Mature Deep Cool

This album demonstrates that great bands move on .They are recognisable as the band of yesteryear but only a dummy would expect a complete reworking of that album.Here we have a broader and subtler palette but with depth feeling and control.Some lovely desolatetextures permeate the music and Beth does refer back to the folk-influenced singing from her solo album. Gone though are the Billie or Shirlie or Eartha impression which clog up the second album a little ,much as i love the textures there too. This is a mature deep album ,one which no-one should regret downloading or buying

5 star rating... absolutely BRILLIANT!!

After hearing 'mercy' i was immediately attracted to the sound of Duffy but I came with reservations, 'a song that good???, cant have more than one on an album'. I decided to purchase the cd and was pleasantly suprised. Each song holds its own, songs like 'delayed devotion', 'serious', 'warwick avenue' and 'stepping stone' are great sing-alongs. The album is filled with great emotion and i believe the words and organisation of each song represent themselves greatly. It is honestly one of the best albums ive heard in a long time, not just one song but 10!!, the only negative is that the album could have included a few more songs but regardless its worth it :)
Talent.

Positively Surprising

I must admit I did not see this coming. I thought it was going to be seriously bad given that: 1) it's a 'side' project; 2) it would be a monkeys-type of sound, but without the monkeys; 3) music collaborations always turn to be rubbish. Then I read in a review"epic tunes" and I thought"OMG they are becoming like EMBRACE". Very confusing. One way or another I had serious doubts of buying it.
But then I decided to listen the full album through those 30 secs"pre-views" and I could notice the album was indeed different. So I gave it a try and I must say that I'm very positively surprised. Several listens already and loving it even more.
This is indeed what a"side project" should be: a bit experimental; out of the comfort zone; but most of all keeping the quality up.
This album proves wrong critics that thought the monkeys were great lyricist, but traped in a single melody. I could compare this album to Picasso's Blue period. It's not his signature period, but it provides an insightful view of his persona. It is still himself, but naked. Not buried under the mandatory traits of his own success of later time. It is also a period that shows his great command of the basic painting techniques, which will become the foundation of his more recognized work.
In the same way, this is a stripped Turner/Kane version: there is plenty of clues of who its makers are, but presents them stripped to the bones, and without the distraction of their other personas. A great achievement.

Bloomin' great!

What a great purchase. If you like folk and want delve deeper, buy this. It really is a greater taster CD. If they started doing"Now that's what I called Folk" this would be a great start, such a varied mix. Mr Magnifico is a lovely Hispanic-styled track, Williams and MacColl are a great duet and as always Cara shines!. I have albums by Carthy, Polwart, McCusker, Woomble, and Dillon, and these tracks are great additions. Thoroughly recommended!!

The old REM are back!

After a change of style over the last few years, REM have come back with a real corker. I am really enjoying this album and it grows on me each time I play it. A fabulous first track 'Living well is the best revenge', I just love the lyrics, it really gets the album off to a flying start. You ideally need to sit in a quiet room to recover once the album has finished. Brilliant!

Fresh and undeniably catchy!!!

First of all, give this album 3 litsens before forming any judgement - it is truly a grower!!!

It is ironic that the album that has won back radio airplay in the US and looks set to be her biggest there since 'Music', is dividing fans over here. It's not really fair to say this is a hip hop album, more a retro dance album with a hip hop vibe. What works with this album though is the variety of grooves and hooks that pull you in just when you start thinking: I've heard this before!

'The beat goes on' is a wonderfully euphoric dance trip and I have to disagree with some and say I really like the Kayne West rap - kind of adds another dimension to a song that just keeps aspiring for new momentum and somehow takes you in for the ride every step of the way. 'Dance tonight is a completely charming and irresistable early 80s retro groove (reminds me a little of Galaxy's 'Dancing tight' - anyone remember that?). These two tracks are definitely the highlights for me. Though the broodingly epic 'Voices' is is powerfully affecting and contains her most playfully philosophical lyrics since Erotica's 'Secret Garden'.

For all you doubters (not haters who just write a review to slag off Madonna), GIVE THIS ALBUM ANOTHER GO, it really is a wonderfully quirky and fresh little gem!

Gets more boring with each listen

This album is ok, strangely on my first listen I (thought I) instantly loved it, but the more I listen to it the more often I find myself skipping through tracks. Track 1 is perhaps the best, a number of others (maybe even the whole second half of the album) are pretty bland and are second rate versions of tracks off the first album. Plus Luke's voice begins to grate after a while. I've no doubt I'll give it more of a chance yet but I'll do that at the risk of becoming even more bored with it. Finally I can't see myself still listening to this in a year's time, whereas, thanks to 'Konk'(which is possibly the best thing about the album), I've rediscovered their first album and have found myself listening to it all over again.

Good, but not spectacular

Clowns. 7/10
Little Bird. 10/10
Happiness. 10/10
Road To Somewhere. 9/10
Eat Yourself. 10/10
Some People. 10/10
A&E. 10/10
Cologne Cerrone Houdini. 8/10
Caravan Girl. 10/10
Monster Love. 8/10

OVERALL VERDICT:9/10

Clowns is the albums worst song, as it seems to go on forever, but the album is still really good,"Little Bird","Happiness","Eat Yourself","Some People","A&E","Caravan Girl" are spectacular."Road To Somewhere" isn't as spectacular as those, but still good."Cologne Cerrone Houdini" and"Monster Love" could be better and"Clowns" shouldn't be on there, it's that terrible. Goldfrapp never really let you done, but"Clowns" dragged the albums score down from 10/10 to 9/10.

What You'd Expect from a Now Album

Now 69 provides yet another chance to hear some of the great songs from late last year into early 2008. Some classic tunes on the two disks and a great compilation to remember the time by, though I felt there were some space fillers towards the end of the album to make up numbers. Luckily for this album, there were few tracks that didn't make it.

The Often Heard Album

Sorry for the review title, it's a good job Elbow do better songs than I do titles!

In light of the other reviews, do you really need another verbose offering? No. But this album needs another 5 stars, because it's a wonderful, wistful, melancholic, optimistic & occasionally ballsy ride. Put it this way, I now have 4 great Elbow albums in my collection, instead of just the 3!

And if you get a chance to see them live, do, they will blow you away!

This is the worst album I have ever heard in my life.

Please for the love of God do not buy this, it's complete garbage. Complete garbage with lyrics that are actually painful to hear. How the hell these guys got a record deal is beyond me, I've made better music having a crap.

A promising start

I can imagine there was great delight in the Radio 2 playlist office when they first heard Sweet About Me; it ticks almost every MOR box you could wish for. Me, well I was more intrigued by the fact that this album was being"overseen" by Xenomania.

And in an essence, their presence is what sets this really rather good album apart from the chasing pack. Their eye for a catchy pop tune is undiminished and shines through like a beacon here and the fact that they're serious about pop, but not too-self serious, means that it immediately bypasses the Amy Winehouse clone argument.

Save The Lies might get a little too close to Anastacia for comfort, but it's a cracking start to the album and sets things up very nicely indeed. It's the more uptempo tracks that most grabbed my attention, the best of the bunch being Don't Wanna Go To Bed Now and Cigarettes and Lies, and even the cover version of Echo Beach works well, albeit in a camp way.

It's by no means perfect, perhaps being a little too reliant on ballads for my liking, but there is a definite sense that this could be the start of something special. Of course, Joss Stone seemed like a great talent on the back of her debut, so you'd be wise not to get too excited just yet; but on balance, Cilmi certainly looks as if she could have a bright future ahead of her.

GREATEST ALBUM OF THE YEAR SO FAR!

'Adele' first came to my attention on the fabulous Jools Holland Show. (Jools has some good acts) Every now and again, I will spot somebody 'special' on this Show. I usually only have to hear one song from an Artiste to know whether I would be interested in an Album from them or not - this time it was 'Right As Rain' from 'Adele' that did it for me - and I was sold!

'Adele' has a 'classy' voice and sings some great and 'expensive' songs here. The tracks are not overlong, and average at around three minutes or so (as they used to years ago, and should do) and thus do not become boring as so many modern compositions do, but leave you wanting more from each song which is always the key to success. This Album is great on first hearing and does not need time to grow.

This album includes the haunting chart hit 'Chasing Pavements' that had the fabulous accompanying video. There isn't a single bad song on this. 'First Love' is like a beautiful lullaby, and there are also two or three 'euphoric' tracks including: 'Melt My Heart To Stone' and 'Tired', which is probably the best track on this - though does have some stiff competition on an album that is so enriched with so many great songs!

This is a CD you will never want to stop playing, and is worth buying for the superb track 'Tired' alone!

Fabulous stuff!

Just Brilliant!

I recently bought this album after a few of the singles came out and it's just the most fantastic album I have ever heard, it's no wonder that this legend doesn't stop selling.

All of the tracks tell a different story each with a slightly different tone. Each song is an individual masterpiece but as always I do have few favourites, these include Back To Black, Rehab, You Know I'm No Good, Tears Dry On Their Own, He Can Only Hold Her, Addicted and Wake Up Alone.

There is a hype to this album, due to to the media obsession with Amy Winehouse but you have to look beyond the picture that they've painted of her. Winehouse is a truly talented artist and a fantastic song writer.

I'm sure this review probably doesn't interest many because you've probably all heard the album but honestly, if you're looking for a masterpiece, this is where you'll find it.

I also recommend a purchase of Winehouse's collaboration with Mark Ronson, Valerie, available on single or on his album which is also pretty good, Version. The deluxe edition also comes with a slower version of Valerie, however, I don't feel it's as good as Ronson's version.

Get a grip we are letting it slip

I purchased this album off the back of the reviews on this site. I have got to say it is a very very average album at best. First two tracks are good but it goes down hill quickly after a good opening two tracks. I have never felt the need to write a review before but I felt that let down with this album I felt the need to say, that artists get an easy ride when being reviewed by some of the users of this site. If you like rubbish like the scissor sisters and throw away pop music that you will not listen to again after maybe six months please purchase this album.

Restores my faith in rock n roll

I am a bloke in his mid forties who grew up in the seventies on a diet of music ranging from Cream to Joni Mitchell,Led Zeppelin to Nick Drake and David Bowie to Free.

I own 1000 vinyl albums and about 600 CD's. Do not write reviews on here very often as find most are written by people only interested in a particular genre rather than a love of complete range of music.

And now to the point. This is a truly astonihing record. The best thing i have heard in years. White and Benson have combined to create a mini masterpiece. Raw powerful blues based rock n roll.

People moan about it being derivative, but heh what isn't or ever has been?

From the kickass rock of Attention to the blues/soul of Many Shades of Black this has it all.

Come on Britich bands. We made the best rock and roll in the sixties and seventies. We can do again. Am i the only one bored with a string of mediorce post punk wannabees? Rather than listening to The Velvets,Gang of Four and Joy Division....put on some Cream,Stones, Zeppelin and this and make our music more interesting again.


BUY BUY BUY. You wont be disappointed.

Geat Latin versions of popular tracks

I love this CD! I'm already a Latin music fan and have about hundred Latin CD's which includes Cuban music and Buena Vista Social Club. While this album might not be as great as the original Ry Cooder production, it's certainly great to listen and dance to. I think that the conversion of popular English music tracks into Cuban rhythms was done very sympathetically and simply works in almost all cases. I like the surprise element with"Clocks" when it starts like the original and then suddenly turns into Salsa. I also respect Sting for singing in Spanish. I believe that this album will make Latin music more accessible for people that don't normally listen to it. I know that I will play a few tracks of this album at my wedding, as my H2B and I can salsa to it and our guests will still enjoy the music as they are familiar with it, whereas they might be a bit alienated if we play pure Salsa for a long period of time. The only track that I don't like is the"Killing me Softly" track, but then I'm personally sick of the English version anyway and others might like it. "Dancing Shoes" takes some getting used to, but I can imagine it works at a party and is simply good fun. The fact that some of the proceeds go to a course is also a good incentive to buy this CD.
I hope there will be more like this soon...

citrus headed excelence

get this album if your into citrus based fruit heads i.e karl pilkington. a must buy.

Not An Artist to Be Overlooked - A True Diva In The Making.

This album is brilliant every song is memorable, never ever get tiered of listening to the lead off single 'Bleeding love', it's an extremely emotional song with equally excellent lyrics, other songs i liked were 'Whatever it takes', excellent mid-tempo gospel inspired song with a super catchy hook, and a really good vibe and lyrics, 'Homeless' is also a really good catchy ballad, vocalically it's absolutely superb, same can be said for the moving 'The first time ever i saw your face' also vocally superb and timeless, very very memorable indeed, best version I've heard of it she really made it her own, 'Footprints in the sand' this song contributed to the charity single for sport relief it's also a really good ballad, again like most of the songs on here very memorable hook, 'Here i am' the Walter Afanasieff track, it starts on the same piano note as Mariah's 'Whenever you call' from 'Butterfly'. I love all the works of Walter Afanasieff, a truly great musician and producer i can't credit him enough, he's doing very similar things with Leona that he did with Mariah a good few years back, anyway 'Here i am' is excellent ballad and gives people like me a break from generic R&B. Finally i also found 'Better in time' a stand out track, really nice vibe to it and slightly more upbeat from the other stuff on here, the remaining tracks on the album that i haven't mentioned are defiantly worth a listen, all the songs on here are great. Some tracks have the feel of early Mariah ballads while others are totally up to date modern R&B numbers, i hope that Leona can deliver this standard or better on the crucial 2nd release, i am very exited to see where she will go next. Not an artist to be overlooked at all, an addictive CD worth owning.

Brilliant!

Don't think about it just buy it! You won't regret it. Brilliant. Saw them in concert last week in Sheffield, had a great time.