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Gorillaz - Plastic Beach [2010]

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V

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Listened to the stream yesterday morning and was extremely underwhelmed though I only got to Super Jelly Fish and then had to dip out. Listened for a bit last night until Chuck came on, and though hey this maybe isn't as bad as I thought.

Now today I'm totally digging alot of this. Album really picks up IMO at track 4 with Rhinestone and the heart of the album is really solid. I'm in love with Superfast Jellyfish, and like Empire Ants as well.
 
J

jacobs34

Member
Brettison said:
Listened to the stream yesterday morning and was extremely underwhelmed though I only got to Super Jelly Fish and then had to dip out. Listened for a bit last night until Chuck came on, and though hey this maybe isn't as bad as I thought.

Now today I'm totally digging alot of this. Album really picks up IMO at track 4 with Rhinestone and the heart of the album is really solid. I'm in love with Superfast Jellyfish, and like Empire Ants as well.
Click to expand...

I completely agree that the album picks up steam with Rhinestone, I'd say from track four on this is the strongest album they've made, both creatively and cohesively.
 
Burger

Burger

Member
jacobs34 said:
I completely agree that the album picks up steam with Rhinestone, I'd say from track four on this is the strongest album they've made, both creatively and cohesively.
Click to expand...

They've made ?

Gorillaz is basically Damon Albarn + Guests. Obviously everyone collaborates, with Albarn at the head, but today's lineup is nothing like the first or second albums.
 
J

jacobs34

Member
Burger said:
They've made ?

Gorillaz is basically Damon Albarn + Guests. Obviously everyone collaborates, with Albarn at the head, but today's lineup is nothing like the first or second albums.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I could have worded that better. I meant the strongest of the three Gorillaz LPs, at least from track four on.
 
C

Chamber

love on your sleeve
From track 3 (White Flag) to track 11 (Broken), this is easily the best Gorillaz album to me. It's solid all the way but that middle section is really great.
 
Q

Quake1028

Member
The only small nitpick I have with this album are that the last three tracks are just sorta there for me. I'm not in love with any of them after 2 listens. If there was one more four or five star track there at the end, it might be my AotY right now. Other than that, it's sublime.
 
Q

Quake1028

Member
Chamber said:
From track 3 (White Flag) to track 11 (Broken), this is easily the best Gorillaz album to me. It's solid all the way but that middle section is really great.
Click to expand...

I'd say from 3 to 13 it doesn't make a misstep.
 
D

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member
from what I've heard 'whiteflag' is the only one I don't get so far. I really like the snoop dogg one actually.
 
Burger

Burger

Member
jacobs34 said:
Yeah, I could have worded that better. I meant the strongest of the three Gorillaz LPs, at least from track four on.
Click to expand...
:D

I can't wait for the album to come out, I'm trying not to listen to this stream too much.
 
I

isny

napkin dispenser
Burger said:
They've made ?

Gorillaz is basically Damon Albarn + Guests. Obviously everyone collaborates, with Albarn at the head, but today's lineup is nothing like the first or second albums.
Click to expand...

Damon+Hewlett+Guests

Hewlett helps out with every part of the band. (Including voicing russell!)
 
B

btrick

Member
While I've had a generally shitty day at work, walking around to meetings listening to "On Melancholy Hill" has made my day so much better.

Driving to work listening to Stylo made me feel like a bad ass too. Awesome car song.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
isny said:
Damon+Hewlett+Guests

Hewlett helps out with every part of the band. (Including voicing russell!)
Click to expand...

Megaton!

Wow!

But yeah, this album has me all the way through, including "Welcome..." which is just a brilliant start (especially, as I noted, that amazing "Oooooh just like that" backer). My only less than AAA tracks might be "Glitter Freeze" and "Broken". And they're light years beyond something like "White Heat" or "Punk".
 
I

isny

napkin dispenser
Burger said:
Oh I thought Hewlett only did the visual side of stuff.
Click to expand...

Nope, him and Damon do pretty much everything together.

Hewlett even said recently he's sick of drawing them, so I'm sure most of the art for this phase is being done by his company, and he's just approving everything. (Not like it's hard anyways when it's all been mocap so far)
 
B

BlueTsunami

there is joy in sucking dick
Dead said:
fffuuuuuu, Empire Ants is soooooo good
Click to expand...

oku51t.jpg


<3

I love when tracks become complacent, just hits a steady stream then kicks up. Empire Ants does this so good.
 
D

Dead

well not really...yet
Album is awesome. Think I like it more than Demon Days, though I'll have a more definitive opinion after a few more listens.
 
Burger

Burger

Member
I've got MP3's that someone's made from one of the streams available, and perhaps it's not been done right, but is the 1st 1/10th of Empire Ants the same as the rest of the song ?
 
P

-PXG-

Member
Rhinestone Eyes and Stylo are good, not so sure about everything else. The video was just....uh...wut? Bruce Willis? I don't know what to think. Just so random and bizarre.
 
H

Hawkian

The Cryptarch's Bane
I like the video better than the song. :p Superfast Jellyfish and Empire Ants are my favorite, but the last third of the album hasn't gotten enough attention from me yet.
 
O

optimiss

Junior Member
I've only given it a brief listening but so far it seems pretty good.

Gorillaz albums have always been more "growers" than "showers"; Just as I am getting sick of my favorite song a new one catches my attention. It makes for a much longer "initial" listening period.
 
S

see5harp

Member
And now all of you can check out the latest Little Dragon album. It's not the best album I've ever heard, but it's certainly good.
 
L

lunarworks

Member
Gorillaz fan from the start. I'm not quite sure what to think of Plastic Beach yet. It'll take a few listens to completely wrap my head around it, just as I had to with the amazing Demon Days.

My main disappointment so far is that there isn't a track that reaches out and grabs you like DARE did. When that song comes up when I'm out dancing, IT'S ON. (So good.) Also, I'm let down by the Lou Reed track. I know he's older and his voice would obviously be different, but I was hoping for those signature vocals I remember. Now he sounds like a drunk Johnny Cash. :(
 
R

RevenantKioku

PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
Holy shit, this is out today? Fuuuuuuck. CDs are so expensive in Japan but I think I have to get this...
 
S

see5harp

Member
Burger said:
They've made ?

Gorillaz is basically Damon Albarn + Guests. Obviously everyone collaborates, with Albarn at the head, but today's lineup is nothing like the first or second albums.
Click to expand...

You act like Automator and Danger Mouse weren't two of the most important producers of the time when they signed on to produce. Sure I recognize the importance of having Damon Albarn at the helm because Blur was an amazing band. But without Automator you don't get Del, Kid Koala or Miho Hatori. In both the first and the second albums, the producers brought a lot of indie and hip-hop kids into the fanbase.
 
A

Apath

Member
Awesome album is awesome. Well worth the five year wait.
RevenantKioku said:
Holy shit, this is out today? Fuuuuuuck. CDs are so expensive in Japan but I think I have to get this...
Click to expand...
Yep, out first in Japan... -_-
 
Burger

Burger

Member
see5harp said:
You act like Automator and Danger Mouse weren't two of the most important producers of the time when they signed on to produce. Sure I recognize the importance of having Damon Albarn at the helm because Blur was an amazing band. But without Automator you don't get Del, Kid Koala or Miho Hatori. In both the first and the second albums, the producers brought a lot of indie and hip-hop kids into the fanbase.
Click to expand...

I'm not acting like anything, nor am I trying to argue anything except that the 'group' of contributing artists has changed vastly from album to album, which is exactly the same as what you've said.
 
S

Stealth

Member
Standouts for me are:

Rhinestone Eyes
Empire Ants
On Melancholy Hill
Plastic Beach

With Superfast, Sweepstakes, and White Flag being the best hip hop tracks, in that order.

Too many quality tracks to really discredit any songs though, other than Glitter Freeze which refuses to gel with me. Overall though, this is such an easy album to listen to all the way through. Definitely a worthy follow-up to Demon Days, but without the immediately catchy songs like DARE or Feel Good, Inc. The songs tend to either morph as they go on or lack choruses distinct enough to work in that same manner, which is great after hearing them a few times but will not do much to win over the masses in the way that Feel Good did. Not that that affects my ability to enjoy the album, though.
 
W

woxel1

Member
Musically, it's more complex than Demon Days, maybe a little inconsistent in quality but I need to listen to it again (and again). Interesting direction with the orchestral stuff but a part of me wishes it was more band-oriented. But with all the artists present you can't deny this album isn't an event.
 
B

brianjones

Member
lunarworks said:
My main disappointment so far is that there isn't a track that reaches out and grabs you like DARE did. When that song comes up when I'm out dancing, IT'S ON. (So good.) Also, I'm let down by the Lou Reed track. I know he's older and his voice would obviously be different, but I was hoping for those signature vocals I remember. Now he sounds like a drunk Johnny Cash. :(
Click to expand...

have you listened to anything of Lou Reeds in the last 20-25 years?

dudes almost 70 years old.
 
Reave

Reave

Member
brianjones said:
wow youre cool
Click to expand...
That line was even better. Thanks.

Anyway, I'm in love with Rhinestone Eyes and OMH the most so far. I just can't ditch the fact that this seems too "guesty" to me. Still an amazing piece of work, all around.
 
S

see5harp

Member
Burger said:
I'm not acting like anything, nor am I trying to argue anything except that the 'group' of contributing artists has changed vastly from album to album, which is exactly the same as what you've said.
Click to expand...

Okay just making sure. Automator was the main reason the first album was exciting for me, aside from the artwork. Not enough people seem to ever recognize the producer.
 
D

drknite

Can't wait to eat some Kobe tubesteak
love love love Melancholy Hill. I find myself streaming npr on my iPhone so I can just scrub to around 30 minutes.
 
E

Epcott

Member
I enjoyed the first go through... still like Demon Days more, but perhaps that's due to Dangermouse's production?
 
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