Lucky Number 7: The New Album Thread

Whickwithy

LuDux said:
concept album about Beyonce's life

What??!?!? I hope they do some more of that duet stuff, like she did with John Grant, but with their music! I always liked the idea of famous contributing artists, like Mick Jagger on a Carly Simon record or just about everybody, it seemed, with some artists, like Steely Dan.

But, really, a bond movie would just be soooo awesome for them and for me!!

banana

Please call your next album BLUE SUNSHINE.

Appy61

As impatient as we all are we don't want a 'rushed' anything. A finely crafted piece of work is what we're after with the excitement of not knowing what it will sound like - otherwise we'll end up with another HF (apologies if this was your fav album!)

Urban_Tribesman

Interesting thought. Is Head First anyone's favourite album?

Slippage · Post edited by Slippage at 2015-07-08 22:04:42

Urban_Tribesman said:
Interesting thought. Is Head First anyone's favourite album?

I rather enjoyed it. The title track, Hunt, Dreaming, Shiny and Warm, I Wanna Life and even Voicething were wonderfully done. I really don't understand the backlash it gets, for it pretty much did what Goldfrapp wanted to achieve with it: to create an album with an ABBA-esque-discopop-retro feel. In fact, there's not a song that I don't like on HF.

It was something very different, and I thoroughly appreciated adding it to my library :) when I'm feeling blue and lonely, it does wonders and cheers me up. It's a happy album, and we need more of them.

iuventus

^Yep. It's a cheerful housecleaning/laundry day album.

Urban_Tribesman

Funny thing is, it is my least favourite album but I cannot explain why. When I look across the songs, individually, most are fine. A couple are flimsy and I think it is collectively that it falls down. It does not feel like a serious album which suggests the rumours that it was done quickly as a contractural obligation are true.
Even Voicething, which I find a clever collage of Alison's vocal abilities, did not appear to warrant a proper title.
Will. "what shall we call the voice thing we were playing around with, as we can slot that on the end of the album"
Ali. "I don't know. Why don't we call it.........'Voicething'"
Will. "Yeah, fine with me. Pretty much sums it up".
And that is my feeling with the album as a whole. Adequate. Unremarkable. Could have been a lot better.

iuventus

I figured "Voicething" was a nod to Stockhausen's "Stimmung."

LuDux

iuventus said:
I figured "Voicething" was a nod to Stockhausen's "Stimmung."

O Superman because 80s?

hunter · Post edited by hunter at 2015-07-10 05:37:29

You know, in regards to Head First, I think that if Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna or Kylie Minogue had released it in 2010 it would have been hailed as a truly great pop album (which it is)...with the exception of a couple tracks (which are still more than adequate) each song is a perfectly formed gem of neon, 1980's, Abba-esque, synthpop deliciousness.

I believe that because it came from Goldfrapp, that far into their career and at that time (the 80's synthpop throwback had already been brought back into pop music in 2010) it wasn't appreciated for what it was. For the previous decade Goldfrapp had been seen as being ahead of the (pop music) curve, so to speak, and had been releasing beautiful albums full of gorgeous songs with a specific depth and artistic flair. If I recall correctly the majority of the reviews for Head First were good (with a few actually being great). As for the fans, I think we all just expected something more. Something deeper. Something a little more "forward" looking, or at least timeless sounding.

Head First (and Supernature, I know, I know) are my least favorite Goldfrapp albums but I still very much like them and find myself reaching for and enjoying Head First more than Supernature on those days when I need a extra little pep. A bounce in my step. It makes me happy. It makes me smile. I love driving down the Pacific Coast Hiway at sunset in spring or summer with the windows and sunroof open singing at the top of my lungs to Believer, Shiny And Warm, I Wanna Life, Alive or Head First (btw, I have slotted We Radiate into the playlist between Alive and Dreaming and it seems to round out the album and give it a much more complete feeling).

My point is, I do not think Head First is a bad album, or even a particularly weak album. It's actually quite good for what it was (allegedly) supposed to achieve. It's just that we, the fans have come to expect the spectacular, the breathtaking from Goldfrapp and in this instance they just delivered a sweet, if brief, glittery, 80's inspired synthpop album. From any number of other pop stars in 2010 I think it would have been championed as THE pop album of the year.

Whickwithy

The worst thing about Head First? Alison's comment.

NovaLasing

HF is a good album. But because it was hurried, is not as wonderful as the other 5. So let's be patient:-)

Slippage · Post edited by Slippage at 2015-07-10 14:43:26

I'm thankful it was the last album in that atrocious contract. The band felt obliged and constrained, to say the least. This is exactly why Tales of Us was created from enlisting the help of others for free, borrowing equipment, pinching what few pennies they had and making do with whatever they could scrimmage together. I still think they were going to do a huge dance album or "Black Cherry 2", if you will, but they weren't able to afford the monumental costs. They are HIGHLY regarded and respected in the industry, with everyone from Ellie Goulding to Adam Lambert to RuPaul and countless others singing praise of their ability. Since they couldn't afford to do as much this time around (or so it seemed), I think they made it easier on themselves and their chequebooks by making a minimalist, earthy, elegant little album that would catch the attention of the industry, hopefully enticing them to have a bigger budget for the next one.

I still say number 7 will be a merge between voicething-esque vocals (like Enya, who really needs to come out of her damn hermit's lair already) as background noise, coupled with stomping jungle beats and fiery latin rhythm, as well as catchy choruses. I predict it will be a short length - possibly 7 or 8 tracks, but every one will be explosive and utterly bombastic, consisting of beats we would only expect from the likes of Bjork, etc.

I already have the perfect title for the album: Thunderclap. Just makes you HAVE to hear it, you know?

Jo_ey

7-8 tracks [-X

Low

If it's as good as Slippage makes it out to be, 7-8 tracks could work.

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