please don't drive me blind
Please don't drive me blind
Please don't drive me blind
Please don't drive me blind
Please don't drive me blind
09 Pierrot the Clown (04:24)
Leave me dreaming on the bed
See you right back here tomorrow for the next round
Keep this scene inside your head
As the bruises turn to yellow
The swelling goes down
And if you're ever around
In the city or the suburbs of this town
Be sure to come around
I'll be wallowing in sorrow
Wearing a frown
Like Pierrot the Clown
Saw you crashing round the bay
Never seen you act so shallow
Or look so brown
Remember all the things you'd say
How your promises rang hollow
As you threw me to the ground
And if you're ever around
In the backstreets or the alleys of this town
Be sure to come around
I'll be wallowing in pity
And wearing a frown
Like Pierrot the Clown
When I dream I dream of your lips
When I dream I dream of your kiss
When I dream I dream of your fists
Your fists... Your fists
Leave me bleeding on the bed
See you right back here tomorrow for the next round
Keep this scene inside your head
As the bruises turn to yellow
The swelling goes down
And if you're ever around
In the city or the suburbs of this town
Be sure to come around
I'll be wallowing in sorrow
And wearing a frown
Like Pierrot the Clown
Like Pierrot the Clown
Like Pierrot the Clown
Like Pierrot the Clown
Like Pierrot the Clown
11 One of a Kind (03:22)
On top of the world you get nothing done
Talk is cold and burns like the sun
Can't you see these skies are breaking
Cause the top of the word is where I'm from
The back of the class is where I was
Keeping quiet playing dumb
Can't you see these skies are breaking
Cause the back of the class is where I'm from
And I am one
I am
I am one
I am, I am, I am, I am, I am
I'm on a race and it's killing time
I don't need yours I'll keep it with mine
Can't you see these skies are breaking
Cause I'm on a race and I'm doing fine, thank you
Two of a kind no one home
I'm in a crowd and I'm still alone
Can't you see the skies are breaking
Cause one of a kind is all I own
I am one
I am
I am one
I am, I am, I am, I am, I am
Out of the womb and into the void
I wanna try but I get annoyed
Can't you see these skies are breaking
Cause I'm out of the womb and into the void
I am one
I am
I am one
I am, I am, I am, I am, I am
I am, I am, I am, I am, I am
On top of the world you get nothing done
13 Song to Say Goodbye (03:35)
You are one of God's mistakes
You crying, tragic waste of skin
I'm well aware of how it aches
And you still won't let me in
Now I'm breaking down your door
To try and save your swollen face
Though I don't like you anymore
You lying, trying waste of space
Before our innocence was lost
You were always one of those
Blessed with lucky sevens
And the voice that made me cry
My, oh my
You were mother nature's son
Someone to whom I could relate
Your needle and your damage done
Remains a sordid twist of fate
Now I'm trying to wake you up
To pull you from the liquid sky
'Cause if I don't we'll both end up
With just your song to say goodbye
My, oh my
A song to say goodbye
A song to say goodbye
A song to say
Before our innocence was lost
You were always one of those
Blessed with lucky sevens
And the voice that made me cry
It's a song to say goodbye (x8)
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Other reviews
By Jack_85
Pierrot The Clown... touches even those with a heart of stone, bringing a tear to even those who have no eyes to cry.
Brian, Steve, and Stefan are like wine. They get better with time.
By Matt7
In this little masterpiece, everything is perfect: the electronics present but not annoying, the lyrics, the guitars, and Brian’s desperate yet sweet voice.
This album represents the sum of the previous four albums: it has the rage of Placebo, the melancholy of Without You I’m Nothing, the flaws of Black Market Music, and the right experimentation of Sleeping with Ghosts.
By The Punisher
"Now yes, 4 years ago they intrigued me... now I only save the cover which is gorgeous!"
"Placebo, another 'nice' album to review... MONEY DOWN THE TOILET."
By Brizz89
The album is in the end the classic album that almost all bands that want to re-propose themselves without changing anything is: a search to continue without changing the profile that ends in boredom and repetition.
Meds is halfway between the band’s old glories and that half-failure that I consider to be their penultimate work.
By ste84
The rock of Placebo is not made to be played only with essential instruments.
'Meds' is a work to be appreciated over time but it will not sound new to you at all.
