Greetings All!
How are you all enjoying the weather? A bit hot, is it? Well, to jazz things up a little, I have chosen Gwen Stefani for this month's review! A very hot girl, with some very kewl tunes of late! She recently put forth a new album called "Love Angel Music Baby" or L.A.M.B. as it is otherwise known. Now granted, there are some rather catchy tunes on this album, but as for the rest of them, look out! Carb overload! You just might need to go on the Atkins Diet after having listened to the entire album!
"Why Silver! Whatever do you mean"?? Well well. Simply that some of the songs are so sugary sweet that they are likely to cause a serious rise in blood sugar than anything else! False energy, yes, I admit - it is a cruel trick on one's body and there you have it! Yes, you might say Gwen Stefani, while very pretty, energetic, and no doubt (pardon the pun!) very talented, seems to have sold herself short of her real talents, from what very many folks are saying! Especially those die hard No Doubt fans. And though ND fans were expecting similar quality from her on her solo ventures, apparently, that was precisely what she was NOT trying to do! Instead, she moved more in the direction of pop princess with a penchant for Harajuku fashion - more on that strange and wonderful phenomenon later.
I'd firstly like to get the songs that I consider to be a bit over the top out of the way first, and then finish up with the ones which were the reason for this review in the first place. So a good starting place as any may as well be "Cool".
Now, I can't find any fault in this song. This is one of those songs in which we feature a young man and a young lady who were once together, shared some time, some love, and whatever else. For whatever reasons, it didn't last, and here she is reminiscing. Though she states she has moved on, and has no regrets, it's very plain to see that if she could turn back time, she'd still be with him. She tries to sound convincing when speaking of the "love" of her life, but somehow, she isn't convincing.
"It's hard to remember how it felt before
Now I found the love of my life
Passes things, get more comfortable
Everything is going right
And after all the obstacles
It's good to see you now with someone else
And it's such a miracle that you and me are still good friends
After all that we've been through
I know we're cool
I know we're cool
We used to think it was impossible
Now you call me by my new last name
Memories seem like so long ago
Time always kills the pain
Remember Harbor Boulevard
The dreaming days where the mess was made
Look how all the kids have grown, oh
We have changed but we're still the same
After all that we've been through
I know we're cool
I know we're cool
Yeah, I know we're cool
And I'll be happy for you
If you can be happy for me
Circles and triangles
And now we're hanging out with your new girlfriend
So far from where we've been
I know we're cool
I know we're cool
C-cool, I know we're cool
I know we're cool"..
Wow..What can you say? I'm sad. We've moved on, but I haven't moved on. Since I couldn't have you, I married someone else and had kids. Lalalalalalalaaaaaaaa..Ok, onto the next one - "Bubble Pop Electric". Yup. You read correctly. This tune totally puts me in mind of something right out of the 50s. Picture a girl getting ready for a big date - hair in a ponytail, skirt and sleeveless shirt, little Bobby socks, and pretty soon, those socks are coming off! In the back seat of Johnny's 57 Chevy. This song is about as sickly as they come, but still, the harmonizing is top notch - Wish I could say the same for the rest of it! I suppose many of you would say this is a fun song. Ok, great. It's fun! Johnny's gonna get lucky tonight. All hail Dr. Atkins.
"I'm antsy
Bubble pop electric pansies
My sweet tooth, I want your candy
The Queen of Eng would say it randy
I'm itchy
I wish you would come and scratch me
Tonight I'm falling, won't you catch me
Swoop on by, so you can snatch me
And take me out
Tonight, I'm gonna give you all my love in the back seat
Bubble pop electric, bubble pop electric
Gonna speed it down and slow it up in the back seat
Bubble pop electric
Uh-oh, in the back seat
The need to be satisfied
Come pick me up, I want a ride
Hurry, hurry, come to me
Drive in movie
Drive in, move me
Drive into me"..
Did she say bubble pop electric PANTIES? Ahh what's the difference? Only one letter. And that "uh oh in the back seat" - I hope Johnny used a Jimmy! Otherwise it'll be more than one uh oh! Alrighty! Next song is a little better, in fact, I can say honestly that I kind of like it. It's called "Luxurious", and it seems to be about a lady who is correlating her love life with luxurious things - rolling in cashmere, platinum lightning, etc. And hey, there's even a mystery gent speaking French in the background. Oooh la la! Sharing a little joie de vivre and je ne sais quoi :o) The whole tempo of the song is feel good, slow and laid back. Basically reveling in the luxury of lovemaking with a treasured lover.
"Champagne kisses, hold me in your lap of luxury
I only want to fly first-class desires, you're my limousine
So elegant, the way we ride, our passion, it just multiplies
There's platinum lightning in the sky
Look I'm livin' like a queen
This kind of love is getting expensive
We know how to live, baby
We're luxurious, like Egyptian cotton
We're so rich in love, we're rollin' in cashmere
Got it in fifth gear, baby
Diamond in the rough is lookin' so sparkly
Working so hard, every night and day
And now we get the pay back
Trying so hard, saving up the paper
Now we get to lay back
Working so hard, every night and day
And now we get the pay back, the pay back, the pay back
Sugar, honey, sexy baby
When we touch it turns to gold
Sensitive and delicate, kinda like a tuberose
You know you are my treasure chest
It's pure perfection when we kiss and
You're my Mr., I'm your Miss
Gonna be until we're old"..
Ahhh, so nice :o) We worked our butts off, and now we can kick back and do what we want for as long as we want, living and loving life in the lap of luxury! Ok, now I can finally move on a little bit and introduce the concept of "Harajuku Girls", which is the next song on my list - Keep in mind, I'm not going in sequence here, I wanted to get the not-the-greatest songs out of the way first. Harajuku Girls, what are they? Well...It seems that Gwen took a trekker to Japan and found a group of girls who have a certain fashion sense. That is, they mix haute couture (think Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Mark Miu) with secondhand items to come up with their own fashion sense. They get all dolled up and hang out in Harajuku, and Gwen managed to become totally infatuated with the look to the point of marketing her own line.
"Wa-mono
There's me, there's you (hoko-ten)
In a pedestrian paradise
Where the catwalk got its claws (meow)
A subculture, in a kaleidoscope of fashion
Prowl the streets of Harajuku (irasshaimase)
Super lovers, tell me where you got yours
(At the super lovers store)
Yoji Yamamoto
I'm hanging with the locals
Where the catwalk got its claws
All you fashion know-it-alls
With your underground malls
In the world of Harajuku
Putting on a show, when you dress up in your clothes
Wild hair color and cell phones
Your accessories are dead on
Harajuku girls, you got the wicked style
I like the way that you are
I am your biggest fan, oh
(Gwen Stefani, you like me!?)"
Does she like you?!? Hell, apparently she can hardly wait to get back to Japan and get some brand new fans! Right! Now I can FINALLY move on to the 2 songs on this album which got my attention in the first place! Next tune is "Rich Girl". I LOVE this song! Sorry, did I just pull a Captain Jack Sparrow? My apologies :o) But it IS a good song, and fun to sing. I love the energy of it and everything, it's all good! If we were all rich girls, and had all the money in the world, what need would any of us have for men? Hahahaha she has my attention already :o) Now now, don't fret! This isn't an "I hate men" type of a song - just a fun one :o) In fact, she even states quite matter-of-factly that all the money in the world doesn't hold a candle to her man. There, you see?
"If I was a rich girl na na na na na na na na na na na na na na
See, I'd have all the money in the world
If I was a wealthy girl
No man could test me
Impress me
My cash flow would never ever end
Cause I'd have all the money in the world
If I was a wealthy girl
Think what that money could bring
I'd buy everything
Clean out Vivienne Westwood
In my Galliano gown
No, wouldn't just have one hood
A Hollywood mansion if I could
Please book me first-class to my fancy house in London town
All the riches baby, won't mean anything
All the riches baby, won't bring what your love can bring
All the riches baby, won't mean anything
Don't need no other baby
Your lovin' is better than gold
And I know"..
Pretty good, pretty neat! Ok, last but certainly not the least is the one song everyone has heard at least once, or in the very least, seen the video on MTV - "What Are You Waiting For" has hit the top of the charts for some time now, and well deserved too. The video was great, I love how they used an Alice In Wonderland theme for it. The song puts me in the mind-frame that it must have been both difficult and brave for Gwen to do her own thing, away from No Doubt. And to me, this is what she is trying to convey in the lyrics of this song. She seems a little worried that she might be labeled a poseur, and taking a chance SEEMS to be the right thing to do, but she still seems worried how she will be perceived by society in general. I guess that would be a little daunting! And being a girl, once those beautiful looks begin to fade and blur, she's scared that'll be the time to hang it all up. At the same time, she keeps pushing herself to take a chance! What are you waiting for? Like Nike says, just do it!
"Tick-tock, tick-tock
Tick-tock, tick-tock
Tick-tock, tick-tock
Tick-tock, tick-tock
La, la, la, la, la, la, la
Like a cat in heat, stuck in a moving car
A scary conversation, shut my eyes, can't find the brake
What if they say that you're a cloner
Naturally, I'm worried if I do it alone
Who really cares, cause it's your life
You never know, it could be great
Take a chance cause you might grow
Oh, ah, oh
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for
Tick-tock, tick-tock
Tick-tock, tick-tock
Take a chance you stupid ho
Like an echo pedal, you're repeating yourself
You know it all by heart
Why are you standing in one place
Born to blossom, bloom to perish
Your moment will run out
Cause of your sex chromosome
I know it's so messed up, how our society all thinks (for sure)
Life is short, you're capable (uh-huh)
Oh, ah, oh
Look at your watch now
You're still a super hot female
You got your million-dollar contract
And they're all waiting for your hot track
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting
What you waiting for
I can't wait to go back and do Japan
Get me lots of brand new fans
Osaka, Tokyo
You Harajuku girls
Damn, you've got some wicked style
Go
Look at your watch now
You're still a super hot female
You got your million dollar contract
And they're all waiting for your hot track"..
And there you have it! All in all, it's not a bad album as albums go. I still think she sold herself short on quite a few tracks, and sometimes I can't help but wonder if people like these just write any damn thing to get into the studio, and get it all over and done with, pressed and released on deadline. Who knows! Does it matter? Well, only to the bazillions of Johns and Janes out there spending their hard earned greenbacks buying the music!
Anyway, for those of you who haven't purchased the album, and want to check out some samples, you can go http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00064AEJW/ref=pm_dp_ln_m_2/104-1344869-0368750?v=glance&s=music&vi=samples and check them all out at your leisure - they're all queued up and ready to go. For those wishing to visit the site where you can get more info on Gwen, I believe this is her http://www.gwenstefani.com official site. Ok then, I know this is not in my usual style of music reviews, but I thought I'd venture out on a limb here and do something different! I hope you enjoyed it at any rate :o) Take good care all, and enjoy the remainder of the summer! It's terribly short-lived, so enjoy it while you can :o) See you next month!
In service,
Silver