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| Zany secret hip-hop squad is really an alt-pop supergroup. Tomorrow Comes Today, 19/2000, Clint Eastwood, Rock The House, Re-Hash, Slow Country, Man Research (Clapper), more. |
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| 1 Re-Hash |
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| 2 5/4 |
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| 3 Tomorrow Comes Today |
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| 4 New Genious (Brother) |
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| 5 Clint Eastwood |
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| 6 Man Research (Clapper) |
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| 7 Punk |
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| 8 Sound Check (Gravity) |
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| 9 Double Bass |
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| 10 Rock the House |
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| 11 19-2000 |
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| 12 Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo) |
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| 13 Starshine |
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| 14 Slow Country |
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| 15 M1 A1 |
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| 16 Dracula |
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| 17 Left Hand Suzuki Method |
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Album Review
It's tempting to judge Gorillaz -- Damon Albarn, Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett, and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura's virtual band -- just by their brilliantly animated videos and write the project off as another triumph of style over substance. Admittedly, Hewlett's edgy-cute characterizations of 2-D, Gorillaz' pretty boy singer (who looks a cross between the Charlatans' Tim Burgess and Sonic the Hedgehog), sinister bassist Murdoc, whiz-kid guitarist Noodle, and b-boy drummer Russel are so arresting that they almost detract from Gorillaz' music. The amazing "Thriller"-meets-"Planet of the Apes" clip for "Clint Eastwood" is so visually clever that it's easy to take the song's equally clever, hip-hop-tinged update of the Specials' "Ghost Town" for granted. And initially, Gorillaz' self-titled debut feels incomplete when Hewlett's imagery is removed; the concept of Gorillaz as a virtual band doesn't hold up as well when you can't see the virtual bandmembers. It's too bad that there isn't a DVD version of "Gorillaz", with videos for every song, à la the DVD version of Super Furry Animals' "Rings Around the World". Musically, however, "Gorillaz" is a cutely caricatured blend of Albarn's eclectic Brit-pop and Nakamura's equally wide-ranging hip-hop, and it sounds almost as good as the band looks. Albarn has fun sending up Blur's cheeky pop on songs like "5/4" and "Re-Hash," their trip-hop experiments on "New Genious" and "Sound Check," and "Song 2"-like thrash-pop on "Punk" and "M1 A1." Despite the similarities between Albarn's main gig and his contributions here, "Gorillaz" isn't an Albarn solo album in disguise; Nakamura's bass- and beat-oriented production gives the album an authentically dub and hip-hop-inspired feel, particularly on "Rock The House" and "Tomorrow Comes Today." Likewise, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Miho Hatori, and Ibrahim Ferrer's vocals ensure that it sounds like a diverse collaboration rather than an insular side project. Instead, it feels like a musical vacation for all parties involved -- a little self-indulgent, but filled with enough fun ideas and good songs to make this virtual band's debut a genuinely enjoyable album. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
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• Biography
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Other albums by: Gorillaz |
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