Anyone else feel the same way?

It was great at first because I love the new wave sound and the 80's, and this is a record that revels in retro. But now I'm completely bored by it. It doesn't have the staying power of the best new wave tracks. This is probably becuase it feels like such a pastiche - as if the producers got together with Gwen, she told them she wanted to make a new wave record, and they gave her a selection of ten 80's albums. "Select one song from each album, and we'll make a sound-alike. Oh, you like 'Time After Time'? Well, we'll call it 'The Real Thing'." And so on.

It's meant to be a party record but for some reason it really isn't FUN. I think she sounds a tad bored on it - it lacks the spontaneity of the earlier No Doubt records. It isn't loose - everything's calculated. I'd take Beauty And The Beat over this any day.

And that fucking NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA hook on Rich Girl is truly grating. It works in Fiddler On The Roof, but definitely not here. Maybe if there was a 3 minute edit....
[Edited 3/1/05 11:54am]

I never thought it was a great album to begin with. Of course everyone on this site was overblowing the album and i bought it to be sadly disappointed.

The songwriting is very weak.
I see stronger lyrics in Hilary Duff's music and that is sad.

VoicesCarry said:

After I bought "Kish Kash" by Basement Jaxx I realized what the real party record of the year was. If Gwen had put out KK she would've been saying something. I am a little bored with LAMB.

I had a feeling it was going to fade fast but when I first got it I was into it. It was good for the moment but that moment has passed.

jayaredee said:

Vivienne Westwood and Harajuku Girls only go so far.

And I think the entire Rich Girl song consists of:

"If I was a rich girl NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
Then I'd have all the money in the world" [No shit, Gwen]

with a bridge and a chorus

But the album is doing very well. It's currently number 15 on the Top 200.

I was disappointed that "Rich Girl" was a remake. I'm dying to hear the "Fiddler" original. I think I just might buy the "Fiddler" cast album. They did it on "Gilmore Girls" last week.

I heard the cd a couple of times at a friends house and thought it sucked right away. I hate the cheesy videos too. It's nothing but total fluff. She better run back to No Doubt if she knows what's good for her. Although, from some of the threads on this site it seems there are many fans of LAMB

I take it for the fluffy pop it is. On those terms, it does much more for me than Britney Spears. My only issues with it are the umpteenth use of the "Fiddler" song, the rehashed sample of "Between the Sheets" (though Luxurious pulls it off well) and Hollaback Girl. Hate that song. I also think the remix of What You Waiting For trumps the original track. Not the best album I've ever heard, certainly not the worst.

kisscamille said:

It's funny you mention fluff because TRL was actually on at my house when Gwen did a stop in and they were taking questions from the phone and everyone was making fun of this girl for asking Gwen about her abs and my brother said, "There's nothing else you can really ask, it's all about fashion."

WhamBamGlamSlam said:

I LOVE that remix!

VoicesCarry said:

LOL honestly it was a silly song. And Eve's "contribution" was fucking lame
I thought the Harajuku Girl theme of the album didn't work at all, quite annoying.

But What you Waiting For was an awesome track, i love it to death still.
Cool is a nice song
Serious is probably the other stronghold of the album

otherwise i didn't understand the hype

Personally, I thought Kylie's Body Language was a hell of a lot better as a 2004 party record. It has a loose sense of fun - why is this so hard to replicate in America?

jayaredee said:

Those are my favs, too. I still listen to those.

What You Waiting For is the only example of moderately good lyrical styling on the record (but I still don't like the "stupid ho" line - that felt out of place and pretty silly).

And the other two are the only ones that sound anything like 80's productions, so I can accept them.
[Edited 3/1/05 12:10pm]

VoicesCarry said:

I agree, BL and Damita Jo were a hell of a lot better than Gwen's effort.

VoicesCarry said:

"Body Language" is a straight up strong album. Why it got slept on is still a mystery to me. Best Prince album in ages. And an overall better album then even "Fever". Too bad she's not focusing on us anymore, but I'll just have to be content with spending extra dough on imports.

CynicKill said:

Fever wasn't even that great of an album (for me anyways)
I think it did well because of the Can't get you out of my head "la la la" hook.

Body Language is an amazing album, Kylie's best to date IMO

CynicKill said:

"Promises" sounds like what Gwen was TRYING to do on "Cool".

FUCK! How did this spiral into Kylie Minogue (sp?)???!!


EVERTHING with you people is Kylie MiFuckingNogue!!!

CalhounSq said:

It's Madonna - won't you ever learn?

CalhounSq said:

But I think it's a testament to Kylie. People will always point out the fact that Kylie has a "thin" voice and uses too much sex appeal to sell records, but the truth is all this pop star diva-ness, and just putting out perfect pop songs just seems to come so effortlessly for her. It's miles ahead of anything the other pop "divas" try, including Gwen's. And it's obvious she's not taking herself too seriously. Her sexiness borders on camp.

VoicesCarry said:

Now now
let's prevent at least one threrad from going Madonna

VoicesCarry said:

I totally disagree with that. I would agree that "Rich Girl" got old fast. (nanana na na naa)

CalhounSq said:

CynicKill said:

SEE!!! Kylie, Kylie, KYLIE!!!

jayaredee said:

Remember when Calhoun started the "I don't get this Kylie Minogue shit" thread and it went up to like 150 replies. That was a fun thread . He's obsessed with hating Kylie.

CalhounSq said:

You're cute when you're psycotic.

CinisterCee said:

That being said, I gave Gwen's album to my sisters for Christmas and, well, they didn't exactly rave over it

I made the mistake of buying Gwen's cd the day after I bought the new U2 cd; I've only recently taken How to Dismantle out of my stereo, and have only given the Gwen CD a cursory listen or two. What I have heard, I can't say impressed me that much. Rich Girl/Hollaback Girl are both just godawful. No Doubt always did pop-ish music, but there's a long way down from Sunday Morning and Bathwater to 'This shit is B-A-N-A-N-A-S".

Kylie Minogue's CD didn't do much of anything for me either; honestly. Granted, I'm not into dance pop much, but I can appreciate a killer single here and there. Love at First Sight was a great tune, it had a great beat, and the chorus was great pop. The Body Language album just seemed to mine the 80's thing that she had already gotten right on LAFS.

I still don't think that any of the 80's pop replications work half as well as the original songs from the 80's. I'll take Into The Groove any day over some rehash. I'd rather hear a Duran Duran original than a Killers xerox.

Anyway, to get back to my original point, I hope that Gwen gets back with No Doubt, because they really can make some great material together. I understand that she wanted to do a lightweight, fluffy album, and kudos to her for doing it. I just hope that she doesn't continue down this road.

Anyway, I still think the album is fun, and still get hype whenever I see Gwen on TV and in mags. Maybe she can name the next one L.I.S.P.