Head First... best to worst...

formergophers

1. Alive - I'm sorry, how is the reaction to this song so mixed? Just listen to the glorious harmonies of Alison's multitracked voice, the MASSIVE synths after the chorus, the piano... like, amazing.

2. Believer - A lot more subtle than the rest of the album but it feels like a total rush. Yum.

3. Head First - Euphoric and preeeeetttyyyy.

4. Dreaming - From here they get a bit samey. Lovely track but repetitive.

5. Hunt - Nice production, but again, not terribly memorable.

6. Shiny and Warm - Catchy and stuff, just not terribly exciting.

7. I Wanna Life - Again, nice but fluff. More memorable than the previous two though.

8. Voicething - Feels more like an experiment than something they should have put on the album. So relaxing though.

9. Rocket - Bleh. Fun, I guess, but whereas on other tracks they imitated the classic 80's style, here it feels like they emulated a bad track from the 80's. The lyrics are too damn obtuse.

Archway

Having revisited the album, I'm warming to it gradually. I think what has done it for me is the fact that I've been listening to it using headphones. I've heard sounds and bits I have not heard in the past. The more I hear the album, the more I realize it is just a really fun album. Still, it will be my least favourite for years to come, because I can't imagine them attempting something like it again. To make a worse album, they would have to go full metal / thrash / doom / speed metal, and I don't see that happening soon.

Border_Mind

Archway said:
Having revisited the album, I'm warming to it gradually. I think what has done it for me is the fact that I've been listening to it using headphones. I've heard sounds and bits I have not heard in the past. The more I hear the album, the more I realize it is just a really fun album. Still, it will be my least favourite for years to come, because I can't imagine them attempting something like it again. To make a worse album, they would have to go full metal / thrash / doom / speed metal, and I don't see that happening soon.

You never know with Goldfrapp, but no I don't see it happening soon, although with the live version of 'Alvar' they sound like they are capable of going in a 'heavier' direction perhaps with the next album? 'Little Bird' Live is also a very rock-out number, but I don't see a Goldfrapp Death Metal album being forthcoming (thankfully)

I have real affection with Head First and first fell in love with it on a long bus journey on head phones. I accept I am in the minority as the band themselves went and said they don't like it, but I love Head First..... I'll get me coat :\">

Archway

Border_Mind said:

Archway said:
Having revisited the album, I'm warming to it gradually. I think what has done it for me is the fact that I've been listening to it using headphones. I've heard sounds and bits I have not heard in the past. The more I hear the album, the more I realize it is just a really fun album. Still, it will be my least favourite for years to come, because I can't imagine them attempting something like it again. To make a worse album, they would have to go full metal / thrash / doom / speed metal, and I don't see that happening soon.

You never know with Goldfrapp, but no I don't see it happening soon, although with the live version of 'Alvar' they sound like they are capable of going in a 'heavier' direction perhaps with the next album? 'Little Bird' Live is also a very rock-out number, but I don't see a Goldfrapp Death Metal album being forthcoming (thankfully)

I have real affection with Head First and first fell in love with it on a long bus journey on head phones. I accept I am in the minority as the band themselves went and said they don't like it, but I love Head First..... I'll get me coat :\">

I'm listening to Head First right now (still), and I'm can hear the appeal. Perhaps if I listened to it using headphones earlier, I might have warmed to it when it was released.

I also have to admit that I have always thought of it in relation to their other albums, particularly Felt Mountain. If I stop comparing it and just see it as an album on its own, it's not nearly as bad as I thought.

I wasn't aware until recently that they dislike it. I must day that it doesn't surprise me. However, in spite of that, I have a sense that I will at least like the album one day.

Border_Mind

Archway said:

I'm listening to Head First right now (still), and I'm can hear the appeal. Perhaps if I listened to it using headphones earlier, I might have warmed to it when it was released.

I also have to admit that I have always thought of it in relation to their other albums, particularly Felt Mountain. If I stop comparing it and just see it as an album on its own, it's not nearly as bad as I thought.

I wasn't aware until recently that they dislike it. I must day that it doesn't surprise me. However, in spite of that, I have a sense that I will at least like the album one day.

Someone elese commented on another thread they wished Alison hadn't expressed their disdain for the record as it altered their opinion. I think it's a shame that Alison went on record to say she doesn't like it, if only as it encourages further negative back stabbing towards Goldfrapp. Sure she might not like it, but I can't help feeling that it would have been better expressed a bit further down the line. Then again it could be seen as quite a good tactic to say hey get ready for something of very different colours to Head First (quite literally).

There's a few 1 star reviews of Tales of Us on Amazon because this album is nothing like the fantastic Head First, or words to that effect. So whilst some people hate Head First others love it, strange indeed.
I have a feeling that Goldfrapp will at least one day grow to like Head First again maybe ;)

Joey

Yeah I was the one who said that Alison's opinion of the album now has tainted my experience listening to it. It's in the sense that she feels it's not of a certain quality that the rest of the albums are. It was rushed and the dance sound was forced on them by the label after the relative quiet sound of "Seventh Tree." She went on to say that it was the last time she and Will would ever let the label dictate what they did. And so now when I listen to the album all I can hear is how detached and forced it sounds.

But yeah I was extremely disappointed by her actually going on record with that as I absolutely adored the album when it first came out.

Border_Mind

Yeah I thought it was you Joey thanks for that.

I'm doing the listening to Head First now, so 80's especially when played on vinyl (as I am).

Listening to it now, it seems barely plausible that Tales of Us is from the same band, I still love it though ;)

Archway

Joey said:
Yeah I was the one who said that Alison's opinion of the album now has tainted my experience listening to it. It's in the sense that she feels it's not of a certain quality that the rest of the albums are. It was rushed and the dance sound was forced on them by the label after the relative quiet sound of "Seventh Tree." She went on to say that it was the last time she and Will would ever let the label dictate what they did. And so now when I listen to the album all I can hear is how detached and forced it sounds.

But yeah I was extremely disappointed by her actually going on record with that as I absolutely adored the album when it first came out.

I can understand her frustration about being forces to do something. It's typical though of certain record companies. So I'm not surprised she turned against the album.

Odd thing for me is that I'm only really discovering the album now and I don't find it detached. My biggest gripe still is about how lazy and cliched it sounds. And of course, it really lacks the usual Goldfrapp creativity. Having said that, I am beginning to enjoy it for what it is.

NovaLasing · Post edited by NovaLasing at 2013-09-20 19:12:56

HF is a good album - half of it is excellent in particular Hunt, Dreaming, S&W.
Pity the other half was mediocre & Rocket stands out as easily the worse track GF have done - it's the only track I skip on any of their albums. Having said that the Rocket video was really good (better than the TOU vids...)

cw37frapp

I would say Rocket, Ride a white horse and Strict Machine have been the best videos.

pauln

As others have said this does remind me of the albums I listened to in the 80s - OMD and the like. I love Hunt but I was surprised to see so many others had this at the top of their list. So here's mine

1. Hunt

2. Dreaming

3. Believer

4. Rocket (but start makes me think it is going to launch into ELO's Xanadu !)

5. Head First

6. I Wanna Life

7. Alive

Not a great fan of Voicething or Shiny and Warm.

Border_Mind

I Love Voice Thing and Shiny and Warm, and was pleasantly surprised that S&W was played at Somerset House last year given Alison has said less than favorable things about Head First, I seem to recall her saying she likes Hunt and Voice Thing though.

Ereality

1. We Radiate (still can't conceive why it's not on the album)

2. Shiny and Warm

3. I Wanna Life

4. Rocket

5. Believer

6. Alive

7. Head First

8. Hunt

9. Voicething

10.Dreaming

react010 · Post edited by react010 at 2014-01-30 19:54:35

This album just didn't do it for me at all ! (what's new ... lotta fans felt the same, including Alison herself:
http://www.orionsoft.co.uk/Goldfrapp/Audio/2012/2012_01_17_Goldfrapp_interview_Mark_Radcliffe/2012_01_17_Goldfrapp_interview_Mark_Radcliffe.mp3

Just 3 tracks on it that i really liked:
1) Head First (title track) ... lovely Abba-esque track !.
2) Believer (just very catchy somehow .. very new-wave-ish).
3) Voicething (but i dont consider this as a real albumtrack somehow, as its very operatic and instrumental .. seems like a 'filler' somehow, but a lovely one).
The rest i don't like at all ... Soz :-).

Glad to see them back into great shape with Tales Of us (oh my, this album is SO growing on me every time i hear it ... it is bloody brilliant and i love every track on it !).
Cheers.

stevil · Post edited by stevil at 2014-01-30 23:54:26

we really can't listen to alison's comments on past work now can we....we've seen all this before...i'd hate to hear what she has to say about TOU in 2 years.....it's what she does as an artist..will stays quiet...can you imagine how he feels that his art is always chastised?....she's always looking for the perfect work

the forced sound? i don't think anything alison and will create is forced...remember her comments about Head First during the time "so jubilant" ....she loved it....watch the tour videos.....

it fits perfectly in the GF trajectory

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