Gorillaz ft. Mos Def and Bobby Womack – Stylo
This screengrab, though… this one works just fine, I reckon…
[Video][Website]
[6.14]
Al Shipley: The Blurillaz juggernaut, a massively successful franchise based on the idea of combining a washed up Britpop singer with washed up ‘alternative’ rappers, continues to stupefy me. This song doesn’t sound like it will be ubiquitous for the next year, but I thought that with “Clint Eastwood” and “Feel Good Inc.”, and both times it turned out to be wishful thinking.
[2]
Ian Mathers: I actually like Albarn’s rather diffident vocals, but does anyone else kind of wish they’d just given the whole song – hell, the whole album – to Womack? He sounds great, and surprisingly natural, over the burbling electronic backing.
[7]
Martin Skidmore: Womack is of course long past his best, and just roars some random lines that could be outtakes from something like “Across 110th Street” over the sophisticated, rather dark electro backing. I always kind of want to hate Gorillaz, but actually this is mostly very appealing, thanks to the best vocals I’ve been faced with on the Jukebox in ages.
[8]
Michaelangelo Matos: I’m sure there are better singers they could have gotten than Bobby Womack, who sounds pretty blown out, but his gravitas is welcome. Damon’s never been a favorite singer, but his masterminding is still astute, and I like the way this bounds in place. Give him this much: he has an ear for plastic synths.
[7]
Alfred Soto: A track with land so arable that even Damon Albarn can flower, even with Bobby W reduced to soul signifier. Still, its burbling electro-bass foundation serves as anesthetic: these guys have done this many times. They might as well hire Aretha and George Michael for a minimalist synth-happy remake of their “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me”. As long as they can lift Mos Def’s superb bit here whole.
[7]
Matt Cibula: Not feeling this the way Damon probably wants me to, but his stunt casting works about halfway; i.e., Bobby Womack is God on a stick, but Mos Def does what he usually does. Forced myself to listen to this without watching the video; it probably needs the visual element.
[6]
Doug Robertson: First time I heard this I didn’t actually realise that it was a new song, I just assumed it was something I’d heard before and had forgotten about. Is that a good thing? Sure it’s an undeniable talent to create something that instantly sounds familiar and fills you with a warm feeling of recognition, and this is a good song, with a riff that’s as bouncily laid back as an over used rubber band, but shouldn’t new music sound more, well… new?
[6]
That Blur were pretty much panned through the last decade (as limited as their output was) while Gorillaz got praised to the rafters (admittedly not here) when it’s the same person in charge leads me to think that it’s either extreme coincidence or extreme critical failure. This just adds to the “critical failure” evidence pile. Apart from, slightly, “Dare”, I have hated every single song I’ve heard by them, with a special place in hell reserved for everyone involved in “19/2000″, their hateful nadir.
Crazy shit how this gets a 2 and Gucci Mane gets a 9.
I mean, I respect everybody’s opinion and all, I’m just surprised.
I like how that sounds original and how they’re risking a Single with Bobby Womack.
I do think, however, the song lacks a little bit of structure, so, yeah, I think a 7 or 8 is correct.
Yeah, crazy shit how I have an opinion. Insane!
I get the impression that there’s a lot of (misplaced and entirely wrong-headed) residual affection for Blur’s old material, so maybe Gorillaz benefit from not being as bad as Blur’s recent material? Regardless I’m as baffled as Al as to how such an unpromising and never knowingly good (two-step remix of “Clint Eastwood” apart) novelty act seems to have extended its shelf life so far.
residual affection’s a pretty major factor in any appeal gorillaz has – i know 80% of any enjoyment i got out of ‘dare’ was hearing shaun ryder on the radio again (and knowing i wouldn’t be hearing him for long – reunions w/ people you listened to in high school being similar to reunions w/ people you hung out w/ in high school: any longer than five minutes is torture). this is probably the most i’ve enjoyed any non-remix hit of their’s yet – always a sucker for some knight rider style be it in ‘clock strikes’ or ‘mundian to bach ke’ or dinkied out and watered down like here. what i’ve been wondering is what exactly gorillaz is now – when it started it seemed a pretty obv yet another entry in the handsome boy modeling school (my dumbass thought albarn was the hired hand and dan the automator the man in charge), some grand royal shit minus any hint of new york. now i’m not sure if it’s more like some bill laswell type thing (not nearly ‘dig this incongruity’ enough) or a quincy jones joint (not nearly the sense of community or the showcase of young talent). here’s the thing – i don’t even like those laswell or quincy things that much and yet i know gorillaz have never come close to equaling them (in ambition or execution).
o and ‘lemonade’ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ’stylo’
PLZ
Just saying. Having your own opinion is one thing, but whenever I read dude’s negative opinions it’s like he has a personal issue with the artist he’s criticizing/those allegidiots who “overrate” stuff not to his liking. Maybe not intentionally, but that’s just how it reads. shit ain’t that serious silly critic critters
“hateful nadir,” lol. Eloquent. Get the cool, get the cool shoeshine