Posted May 3, 201015 yr Kylie: Revisited #1: 'Kylie' Saturday, May 1 2010, 13:15 BST By Nick Levine, Music Editor What do you mean you haven't heard about Kylie: Revisited? Well, to whet our appetites for the new Minogue opus – due July 5 – we're going to be taking a nostalgic look back at each of her ten studio albums, one a week for the next ten weeks. Here at DS we're fans of the whole chronological order thing, so let's kick off with The Singing Budgie's 1988 debut. Release date: July 4, 1988 Songwriting/production cast: Stock, Aitken and Waterman Chart performance: Where to start? Kylie peaked at No.1 in the UK and eventually went seven times platinum after spawning four top three singles: 'I Should Be So Lucky', 'Got To Be Certain', 'The Loco-Motion' and 'Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi'. It also charted just outside the top 50 stateside after 'The Loco-Motion' became a US top three smash. The sound: See "songwriting/production cast". Standout track: An obvious choice, but anyone who denies 'I Should Be So Lucky' classic status has clearly let their tune detection muscles turn to flab. Hidden gem: The wistful-yet-optimistic 'Turn It Into Love' is actually a pretty touching unrequited love song - and it was a No.1 smash in Japan to boot. Lyrical nugget: This excerpt from 'Love At First Sight' - no, not that 'Love At First Sight', but an earlier tune with the same title - pretty much epitomises Kylie's lyrical style: "He smiled at me, asked me to dance / He told me he'd seen me before / I could not resist his advances / I know I should see him some more". Fascinating fact: 'Turn It Into Love' was covered by Same Difference for their 2008 debut, Pop. Our verdict: The bog-standard S.A.W. production renders Kylie as dated as that haircut on the album cover, and it's as loaded with variety as a loaf of bread, but the little Aussie pop rocket is already showing signs of personality and the record's quintessentially '80s charm ultimately wins through. Star rating: An affectionate . Next week: It's got 'Hand On Your Heart', it's got 'Never Too Late', it's got 'Tears On My Pillow'... it's 1989's Enjoy Yourself! Selections and commentary by Robert Copsey, Nick Levine and Mayer Nissim Edited May 16, 201015 yr by Aphrodite
May 10, 201015 yr Author Kylie: Revisited #2: 'Enjoy Yourself' Saturday, May 8 2010, 13:52 BST By Nick Levine, Music EditorFacebook Twitter Digg Email Share Kylie MinogueMusicReady for another serving of Kylie: Revisited (and another album cover that prompts a near-instinctive "WHAT IN THE NAME OF QUALITY MILLINERY WHAT SHE THINKING?) Course you are! Release date: October 9, 1989 Songwriting/production cast: Stock, Aitken and Waterman Chart performance: Though not quite as much of a unit-shifter as its predecessor, Enjoy Yourself still became a quadruple-platinum UK chart-topper with four top five hits to its name: 'Hand On Your Heart', 'Wouldn't Change A Thing', 'Never Too Late' and 'Tears On My Pillow'. Not too shabby, eh? The sound: More perky, plasticky Stock Aitken Waterman pop, but this time with the odd retro moment like 'Tears On My Pillow' thrown in. Standout track: Put it this way... this piece is a wee bit late because it's hard to type while re-enacting the 'Hand On Your Heart' dance routine. Hidden gem: It's got to be the title track, a party tune with a Seize The Day message and the merest hint production-wise that Kylie might go clubbier next time out. Lyrical nugget: We like all of 'Enjoy Yourself's carpe diem couplets, but this one's probably our favourite: "For nothing comes to those who will not try / You may just as well have kissed your dreams goodbye". Fascinating fact: The North American edition of Enjoy Yourself included a little-known bonus track called... oh, what was it again... 'Especially For Me' or something? Our verdict: It's got a bit more variety than her debut, but one or two fewer strong tunes - and consequently a touch less charm. Still, if you're fond of the singles and Minogue at her most ingenuous, you'll find that Enjoy Yourself makes good on the promise of its title. Star rating: Next week: Kylie discovers co-writing credits, clubbing and her lovely flat tummy on 1990's Rhythm Of Love. Selections and commentary by Robert Copsey and Nick Levine
May 16, 201015 yr Author Kylie: Revisited #3: 'Rhythm Of Love' Saturday, May 15 2010, 07:48 BST By Nick Levine, Music EditorFacebook Twitter Digg Email Share Kylie MinogueMusicAfter yesterday's Aphrodite bonanza, we appreciate that it might be difficult to get quite so excited about a 20-year-old Kylie LP, but Rhythm Of Love is well worth another listen, as your Kylie: Revisited investigators discovered this week. Release date: November 12, 1990 Songwriting/production cast: Stock, Aitken and Waterman, Stephen Bray, Keith Cohen, Michael Jay, Mark Leggett, Willie Wilcox... and Kylie Minogue Chart performance: Rhythm Of Love peaked at #9 on the UK albums countdown - somewhat disappointing following a pair of chart-toppers. However, it did earn itself a platinum disc after spawning four top ten singles: 'Better The Devil You Know', 'Step Back In Time', 'What Do I Have To Do?' and 'Shocked'. The sound: It's still perky early Kylie pop, but there's a definite progression here: a slightly dancier sound, more sax, guitars and rapping, and – gasp! – tracks produced by people other than Stock Aitken Waterman. Standout track: Each of the four singles is a corker, but 'What Do I Have To Do?' clinches it thanks to that whooooooooosh! of an intro. Hidden gem: We're partial to Secrets, on which our hitherto innocent heroine plays the philanderer. "I was so afraid if I told you," Kylie confesses, "Your broken heart would force you to leave..." Aww... You just want to give her a big old hug, don't you? Lyrical nugget: On 'Shocked', is she... would she... could she be singing "I was f**ked to my very foundations"? Fascinating fact: The video for 'What Do I Have To Do?' features a cameo from a certain Danielle Jane Minogue. Our verdict: It's got the odd dud - stand up, 'One Boy Girl' - and the pop rush fades towards the end, but this is definitely KM's best effort yet, thanks largely to the continued brilliance of those singles. If you can't find something to bop to here, you need to get yourself on the NHS waiting list for a new pair of Dancing Feet. Star rating: Next week: Kylie continues to break away from bubblegum on 1991's Let's Get To It, her last album for PWL. Selections and commentary by Robert Copsey and Nick Levine
May 16, 201015 yr Author i often thought that years ago aswell, im enjoying these reviews as its interesting to see the progress of reviews, i was to young at the time these album were released to read reviews so i dont remember any.
May 16, 201015 yr Author i was 10 when kylie was released,i remember my older sister going to the UK for 2 weeks holildays and when she came home she had it on cassete,i was envious as i wanted it to be mine and later that year i bought it on vinyl myself.
May 17, 201015 yr I was 2 when "Kylie" was released, but I do remember watching Neighbours and singing to "I Should Be So Lucky" in the kitchen when I was a little bit older hehe.
May 17, 201015 yr One of my first CDs was the original PWL greatest hits from 92... sold it for a couple of quid a few years later! Never thought there would be such a renaissance so many years later.
May 19, 201015 yr Author I remember wearing out the original cassete of the first greatest hits and i loved the cover to the album and found it hard to get on cd, once i had managed to get it it seemed to become easier to get,but that usually how those things work out. Over the years there has been certain albums that i had on cassette that i wanted on cd and i got them all bar one and that Sonia;s everybody knows.
May 29, 201015 yr Author Kylie: Revisited #5: 'Kylie Minogue' Saturday, May 29 2010, 12:50 BST By Nick Levine, Music EditorFacebook Twitter Digg Email Share Kylie MinogueMusicSee ya Pete, hello trendy dance producers, sexy specs and tracks that regularly test the six-minute mark! Kylie Minogue's eponymous fifth album is where things start to get really interesting with the little Aussie pop rocket, as we've been discovering all this week. Release date: September 19, 1994 Songwriting/production cast: Brothers In Rhythm (four tracks), Jimmy Harry (two tracks), Pete Heller & Terry Farley (two tracks), Gerry DeVeaux (one track), M People (one track). Chart performance: Kylie Minogue entered the UK album charts at number four after trailer single 'Confide In Me' narrowly missed out on the No.1 spot. Follow-ups 'Put Yourself In My Place' and 'Where Is The Feeling' performed respectably too - peaking at numbers eleven and 16 respectively - eventually pushing the album towards platinum status. The sound: ... of The Singing Budgie stretching her wings and finding she could soar. Kylie Minogue is a sophisticated, stylish dance record that tips its cap – oh-so-elegantly, of course - to everything from midtempo R&B ('If I Was Your Lover', 'Surrender') to classic balladry ('Put Yourself In My Place', 'Dangerous Game') to ambient chill-out ('Automatic Love') to Middle Eastern pop ('Confide In Me') to... erm... M People-produced piano house ('Time Will Pass You By'). Standout track: How can we plump for anything other than 'Confide In Me'? Fifteen years on, this sumptuous, string-swathed dance-pop epic still caresses the ears like a flirty hair stylist. Hidden gem: Kylie Minogue has genuine strength in depth, but 'If I Was Your Lover' sneaks it for being so damn slinky. Lyrical nugget: Computer love metaphor alert! "I didn't feel you enter / In my main menu," Kylie sings on 'Automatic Love'. "But every time I touch the key / The screen is showing you." It still kinda works in the iPad era, right? Right? Fascinating fact: Kylie recorded a "Franglais" version of 'Confide In Me' - 'Fie-toi à Moi', title fans - especially for the record's Canadian release. Our verdict: Cohesive, classy and – much like KM herself – remarkably unmarked by the passing years, this album seduced us like the high-end escort who knocked on our bedroom door bearing champagne, strawberries and an impressive selection of novelty condoms. On a more serious note, we can't end this Revisited without mentioning the quality of Kylie's vocals here – her early critics will have spat out their cappuccinos when they heard the way she grandstands on 'Automatic Love'. Star rating: Next week: Kylie makes friends with the Manics, starts writing unaided and gets in a spot of bother over her choice of album title... it's time for 1997's Impossible Princess. Selections and commentary by Robert Copsey, Nick Levine and Mayer Nissim
May 31, 201015 yr "We're gonna do it, let's get to it," commands Miss Minogue on a standout track from her fourth album, and we'd hate to be accused of riling Kylie, so without further any waffle, here's the lowdown on Let's Get To It. Release date: October 14, 1991 Songwriting/production cast: Stock & Waterman twiddling the knobs, with Kylie claiming co-writing credits on six of the ten tracks. Chart performance: Let's Get To It stalled at #15 on the UK albums chart upon its release - after trailer track 'Word Is Out' had peaked even lower on the singles countdown. However, subsequent spin-offs fared better, with 'Give Me Just A Little More Time', 'If You Were With Me Now' and 'Finer Feelings' charting at #2, #4 and #11 respectively. The sound: Don't let the Stock Aitken Waterman production credits fool you! This is Kylie's most diverse set of songs yet, taking in everything from new jack swing ('Word Is Out') to housey floor-fillers ('Too Much Of A Good Thing', 'Right Here, Right Now)' to acoustic balladry ('No World Without You') to 2 Unlimited-sampling techno-pop ('I Guess I Like It Like That') to a slushy duet with R&B singer Keith Washington ('If You Were With Me Now'). Standout track: It's not our favourite track on the album, but Kylie's chirpy cover of Chairmen of the Board's 'Give Me Just A Little Time' is probably its most obvious "hit". Hidden gem: At least five tunes are in contention, but 'Finer Feelings' sneaks it for showing that Kylie could be sexier and more sophisticated than ever before without skimping on the chorus. Lyrical nugget: Remember the girl from the Kylie album cover? Well, now she's posing questions like this: "But what is love / Without the finer feelings / It's just sex / Without the sexual healing." Poor Pete must have spat out his pasty! Fascinating fact: One of the dancers from the 'Word Is Out' video went on to host a little-known reality TV show called Big Brother. Our verdict: Let's Get To It lacks a moment of pure pop brilliance to match 'Hand On Your Heart' or 'What Do I Have To Do', and it takes a few plays to reveal its charms, but once you get to grips with the genre-hopping and often quite surprising production, it's a thoroughly satisfying listen with no shortage of dance-poppy delights. We've even fallen for the 2 Unlimited sample. Star rating:
June 3, 201015 yr Author very different, i cant wait for the rest of the digital spy reviews of her albums.
