Bonus Dannii review!



Neon Nights
2003
4.5 stars
Poor Dannii. Often maligned as the less spectacular Minogue, since 1987 Dannii has been overshadowed by her sister Kylie. Yet with Neon Nights, she proves that there is room for 2 Minogues in the music biz. Sadly, the album went mostly unnoticed despite its infectious fun.

Neon Nights is by and large a retro dance album. From the opening vinyl hiss audible on the opener "Put the Needle on It," Dannii 'n crew unleash a whirlwind recording filled with rubbery synth bass lines either inspired by or lifted directly from 80s funk tracks. Only 2 songs exceed 4 minutes in length, while the rest deliver their punches in rapid succession.

The album is anchored by its singles. The aforementioned "Put the Needle on It" is a raunchy scorcher with a truly warped bass line and tantalizing synth touches. Another track predating the rest of the album, the frenzied "Who Do You Love Now," a cut released with Riva in 2001, is a rare moment on the album that is truly driven by emotion. Arguably the album's best track, "I Begin to Wonder" plods along to the octave-stepping bass line before opening up to a blinding chorus reminiscent of Sly Fox's "Let's Go All the Way." Less effective, "Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling" is still enjoyable, straight-forward pop.

Despite being spear-headed by its singles, Neon Nights offers more highlights. The sultry "Creep" is one big burst of pheromones, while "Mighty Fine" is an engaging, funky track. "Push" successfully samples the often lifted riff from "White Pony," while "A Piece of Time" sounds like a video game with some timely short circuits. Unfortunately placed at the end of the sappy "It Won't Work Out," the bonus track "Come and Get It" is 6 minutes of house pleasure. Not only is the album fun, it is also quite humorous. "Vibe On" is a not-so-subtle ode to her bedtime friend, while "For the Record" features some of the most spastic vocals put to record.

Nevertheless, the album does suffer some weak moments. "For the Record" is at times too humorously bad to bear, while "Mystified" is simply bland. "It Won't Work Out" is a cheesy ballad that has no place on this high-paced, fun album.

Released in early 2003, Neon Nights is an unexpected triumph from the lesser known Minogue. Although it didn't garner the commercial gaze it sought, it is a step in the right direction for Dannii. A fun, effervescent listen, Neon Nights is above all else a great dance record. There isn't much beneath the surface here, but who cares?

BeatsPerMinute said:

You're not lying!

GangstaFam said:

It is great! Apparently, a compilation called The Platinum Collection is to be released with unreleased stuff from Neon Nights! One of the tracks, "Just Can't Give You Up", leaked today but I can't find it!

Moonbeam said:

All I Wanna Do is a Dannii track.

most of those a good. it does leave off the newly leaked Kylie Track "On the Up" which is pretty damn good

BeatsPerMinute said:

it's that whole "keep throwing everything at the wall and something is sure to stick" mentality when she records an album. that's why there are so many leftovers. she has no soul or ideas, so she just goes in and records 100, assuming that there might be 12 decent ones to put on an album

BeatsPerMinute said:

False Madonna has more released albums and songs than Kylie
1.Madonna
2.Like A Virign
3.True Blue
4.Like A Prayer
5.I'm Breathless
6.Erotica
7.Bedtime Stories
8.Evita
9.Ray of Light
10.Music
11.American Life
12.Confessions On A Dancefloor
plus tracks recorded for Soundtracks, Compliations and what not

1.Kylie
2.Enjoy Yourself
3.Rythym of Love
4.Let's Get To It
5.Kylie Minogue
6.Impossiple Princess
7.Light Years
8.Fever
9.Body Language

there are more bsides and unreleased tracks of Kylie's floating around but still does not have as many songs as Madonna availible.

ehuffnsd said:

I said S O N G S, not albums....

I guess you don't remember who I am in terms of Madonna fanatics here!

BeatsPerMinute said:

actully no she doesn't have more songs. when i use the counter in my itunes Madonna has a larger catoluge and a longer play time.

and yes i know who you are and i'm still shocked that you'd send an email calling someone a name over your precieved view of how a person likes Kylie.

ehuffnsd said:

when did I do that?

BeatsPerMinute said:

people need to stop with the alt persona

The Madonna vs. Kylie thing is SOOOOO 2002.

Ok, wow!

Those reviews make me want to be a Kylie fan too!
I do love Fever, but I haven't heard ANY of her other albums


...Im such an American sometimes

thekidsgirl said:

Start with Light Years, Body Language, Impossible Princess, Kylie Minogue and Hits+ gives the best range of her

ehuffnsd said:

Thanks! I definitely will

The Madonna vs. Kylie thing is SOOOOO 2002.

thekidsgirl said:

Start with Light Years, Body Language, Impossible Princess, Kylie Minogue and Hits+ gives the best range of her

GangstaFam said:

that's because Kylie is soooo 2002

KidOmega said:

I swear I thought people were totally delusional raving on about the locomotion chick. And then I heard "Can't get you outta my head"

SupaFunkyOrgangrinderSexy said:

why did it take you so long?

ehuffnsd said:

Because I was afraid to be insane like the rest of you