Damn - just cant enough of this CD. All the tracks have their own distinct personality (due to the wide aqrray of producers - Dr Dre, Jimmy jam & Terry Lewis, Neptunes, Andre 3000, Dallas Austin)

Trust me if you have not heard this CD yet it is along the same lines of Outkasts latest...plenty of cool flavas' (and since Andre 3000 appears on 3 tracks it kinda is!!)

Wonder why P was not on this??? I knowv about hsi work with her on No Doubts CD but this seemed inevitable but Andre does a niice job sitting in for P

Gwen's L.A.M.B. is my newest guilty pleasure

um...i don't really think andre is "sitting" in for prince, lol.

I Love her cd also. She said if she were a Man she would be ANDRE. Guess they are real TIGHT!

"Harajuku Girls" sounds like it has a hint of updated Minneapolis funk when you listen attentively to the keyboards and the groove during the hook.

Jimmy & Terry still got it.

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[Edited 11/27/04 13:02pm]

can we please get a sticky thread for this album?

I can't get this album outta my head!!!

Tick tocks all over the place...Bubble Pop Electric....Na Na Na Na's

I fall asleep to it in my head. I awake with some lyric in my head.

Aside fro the title track I simply have to take the hat off to Rich Girl Bubble Pop, Luxurious Harajuku girls, Serious, and Long way to go.

I'll bet that No Doubt(the band), Big Boi, and Madonna are hating on Gwen right now. but also picking up thier ears. Although Madonna should be releasing records like this, I REALLY hope she doesn't...I think she'd make it contrived. Maybe like 10 years ago or something. Another thing, maybe it's just me...I hear Missy Elliot/Timbaland all over the place in the R&B songs. She has certainly shaped the R&B/Hip Hop scene with her music and here it is on this album by a white girl. Much allocades to her.

I bought it and I like it, but it's already wearing thin on me. 500 mentions of Harajuku girls and her clothing line kinda ruin some of it. Yeah, I get that you like accessories hun, but let's move on.

RipHer2Shreds said:

i kinda feel you on that but i have still fallen in love with the cd. its smart pop!

What a fun album

From what I've gathered, I think it's safe to say that the majority seem to like this CD. I'll find out for myself next week. I can't get it where I'm at right now. I can't wait to hear it.

There needs to be a sticky about this. There have been more threads about this than even the new U2.

GangstaFam said:

So, do you like it?

GooeyTheHamster said:

It's pretty good. I'm not supercrazy about her, but it's a fun enough record.

GangstaFam said:

Are there any otters on the album?

GooeyTheHamster said:

Not to my knowledge, no.

sallysassalot said:

Yep, it is indeed a well-made album. Lots of fun and better than most any pop out there today. It's albums like this one that make it okay to say you like pop music.

i really like this cd a lot! it grows on me more and more with each listen! at first i thought it was kind of strange (meaning, not so catchy) but now i think it's very catchy and quirky at the same time time. my favorites are....

what are you waiting for
holla back
rich girl
bubble pop electric this cd

this cd rocks though, go gweny, gwen, gwen!

Hey, there's a track at the end called "Long Way To Go." I'm really feeling it lately.

We've got a long way to go
When snow hits the asphault
Cold looks and bad talk come

We've got a long way to go
It's beyond Martin Luther
Upgrade computer.

All men are created equal

G*d's children will live in a nation

Where they will not be judged by the color of their skin...

Go 'head y'all.

That beat is heavy. Reminds me of Kelis' "Millionaire" in some ways. Both are Prince-y.

:::: inner city high school pep rally (already in progress):::::

::::black cheerleaders strut onto the basketball court::::

::::throw down pompoms and meanmug the opposing squad::::

Let me hear you say 'the s**t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A, yeah.'

::::girls yell back and flap hands to the sky:::::

Tha s**t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A, yeah!

::::

Again, the s**t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A, yeah

:::girls clap & stomp back::::

This s**t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A, yeah!

:::::girls do a dance move like they slipped on a banana peel, bust into a split and then freeze:::::

:::Crowd RoArs!!!::::


.
[Edited 11/29/04 11:23am]

2020 said:

I really like this album.It's like an '80's album.Def reminds me of early Madonna,et al. That Neptunes track is def asking for a full-on "housequake" remix. And I read in Spin that Gwen wanted Prince on this album,but his tour didn't allow him time. I'm sure he'll be on the next one. I think this cd may blwo up. It seems to have the right amount of hipness and commerciality. And Andre's Vanity 6/new wave groove as Johnny Vulture ain't gonna hurt.

rockwilder said:

I've been listening for 2 days now.. there are hits and misses:

I hear Madonna in all of those stupid breathy voice overs she does.

I totally agree with the housequake vibe to hollaback girl - is Prince the only artist the Neptunes bite these days? (don't forget slave 4 u). Btw, what the hell is this song about? What exactly is a 'hollaback girl'? A cheerleader? I'm confused.

I also heard a song in which Gwen was channeling the singer from the Pretenders - I forget her name.

I do like What you Waiting For (it grew on me) and Rich Girl. Dr Dre sampling Fiddler on the Roof - hmmm..

Bubble pop electric has Andre written ALL over it. And I like the Tony track, Crash.

Speaking of writing, weaknesses: Gwen's lyrics (if they are even hers on some of these songs) are very straightforward, which can be good, but usually a weakness imo. Plus, the constant reference to Harajuku girls and her LAMB line is pretty annoying. I mean, she wrote the album with marketing strategies in mind? This is truly a COMMERCIAL album.

Gwen's voice: Weakness. ALthough it can be cute, she ranks up there with Britney in terms of vocal appeal. And she struggles with live performing (at least one off performances like awards shows). She seems to need time to warm up.

Variety of Producers: Weakness, actually. It doesn't sound like Gwen's album, it sounds like Gwen singing Andre's songs, or Neptunes, etc. And that Luxurious song? OMG, how amazingly asinine! Gwen doing R.Kelly thug R&B? Wtf? I was waiting for some satirical lyrics to make it fun and worth listening to, but alas, no luck.

So, although I haven't listed any strengths, there are some really fun songs on here, and I'm sure the videos will be great. I do like Gwen, I just wish as her first solo effort that she would have been a little more innovative (herself). The whole album to me sounds like a drum machine and annoying voice. I guess I should remember that she is a lyricist / performer, not a musician. (Sorry, I can't even give her vocalist) Makes me wonder how much she contributed musically (not lyrically or creatively, I think she did that) to No Doubt.

anemone said:

wow, what a review. personally i really like this cd. i like that it is fun and quirky though i do agree with you on a few things.....

there are too many references or metionings of harujuku girls on the songs. what is her obsession with that?

by the way, i do think that particular song (harujuku girls sound like it could be a madonna song) i like it though.

i really like the song luxurious. i think it's cool hearing her do r&b. remember, if she'd just made an album with songs that sound like no doubt, what would be the point of going solo?

her voice sounds incredibly (baby dollish) on most of the songs, i noticed the similarities with her and britney's voice as well, though britney sounds more robotic.

all in all, i think it's a cool album i give it a B+

anemone said:

whoa,britney? she is a excellent live performer and has a great voice.take a look at live in the tragic kingdom dvd or any other performance you find online.

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[Edited 12/1/04 16:21pm]

anemone said:

Perhaps that's because it is an Andre song?

"Crash" I'm finding is getting a little obnoxious.

oh allright...i knew i was late on the train when i started that other thread sorry!

http://www.prince.org/msg/8/124273

the song that is starting to get on my nerves is the first one...what are u waiting for LOL

Aside from a few stumbles (the one with the tired Isley sample, and the awful slow version of the New Order-sounding one), this really is guilty pleasure of the year. Lyrics are defintiely on the thing side, but does it really matter when the music is this much fun. And I disagree about this not being "her" album enough..they all have a very certain vibe, that certainly sounds new coming from some of these producers.

MendesCity said:

Hush yo mouf when talkin' about the Isleys! That tired sample is one of my favorite tracks of theirs, and I actually really dig that song, Payback. I agree with you about The Real Thing - that it sounded a lot like a New Order track. Not my fave on the album, but it's good.

My main problem with the set (though I like it as a whole) is that she's trying to hard to get a little bit of everything - new wave, R&B, hip hop, social messages, dance. For me the only two tracks that don't work on the album are Harajuku Girls - solely for its shallowness - and Long Way to Go.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Hehe, yes, I know this. The point I was trying to make is that it was pure Andre with no Gwen. However, after a few more listens, I can see her influence a bit more. This sounds like a high school album to me, with all the references to clothes, making out in the backseat of cars and cheerleaders. :p Maybe she's re-living her youth? Anyway, Hollaback girl is actually addictive after 5 listens (i was singing it all through my volleyball match last night). I like the Payback song - if the Isley bros. remade it. It just sounds silly on Gwen. Anyways, all in all a fun album, will have great videos, but I hope she goes back to No Doubt. I don't think she contributed anything to the music scene with this album. I give any/all credit to the producers -- Tony did a great job with Crash.. I just love how RunDMC 80's rap it sounds.