The
Hotlist 
THE HOT AND NOT
LIST as of August 26th 2001
Le Mec:
Hotlist
- James: "Pleased
To Meet You". Brand new album from one of Britain's most overlooked bands - at least
outside the UK. They still exist somewhere between U2, Simple Minds and Del Amitri and
they still have the ultimate grand pop song as their goal. After the fine but (also)
overlooked album "Millionaires" from 1999 they now return with a few more
experiments and a sound that's been updated. However, they never lose focus: the melody
and integrity of the song. James are probably never going to be very successful - their
time has gone - but they still appeal to both kids of the '80's and today's youth. In the
same way U2 do......By the way, if you're gonna get this album, get the UK version - it
contains two extra tracks...
- Train:
"Drops Of Jupiter". You probably know the title track by now since it's been all
over the radio for a few months now. A very catchy tune with a certain roughness that
keeps you interested. I didn't have any great expectations approaching this album and
that's probably why it works so well. It's straight ahead rock music, ace melodies and
that roughness that make up an album very competent to survive a long way into next year.
Don't expect too much innovation (this type of rock normally keeps a very low profile
innovation-wise), but take it as proof that good regular rock music still has a place in
these electronic times. Train have made their entrance...
- While we're waiting for the next Suede album, the band will be re-releasing their
first four albums later this year. Each album will come with an extra bonus disc
containing B-sides and other previously unreleased material. Pet
Shop Boys recently did the same thing and in general there's a lot of value in these
re-releases. So that's another four albums on my wish list...
Notlist
- The increading amout of useless music reviews floating around both the printed
media and the Internet. With the growing number of free music/entertainment magazines and
websites sponsored mainly by advertising and with a staff of writers basically working for
nothing, the music review sections (they all need to have one) are becoming increasingly
useless. I know it can be time consuming if you have to review ten albums and spend decent
time with each, but - as a devoted music critic - you should at least listen to an album
more than once before giving your verdict as a reviewer. Anything less is just not serious
enough!!! At lot of time I get the feeling of having read these short reviews before -
probably because they were partly ripped off from more serious music magazines or Internet
sites. So do yourself a favour and seek out magazines/websites that seem to share you're
interest in music and read reviews that take music seriously - or look at music the same
way you do - and use their reviews instead. You'll get a much better guidance.
- Catatonia
are back with yet another pile of garbage and boring rock. I've never understood the hype
in Britain about this band. Very mediocre...
- Fastlife.
Well, here comes this year's dish of fresh grunge-impersonators. There's a few good tunes
here but most of the time you just sit there thinking that Pearl Jam and Nirvana certainly
didn't struggle in vain. There's a certain (a lot!!!) amount of rip-off to be found
here...
- Eddy Grant
in the charts with a heavily tv-backed greatest hits package. Now, which record
marketing dude decided to go and dig up these old bones? Surely, it can't be because of
the musical qualities? Apparently, we just needed another afro in the charts right now and
Eddy's number was up. Pheewww, Eddy, looks like your lottery ticket worked more than
once!!
- Horror!!
No matter how hard I'm trying to struggle against it, I'm feeling the
age gap creeping up on me. The musical age gap, I mean...oh dear. I'm really trying
to keep an open mind when it comes to the younger part of the music scene today (ranging
from Britney Spears and the zillions of boy bands to Limp Bizkit and Eminem for that
matter) but I've come to realise that I'll probably never get to the point where I don't
find these artirsts utterly ridiculous and disposable. I'm sure a lot of the younger
people out there (I'm 31) find a lot of qualities in this music (the way I did with Duran
Duran, Human League, and the other lipstick icons back in the '80's) but I just can't be
arsed anymore!! Life's just too damn short for spending energy on something which is
basically the result of a record company marketing meeting. In other words, I'm getting
off this bus - it's headed for emotional and mental bankruptcy!!!!!
- It's official: the world has come to an
end. Steven Seagal (yes, him!!) is making a
record. I'm stunned speachless!!!!!
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