16TH AUGUST- PRETTY GREEN EYES- Ultrabeat (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1e/Ultrabeat-PrettyGreenEyes.jpg

 

OMG guilty pleasure time! Along with Benny Benassi, the video for "Pretty Green Eyes" pretty much the mould for how dance music videos would be for the remainder of the video, very sexual featuring scantily clad woman and a lot of gyrating (Eric Prydz would perfect this just 12 months later) and who recalls "scouse house"? a very brief dance sub genre taking in this band and acts like Angel City and Dana Rayne, a kind of happy hardcore that became the rage for 6 months. It should be noted that these acts were not necessarily from Liverpool but the genre of music was particularly popular in the north west.

 

Anyway I digress, yes "Pretty Green Eyes" is at the tackier end of dance music there is no denying but it's a little corker in my opinion, real care free music, and it's a much version of the song than the original by Force & Styles from 1997 which is a bit too hardcore for my personal taste. I make no claim that the record is a musical milestone, or that it is profound, it's just good oldskool dance music that I still pop on from time to time.

 

 

The Fast Food Song always bugged me... we used to sing it in the school playground about 10 years before it was released!

30TH AUGUST- DANCE (WITH U)- Lemar (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Lemar_-_Dance_(With_U)_CD1.jpg

 

I'd almost forgotten all about this record but here's little Lemar's first baby steps into the pop world. After coming third in "Fame Academy" his debut track is rather a funky pop effort with his vocal's sounding deliciously dreamy on the track. It isn't all good news, there's more than a small debt to 70s Jacksons going on here, and the track, whilst pleasent is a little bit thin certainly in comparison to the mighty "If There's Any Justice" which teems with genuine loss.

 

Of course that song is a different beast, what I mean here is that this isn't his best work but it more than passable for the singer who's turned out some decent tracks when he wasn't treading the MOR road too much, all told well done Lemar.

 

 

13 SEPTEMBER- WHITE FLAG- Dido (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/White_Flag_Dido.jpg

 

She's like a little dirty secret now, but back in 2003 there were fewer bigger stars on the pop scence than Dido. Her brand of acoustic pop wasn't to everyone's taste it was true but to be honest I was a Dido fan! There I got it out in the open. "White Flag" is exactly what you would expect from the singer really, easy on the ear commercial pop that gives a passing similarility to something quite deep, quite profound and yet something disappoints and if I had to pinpoint it I think its the feeling of laziness. What the Dido of 2003 really is is just a repeat of the "No Angel" period with slightly less amazing songs, the good news is that the songs were still pretty damn such was the high bar set with the debut album.

 

"White Flag" could easily have sat on the first album with little suspicion but you get the feeling that she could have done something truly mesmerising if she pushed herself, something that would have made her the biggest female star of the decade. Very often you hear bands and artists complain that the record company say to them "we want more of the same thing from you" and how that irks the artist in question, you're left with the impression here that Dido said "OK that's no problem". Don't get me wrong I really like "White Flag" I did at the time, but at its heart there's a hollowness where its soul should be....

 

White Flag is one of my mum's favourite songs but I can't stand it. Except for the brilliant 'Here With Me' and the sampling of 'Thank You' on Eminem's 'Stan' I really don't care at all for Dido. It is weird how her first 2 albums were massive and then she kind of just dissapeared

 

Never really fussed about the Lemar track either but I did love '50/50' and 'If There's Any Justice'

 

'Pretty Green Eyes' is awesome though - easily in my top ten dance songs of all-time and probobaly in the 90's of my 100 favourite songs ever

I Love "White Flag", nice song. It's not her best song, but it's miles better, than BEP, which were on 1 place.

Lemar and Ultrabeat is not a music, which I can like.

23RD SEPTEMBER- ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS- Kylie Minogue (1 wk)

 

One of my favourite songs of all-time and my favourite Kylie songs by MILES (Other than this, Better the Devil You Know, Confide In Me, CGYOOMH and Spinning Around I'm not too fussed about her if I'm honest)

 

27TH SEPTEMBER- SWEET DREAMS MY L.A EX- Rachel Stevens (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/Laex.jpg

 

Rather famously written by Cathy Dennis as a response to "Cry Me A River" and offered to Britney who was rather interested in it until it was pointed out what it was about. Anyway step forward Rachel Stevens who obviously thought it was perfect for a solo career launch, I warn you know I was obsessed with this record at the time! Yes it's fantastic pop, savage and cutting lyrically with an odd disjointed electro feel that suits the focused tone of the record. Of course all of this is rather wasted on Rachel Stevens who was as bland as beige in interviews and quickly gave lie to the belief that anything in this song reflected her personality. The point is that this track was before all of that, in S Club she always had her mates around her, the paper thin personality wasn't so noticeable, but as a vehicle for her sex appeal (hey FHM Can't be wrong can it?) it was the perfect combo.

 

Of course good songwriting will out and Cathy Dennis in the early 00s was on a roll that most would be envious of, and in greater hands I think this could be considered as a pop great, but it's much too big a beast to be done justice by Stevens sadly. That aside I can't fault this record- pop perfection!

 

4TH OCTOBER- I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE- The Darkness (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/I_Believe_in_a_Thing_Called_Love_single_cover.jpg

 

It isn't their best single (that goes to "Growing On Me" but this is the song that catapulted the band, briefly, into the A list of pop stars. Ok it's all very tongue N Cheek pompous rock which harks back to the very worst of the 70s excess, but it was all done with ironic 00s raised eyebrows and the sense that the band didn't take it seriously meant we forgave a lot. Initially at least, the problem is of course that if people believe you aren't taking it seriously then they stop taking it seriously, queue a rapid descent from favour when the joke wears thin.

 

Now, looking back the Darkness are quite painfully 2003, a curiosity in what was a curious year in many ways, now that pop had imploded on itself after ruling the roost from 1998 and the fall of brit pop, naturally it takes a transition to the next fad and 2003 was just a year in retrospect. I didn't mind the Darkness and I even bought the album, but I can't say I listen to it anymore, perhaps that's a fitting epitaph to the tale.

 

Sweet Dreams is absolutely brilliant one of the best pop songs of the 00's. As for the Darkness, hated them and hate them now

Am I on time to do my bit? :lol:

Am I on time to do my bit? :lol:

Well if you will disappear and have a "real" life! :D

18TH OCTOBER- BABY BOY- Beyonce Featuring Sean Paul (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cd/BK-BabyBoy.jpg

 

I'd almost forgotten about this one- with good reason. Beyonce either makes songs that I love (Halo, Sweet Dreams, Irreplaceable etc) or songs I hate, and sadly "Baby Boy" falls into the latter category. It features the "must have" artist of 2003 a certain Mr Sean Paul and brings together middle eastern and dancehall influences in a not altogether unpleasant way, it just leaves me rather cold unfortunately. Of course this could be my natural aversion to reggae/ dancehall coming into play here, I'm aware of that, it's just that after the all conquering pop majesty of "Crazy in Love" this seems slightly like a mis-step.

 

Fair play though, it did well enough in the charts for her (though you suspect this is more a reflection of the fact that the previous song was so huge) a thought I'm inclined to agree with given that it dropped out of the top 10 the following week. On this one I'd rather pass.

 

 

25TH OCTOBER- TURN ME ON- Kevin Lyttle (2 wks)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Turnmeoncover.JPG

 

Dear readers,

 

I have horrible flashbacks to Chaka Demus & Pliers and Bitty McLean, and this is not a good thing. He appears to be singing about doing his thing with his ladies, apparently this isn't dancehall or reggae but Soca music (originating in Trinidad & Tobago) but it all sounds pretty similar to my philistine ears.

 

Anyway needless to say I hated this song at the time, and I hate it now, only a guest rap by Sean Paul could have made me hate it more though I can't deny it did stick around in the charts for much longer than most of the other top 10 hits of the time so it had a lasting appeal to some. Sorry I've not been very positive today about the tracks I've reviewed, trouble is that the remainder of 2003 doesn't have that much to offer me....

 

I love Turn Me On and Baby Boy! I actually prefer Baby Boy to a lot of Beyonce's other big hits (I can't stand Single Ladies and Halo)

Well if you will disappear and have a "real" life! :D

Have you read my (very late) titbits on what was left of the 90's #2's thread? We still see very much eye to eye! :D

Have you read my (very late) titbits on what was left of the 90's #2's thread? We still see very much eye to eye! :D

I am much distgusted with your love for "re-rewind the crowd say bo-selecta" :lol:

 

Yes of course you can add your thoughts to this thread- all are welcome!

1ST NOVEMBER- GUILTY- Blue (1 wk)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/80/Blue_Single_Guilty.jpg

 

By 2003 Blue were in that curious place that boy bands get to about 3 years in. Too soon to split (they still have a loyal fanbase) but not really reaching out beyond their fanbase and kinda of on autopilot, basically they've got as far as they think they can. "Guilty" isn't an awful record (it's co-penned by a certain Gary Barlow) but neither is it any great shakes. In fact the song could have been recorded by virtually any boy band of the time it's that non descript, not a good thing for a lead single from what was their third album.

 

This is therefore the sound of a group treading water before the inevitable split (they had slightly over 12 months left) but perhaps in reterospect a split before this album might have been a better move though the so bad its good single "Bubblin" wouldn't have been made if they had....decisions, decisions.

 

15TH NOVEMBER- FLIP REVERSE- Blazin Squad (1 wk)

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41P4790Z47L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 

Suitably awful is how I think this can be summed up. As for subject matter well that's quite known (it's not hard to work out if you don't know) but really this is just painful unless you like a gang of 13 (approx figure) 17 yr olds talking about their prowess with various woman? BEST AVOIDED.

 

"I Believe In A Thing Called Love" is rather wonderful but I actually prefer "Love Is Only A Feeling" now.