Piers

Not Such An Innocent Girl by a hair...but I like both. I have the somewhat rare opinion that both songs are quite a bit better than Let Your Head Go and This Groove. I've always felt like Not Such An Innocent Girl was one of those singles (like Geri's Calling) that fans rather liked...until the chart placing came out. Is it my favorite song on the album? No...that's I Wish. I also prefer Like That as a song...though I don't know if that one screams out to be a single so much as it's just a strong album track. I think Not Such An Innocent Girl was the right song to launch the album. To my ears...the obvious single choices were Not Such An Innocent Girl - A Mind of Its Own - I Wish - IOU. So. To me...she was on the right track (just so long as she released the real I Wish...and not that tragic duet version). I still think she had good material for singles...and the album was overall just fine. It only really falls apart for me at the end (I've never particularly liked Unconditional Love and Every Part of Me). I've always felt her material just suffered from the over saturation of solo Spice that year.

I'm a little surprised this one's so divisive. To me, it's immediately likable and pretty flawlessly catchy. Having heard the actual studio recording now, I can honestly say it's about my 6th favorite of all her singles (not my 6th favorite of her songs in general...but singles?...yeah). I really wish she'd unleashed something like this in the mid-2000s...when she still stood a chance of getting a hit...and could make waves with a big dance song. I do think the song's far stronger than the video. I don't hate the video or anything. I like that she's enjoying herself and seems to be in her element. I like her little crew. But I do think it could disguise the low budget better. I also wish we could have gotten some big choreography bits with Mel and her crew together...instead of them just doing a few little hand gestures or whatever. She can dance. They can dance. I think it might have been fun to see such a diverse crew all doing a big routine. But. Whatever. I'm a fan.

I know not everyone loves High Heels...but based on what I've heard from the live performances, it's my favorite thing she's done in the past ten years next to Think About It and Stupid Game. It's big and instantly catchy...and it's way better than what anyone would expect from anyone else who hasn't had a UK top ten in 14 years.

If memory serves correctly, it was Hell No and Hotter that Sisqo was involved with...but the relationship soured and he had his name removed when Mel made changes to the production. I don't especially like the three Teddy Riley songs. Mel said they didn't get along. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis have said another producer on Hot told Mel she couldn't sing...and it really seems like it's Riley. He's a brilliant producer, but I think he saddled Mel with leftover tracks. ABC123 is way too boring for Mel B...and I Believe is about twice as long as it should be and certainly qualifies as the most redundant thing a Spice has done. Pack Your Shit's the best of them...but in the context of the rest of Hot...I always thought it was trying too hard to be edgy or something. Though...I do like how she sings "...come round here no MAHHHH..." This may be a rare opinion...but to me, the forgotten gem of Hot is Step Inside. I think it's catchy and interesting beginning to end. I even think it's better than what most consider to be the big missed opportunity for a single (Hotter) and it certainly towers over Lullaby. Paired with a dark, weird video in the vein of I Want You Back, I think it could have been a cool project.

I think this too. Free Up Your Mind is a strong song...that needed more oomph in the production. It's a little wimpy as it is. If Rhett Lawrence gave this track the same love he clearly gave Never Be the Same Again, it could have been a hit...and a highlight of Emma's solo career. So. As it's a more substantial song...I vote Free Up Your Mind...but I actually really like Sophisticated Lady too. I love those early releases from Mel B's solo career. I Want You Back, Word Up and Sophisticated Lady all share a certain dark vibe (the recently leaked I Got My Eye on You has it too). It sounded like we were getting a really cool Scary Spice album. I realize Sophisticated Lady being so lovey about Jimmy meant it would never end up on Hot. But. I like it quite a bit better than more than half the album. Too much of Hot sounds anonymous. Sophisticated Lady sounds like Mel B through and through. I just wish there were something more to the song. Side note. Besides Emma, why were the guest vocalists during Mel's Hot recordings so obscure? She had the biggest producers in the world working with her...and she was singing with people no one's heard of...

If Emma had gone head-to-head with Geri with one of her originals, I might feel differently. But as it is...Geri by a mile. I really do think Lift Me Up is a very solidly crafted pop song...with some strangely imperfect early vocals. Absolute and Geri created the similar Circles Round the Moon two years later...and that one sounds vocally flawless. I'm aware of Geri's limitations as a singer. But honestly, her team should have done some easy fixes on Lift Me Up...as it's pretty good otherwise. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I think Lift Me Up is one of Geri's few songs that could have gotten play in the US. Look At Me was too strange for the market...but Lift Me Up fits adult contemporary radio. I'll also defend the video. I actually think it's really cute and memorable. The only time it crosses the line into groan inducing for me is the spaceship taking off and spelling 'Geri' at the end. Anyway. I adore most of Emma's original material...but her covers, by and large, are way too similar to the originals...and lack the effort to be interesting. Emma's the better singer and entertainer...but sorry...Geri deserved the win on the charts on this one.

Crickets, I guess...though I think both songs took single spots over better material on their albums. At least Crickets had a cute routine for the performances. I basically like We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight, but it doesn't sound like anything other than an album track to me. To my ears, High on Love and Better Be Careful were next in line for the single treatment. I'd also probably have picked A World Without You or the heavily-rumored Sunshine On a Rainy Day over We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight.

Yeah. They probably should have won more...though the truly glaring omission to me is the 1998 Grammys. After being the biggest thing in music in 1997, they were shut out entirely. Not a single nomination. Looking back on that ceremony is a fairly odd thing now. The nominations are full of Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac and the like. I'm not diminishing those acts. But they weren't really indicative of the music scene in 1998. The girls honestly should have *at least* been locks for noms in Best Short Music Video (most of the noms are obscurities) and Best Pop Performance by a Group. Wannabe, Say You'll Be There, and 2 Become 1 should have been strong contenders for that. Instead, the Rolling Stones made the cut with Anybody Seen My Baby? Not knocking the Stones (I'm a fan, and I've seen them in concert)...but it's a song that didn't make the main Billboard chart, and I doubt much of anyone would consider it among their best material. So, what happened? In the US, I always thought there was a shift in attitude toward them when the Spice World movie trailers showed up. I kinda defend that movie now...for being so proudly weird, campy and culty. But when the trailers came out, I think the girls came off as...um..."less intelligent than they really are", shall we say. The movie ended up helping them with album sales, of course...but I don't think it helped them in terms of US music credibility. But. Anyway. I guess the girls got the last laugh...sorta. Their music proved to have a longevity that most of the new acts that won that year don't.

Lol. You guys are way more hopeful than I am with the setlists. I'm half expecting her to do What Took You So Long, 2 Become 1 (with Mel C?), You're All I Need to Get By (with Jade), Baby Please Don't Stop (just because she hasn't forgotten it exists yet)...and then a whole ton of Christmas stuff. Granted, that's not what I hope happens. I'd love it if she did all of her top tens (a Christmas-themed Maybe performance would be fab) and the three Spice Girls Christmas number ones. I'm definitely not expecting album tracks or All I Need to Know. That's a song that charted at #60 13 years ago. I wonder if she even remembers it at all. But. Anyway. It'd be a nice surprise if it shows up. I've liked quite a bit of her original material (not the covers so much). So. Any of it that gets some love at the show is a bonus.

I'm a lifelong fan...so I get that she's going to do whatever the hell she wants and not care what the public thinks. Buuut. I can't be the only one who sees a setlist like that (or hears what she's rehearsing) and just thinks...ugh. Madonna has one of the most amazing discographies in music. It boggles my mind that she doesn't especially use it. Instead, she doles out just a handful of hits like they're little pieces of candy...and she can't give too much of them away because we all have to eat our damn vegetables. This isn't a knock on any of her newer music. I generally like all of her eras. She should absolutely perform some of it. But performing a tour full of Ray of Light or Confessions material was one thing. She was still flying high in those years. We're on our third album now that didn't make much of a dent on the music scene. Does there never come a point she decides to give in and deliver what the crowds want? I'm a fan. I'll always be a fan. But between increasingly inaccessible setlists...shows going on absurdly late...and now a no phone rule...I'm not sure all of this is a particularly good look.

Mel C has the highest number of songs I like out of the group, so I'll vote her. I love the Northern Star era...and she won me back over with a lot of The Sea and Version of Me. I wasn't particularly interested in Reason, Beautiful Intentions, and This Time. I don't think they're bad albums. They're just not my thing...with a few exceptions. So. While I'd say I like the largest number of Mel C songs...I like a larger percentage of Geri's stuff (if that makes sense). Least favorite? Probably has to be Mel B...which is a bummer because she's my favorite member when the group's together. I love I Want You Back, Tell Me, and Feels So Good...and think all three are among the best solo releases. Tell Me in particular is underrated. But too much of Hot sounds anonymous...which is a crime for a personality as big as Mel's. As it is...I think about half the album wasn't good enough to be included. A lot of weak material was dumped on her...and I think she accepted it because it came from big names. As for LA State of Mind...I'm glad it has fans...but I think the average singer/songwriter handing out CDs on the street has better sounding albums...

Walk of Life. No contest. I wouldn't have wanted it to take the place of anything on Spiceworld, but I wouldn't have minded it being the 11th track on the album either (as was planned at one point). For me, it's good enough for album inclusion...even though it was my least favorite song of the tour. But at least it was funny to hear them try to awkwardly force all those city names to work with the song. I actually really liked Outer Space Girls when I was a kid. I even thought it should have been performed on tour because it fit with the theme. But now? It's really cringe. I'm still of the belief that their albums (especially the first two) were far better than what many give them credit for. Those album tracks are solid, classic songs. What do I think the general public perceives Spice Girls albums to sound like? Outer Space Girls.

Some may remember clips of both Desire and Love Never Loved Me were released for a vote...to give the public a voice on the next single choice. I've always liked Love Never Loved Me better (and consider it the best track on the album). But. At the time...a lot of people sided with Desire because they thought it sounded more current. I kinda wonder if Love Never Loved Me was the one to be released...and it underperformed...would we all be looking at Desire as the great missed opportunity of her career today? She was likely going to be blacklisted by radio for whatever was released. As for the song...I've always liked it. It's not her best single. It's not her worst. To my ears..Ride It, Love Never Loved Me, Desire and Let Me Love You More were the clear Passion singles. So. While I technically think there was a better song available...I don't think it's a travesty Desire was released. It's one of those songs I remember the fanbase liking a lot better before they saw the chart placing. A quick note about There's Something About Geri. Looking back, it really is a strange thing. The reality TV of today always gets people being train wrecks in an entertaining way. There's Something About Geri really isn't that. There's nothing especially outrageous in it. Nothing so embarrassing that it should have abruptly ended her career. The only way I can describe it as is...persistently unflattering. It's not good TV. I'm not sure I follow why anyone would want to air it.

^ I kinda wonder if Geri should have launched her US solo career with Mi Chico Latino. Mind you, I personally really like Look at Me...but it was too unusual for US radio...and the general American audience was indifferent to the video's death of Ginger and rebirth. On that...I maintain my belief that Americans in the 90s were only invested in the group...and not the individual members. That only changed when Victoria and Mel B built their own brands in the US in the 2000s. Point being, I think Geri made a bold statement of "I'm back!" with Look at Me...and America flat-out didn't care. Anyway. The single and album crashed and burned bad enough that no other attempt was made here. But would she have had a better shot at the US market if she started with Mi Chico Latino? It was significantly more US radio-friendly. Sexy video. Great image during the promotional campaign. Also. Lift Me Up sounds like it'd fit squarely on Adult Contemporary radio of the time and may have worked as a decent follow. Would the two have set the charts on fire? Maybe not. But maybe her US prospects wouldn't have been over in a week either.

It's definitely up there for solo Spice single missed opportunities. Personally, I'd probably put Geri's Love Never Loved Me and Victoria's I Wish ahead of it in terms of missed opportunities...because they both just screamed 'DUH. This is the best thing on the album. RELEASE IT' At least The Sea had the benefit of Think About It getting out there. Though. For me, The Sea's an interesting case as I thought both Burn AND Stupid Game were very strong single contenders. Would they have been hits? Eh. Probably not. I doubt anything she did had a chance by that point. But. It'd just feel like justice to have them released.

How *should* they have handled Forever's diverging directions? It's a tough one. I actually rather like both the Darkchild AND original pop recordings. Out of the studio demos that leaked, the pop Right Back at Ya, Pain Proof and Give You What You Want are unquestionably worthy of release (A Day in Your Life is a bit sappy for me). At the same time...I think Holler is the strongest material to come out of their 1999/2000 recordings...and Tell Me Why is an obvious single contender. It just sounds like the material belongs to two different groups. They were always great at balancing different styles on a album...but yet, I flat-out can't imagine the light, bubbly pop version of Right Back at Ya on the same album as Holler and Tell Me Why. So I'll float this out there. Could they have done a double album? One CD with the modern r'n'b tracks...one CD with the pop tracks. Do all the singles as double AA sides. One r'n'b. One pop. Holler/Pain Proof Tell Me Why/Give You What You Want etc. Call the album...Sugar and Spice? Or maybe divide the album up as US...to UK? Beats me. They may have been drug through the dirt by critics by refusing to commit to a sound...but I figure the fans would have been happy.

I can't really compare W.O.M.A.N. and Spice Up Your Life...having only heard a snippet of a demo and a live version of the former. Would it have made a better lead single than Spice Up Your Life? Probably not. As album lead singles go, Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life demand your attention. Holler was the arrival of a whole new sound. Love em or hate em, all three were designed to get people talking. I don't think W.O.M.A.N. competes with all of that. It might be a great studio recording. It may have even been single worthy. But ultimately, it was another fun disco track. Nothing wrong with that. They were great at that. But it wouldn't have been striking into new territory for them in the way their actual lead singles did.

The version they're rehearsing in that video is the Stannard/Rowe demo of the song. The rehearsals are for their 1999 Christmas tour. They were still planning to use both the pop and r'n'b tracks at that point...which is why they performed the pop version of Right Back at Ya at the concerts. I can't verify this...but there were people who claimed to be in the know on the old DenDen forum who said the Darkchild team (specifically Fred Jerkins) tried to redo W.O.M.A.N. in mid-2000. The belief was that the song just couldn't be adapted to the Darkchild style...so they scrapped it and had to record Wasting My Time to complete the album at the last minute.

I know her spontaneity's a big part of why we love her. But...I can't help but think Mel's tendency to just blurt things out could end up being damaging to the group. We have about a decade's worth of false headlines about the group...not because a tabloid made them up...but because an actual Spice Girl flat-out lied. (...not to say the tabloids haven't lied too...but...you get what I'm saying...) These are plans that require contracts, major payments, management involvement, etc. Does Mel's mouth not put a strain on the group and their team? It's not just limited to group stuff. I really wish she hadn't blurted out that Jessie J is overrated on Heart this week. Putting down another woman in music is majorly off-brand for a Spice Girl...and it's especially unfortunate when it's against someone who's always talked so positively about the Spices.

I acknowledge The Sun probably made that Vegas story up. But. Cause we're just chattin' here...I'll play along like there's a kernel of truth to it. They absolutely need to do something in the US...but not a six-week residency. Their relationship to the US audience is a fairly odd thing. They definitely own a piece of 90s nostalgia here...and Wannabe remains a staple of bachelorette party karaoke. But. They're just not known for as much in the US as many other places. They had four top ten hits in the US. Radio support (unfairly) dropped off after 2 Become 1. Songs like Stop and Goodbye...huge, iconic hits in the UK...would only be known to people who bought the physical singles, albums in the US. They didn't rule the pop music scene here nearly as long as BSB, NSYNC and Britney. All that is to say...there's a fanbase here who will absolutely go see them. I really want a few shows. But I don't think six weeks in one spot is the best course of action. Side note. I really hate how articles like this one lay out how much the girls are worth. In today's more woke times...can't we all agree that shaming people for their finances is gross?

Despite the disaster, the girls haven't really turned on the album. In addition to what Mr. X said with Emma, Mel B recently called Tell Me Why her favorite Spice song. Victoria still liked it as of the 2007/08 reunion era. I don't know if Geri's talked about Forever recently...but I do remember back in 2000/2001, she said it was a good album but that it just wasn't promoted enough. She's remained complimentary of Goodbye and Holler over the years. Anyway. For me, the sourness of the era doesn't have much to do with the album itself. As a fan, it was just hard not to be frustrated with them. They'd been talking up their big plans for album 3 for two and a half years by this point. Then...they just dump it out there with little fanfare...make some bonkers comments about how it'll eventually sell itself...and cap it off with a "we're focusing on our solo careers!" like we hadn't been waiting on this album for ages. Tag to that, Mel C was claiming the fans would like her solo album better...and generally acting like a gun was to her head for what few appearances she did make. The r'n'b sound gets blamed a lot for the album's failure...but honestly...the album could have been the second coming of Spiceworld, and it would have crashed and burned if they'd treated the release the same way. Anyway. I like the album. Always have. I get the new direction was a bit polarizing. But I'm not sure stuff like the pop version of Right Back At Ya and Pain Proof could co-exist on an album with Tell Me Why. I like all three songs...but it's a muddled direction. Had the group embraced Forever...and the album become another step in the group's continuing musical evolution, I think the world would be a lot more kind to it.

Lol. Mel performing with those drag queens reminds me of when Geri did that in 2001 or so. Don't think video of her G.A.Y. shows before the 2004 one have surfaced...but I remember pics of her performing with the queens. I seem to remember people reporting back at the time it was Who Do You Think You Are. Anyway. Back to Mel. Maybe you can chalk this up to me having lousy taste...but I love High Heels. Instantly clicked for me on first listen. I think it towers over the dancey stuff she did with Jodie Harsh. I guess this is going to stand as a controversial statement considering the fan reaction so far....but it sounds like a single to me. Regardless. Hope we get to hear the actual track soon. I love how much of a musical chameleon she is.

The thought of that has seemed so impossible for so long. But obviously, I'd love for it to happen. I just wish they'd managed to work together from 2001-2010 or so...when they still had something of a shot at producing some hits. Madonna's not wrong when she claims the business is very ageist. The girls are unfortunately past that age ceiling...where artists are allowed to nab the top of the charts. But against all odds, I think the girls' original solo work is actually fairly good even now. I'd actually love a new group album with songs on par with Baby, Please Don't Stop, Anymore and Love and Light. I don't think the three group songs from the past 12 years are an indication of what they can do together. Headlines and Voodoo are a clear attempt to recreate the sound of the 1996 Spice Girls...even though the girls and their producers had long evolved from that sound. Song For Her is only an unreleased demo...only meant for a TV show theme apparently? We really have no idea what they could do if they spent some genuine studio time together.

I'm all for the girls doing anything together...but...I really have no idea what to make of this animated film thing. I guess because...there's nothing comparable? The Beatles did animated work...but that was during their heyday. Has there ever been a group that did a big budget animated film more than 20 years past their heyday? People clearly still love the girls as a live act...but with the way most everything else has gone for 20 years, how is this not considered a serious gamble for a studio? And Paramount Animation may be a big name...but consider this. Their last three films crashed and burned with critics and didn't do especially well at the box office (with Monster Trucks being a fairly big bomb). Sonic the Hedgehog is on their schedule next...and had to be pushed back months when people freaked over the character design. As for Simon, he's a genius in certain respects...but I'm not sure why anyone would be confident in his movie producing history (...hey, From Justin to Kelly...) And does 'new music' really mean the girls teaming up to write together again? I mean. I'd love that...but...is that really what that means or are we assuming? They could have a pet manta ray who sings for all we know. Anyway. Hope the movie comes and proves me wrong. Sound issues aside, this tour looks like it's top notch. Don't want anything dragging down this new goodwill, y'know?

I mean. Of course, I'd love to have a professional recording of the show. But. I do have to ask...is it extremely common for groups that aren't current forces on the charts with new music to do concert recordings? They're a pretty strictly nostalgia act at this point. They're not even attempting to be more than that. I just figure record execs are looking to push recordings of the acts still trying to chart with new material. There's also this. It's well-known that three of the remaining four have a history of being self-conscious about their voice or their live performing ability. Granted, that varies among the members...but it's been a consistent thing with Geri throughout her career. It wouldn't surprise me if one (or more) may have reservations about a recording. It's one thing to perform for a huge stadium...and a whole other thing to have your voice isolated and be under the microscope of close-up shots. I figure there could also be less interest in recordings among many in the biz today...just because so many fans are recording the show on their phones. So many people are doing it that artists and venues have basically HAD to accept it. Why go to the effort of a professional recording when the crowd will just do it, share it and promote it for free? I'm definitely not saying it's better. But it's stunning the number of hits that terrible, shaky phone videos can get.