St. Elsewhere

Well, since my last review, I've been spending too much time online and too little time doing everything else. So, to make up for that, I'm going to spend more time online.

Tonight, I'm going to talk about (as the title may have suggested) the album St. Elsewhere, by Gnarls Barkley. Gnarls Barkley is a duo formed by Cee-Lo Green (who has done some phenomenal work) and Danger Mouse (who I am unfamiliar with). They have released two albums to date, this being the first and the only one I've heard. It was released in 2006.

I picked this album up in either December or February and have only listened to it two or three times, which I shall remedy by trying desperately to explain in to a reading audience (ie., myself).

1. Go-Go Gadget Gospel
Firstly, it is a bad sign when the very first sound on this album (an old movie reel sound) instantly reminds you of the Escapist Magazine plug before a video. I honestly expect Yahtzee to start talking as soon as the song begins. Now, this song is all but an intro. It's just a short song which gives you a taste of how the album is going to play out. Bloody hell, it works. This song is fast paced yet controlled (in contrast to The Cat Empire, which is rarely controlled) and shows off the vocal talent of Cee-Lo Green. Now, unless you've been living under a stone for the last two or so years, you've probably heard the song "Fuck You" (or for the more "sensitive", the toned down "Forget You". I understand perfectly why the title and principle lyric was changed, but I still think it takes a hell of a lot of the impact away from the meaning of the song). This song was possibly the most famous example of Cee-Lo Green's vocal abilities, if you want some point of reference. Now, the one thing that irritates me about this song is the length. This beat and style could and, more importantly, should be a much longer song. Actually looking at the run down of the length of all the songs, this is only a few seconds shorter than most of the songs, if not longer. I don't know why it seems so short when it isn't, but I doubt it was on purpose. The beat is fantastic, the vocals set the perfect expectation for what the album is going to be like and although I can't take any direct meaning out of the lyrics, they work perfectly for Green's vocal style and setting the enthusiastic and slightly eclectic tone for the album to come.

Also, I loved the cartoon Inspector Gadget as a kid, if that relates to anything. Even if it doesn't, I've been wanting to say that all day.
82/100

2. Crazy
Well, I can't accuse Gnarls Barkley of pulling any punches. They bring out the big guns straight away. Crazy is how I was introduced to the group, hearing the song on a lazy Saturday airing of Video Hits (you are missed, VH. Please come home!), but missing the name of the group. I found out the name of the group about two years later, and have loved them ever since. If any possible readers haven't realised by now, this review is not going to be another "Day One", but me fawning over a brilliant musical product. And you're not reading anyway, so what do I care? Anyway, Crazy. Well, this song is going to go for a while, so I may as well start with the negatives. Sorry, negative. The only thing that strikes me about this song is how Cee-Lo Green is not at his vocal best, but that is far from saying he is bad in this song. Now, fan-boy time. Firstly, the music. The beat is great, forming a simple, repetitive line for Green's vocals to form around. The subtle use of violins (I think) is also to be applauded. Now, the lyrics. At the end of the previous song, I mentioned "enthusiastic and near eclectic tone of the album". This song is lyrically proving that I am full of absolute bull. This song is about as depressing as you can get without being sad. Now, listen to this lyric:
"Ever since I was little, it looked like fun."
Happy, right? It is in reference to people bravely giving their lives for a cause. That line is followed soon after by:
"And I can die when I'm done."
Perhaps these two lines are the most grim, but I must say that the song is a very interesting look as exclusion and mortality, seeing exclusion the fault of perception and intelligence and mortality something that is far less serious than normally taken. This is my opinion anyway. Looking at an interview during which the album was discussed, I couldn't find anything other than "trying to screw with people" as the motivation for this and many other songs. So, it looks like everyone who will ever read this post (ie. myself) is going going to have to live with my interpretation of the lyrics alone. Also, the music video is perfect, balancing artsy without being boring and entertaining without being stupid.

The best song Gnarls Barkley has ever done. Bar nothing.
96/100

3. St. Elsewhere
OK, what I'm doing with this review that I've never done before is listening through the entire song whilst reading the lyrics to get a better understanding of what the song is about before going on a random rant about something I may or may not have actually heard. After saying that, I'd like to talk about the lyrics of this song before any other elements. Now, despite the very heavy atmosphere created by this song, one thing just comes to mind instantly. Now, I don't play many computer games, half due to having Linux on my main computer and a craptastic laptop. The three games I have are Rise of Nations, the original X-Com and Minecraft. Minecraft is what I normally play when I want to listen to an album, but don't feel it can hold my attention alone for half an hour. Anyway, there are some songs which I absolutely swear are designed to be listened to whilst playing Minecraft. The Rockafeller Skank by Fatboy Slim, Future Shade (the song, not the album) by The Herd and A Distant Shore by Ozi Batla are all in this category in my mind. Some for their lyrics or atmosphere, others for no discernible reason. St. Elsewhere is absolutely the perfect song for trying to live on an island with everything trying to kill you. The lyrics aren't as explicit as those in Crazy, but I feel that combined with the strange haunting music in the background, this song is clearly about escape and loneliness, both of which the "character" in the song is simultaneously terrified of and desperate to maintain. The use of a "saint" who is declared absent in his name alone shows the abandonment the character feels, perhaps not in a sense of belief or religion, but in a person or group which they felt they could always find, perhaps a death or actual abandonment. The music, as mentioned, is haunting and creates a great atmosphere, akin to a boat moving through thick fog, but trades off beat for atmosphere, losing the fantastic simple beat that was so good in the previous song.

A strange, but not bad song.
84/100

4. Gone Daddy Gone
Apparently, this is a song originally by The Violent Femmes, but since (as previously done with Fatboy Slim's cover of The Joker on Palookaville) I am unfamiliar with the song from any other artist, I'll judge both the song and the presentation. Firstly, the beat and vocals are great. I think this is the first song so far where I thought more of Danger Mouse's role than Green's. The vocals are at their best, strong and emotional. The lyrics, however, are the let down. "Happy lovey" should cover it pretty well. Meh. Just meh. Also, I think this is the first time I've mentioned the music video in a negative light. The theme is a group of bugs attempting to climb a woman's leg. The style and premise irritate me, as well as the overall execution. Just listen to the thing, don't watch it.

I really should listen to the original to judge if it got better or worse in the hands of Gnarls Barkley...but that involves a slight amount of effort. Surprisingly, one of the singles from the album.
75/100

5. Smiley Faces
Once again, I'm going to look at lyrics first. The overarching themes of the song are resilience and happiness, and finding the secret to sustaining both. That is pretty simple. What I keep coming back to is the title. Now, if you wanted to do a song about genuinely happy people, you'd call it "Smiling Faces", but Gnarls Barkley didn't. They called it "Smiley Faces". Y'now, :] (I just did one of the three things I swore never to do on this blog. If I start giving regaling people with the "cutest things" my household pets do (something made even more worrisome by the fact I own no pets (I call the mice and cockroaches "vacuum cleaners" rather than pets)), please stop reading this. For my own good. Actually, I think everyone started doing that already.) Now, someone as a "Smiling Face" is a hell of a lot different to calling someone a "Smiley Face", which is a false, simplified reference to actual happiness. So, in the end, I have to think this song is more about the concept of happiness, rather than being actually happy. Moving on, this is actually the second single from the album, and I can't say I disagree. The vocals are pleasant, the music is still great, except for one thing. I don't know why it irritates me so, but I can only describe it as "the meows of space cats". I'm not going to deny both sleep deprivation and possible insanity, but it makes more sense when listening to the song. Sort of.

A good song overall, but a little bit forgettable.
86/100

6. The Boogie Monster
I have not even listened to the song yet, but unless it is the next "Fifty in Five", I'm still going to give this name a good bagging out..........OK. Well, does everyone remember that one line that basically ruined the entire Cat Empire album for me? The one I published last week and unless the site has been reconfigured should be a short scroll up? No? Well, god-damn read it! Done? No? Sigh. Anyway, there is one of those lines in this song. The basic premise is the old "Holy shit, a monster!", eventually culminating in the mandatory "I was the monster?!" (so basically "Planet of the Apes" for those "mature" among the readers, but basically the twist at the end of 50% of "Goosebumps" books, for those with the same mental age as myself). This is stupid, but passable. What is a song killr for me is literally the very last line in the song:
"The only thing that could bring it alive, woman, is some good, good head."
I'll let that sink in....
Now, if the only association with Cee-Lo Green is the song "Fuck/Forget You", this might seem like something he does in a lot of songs. It is not. It is stupid. I understand this song is camp and silly, but a line like that is not good. I am awae that both the members of Gnarls Barkley have hip-hop backgrounds, and in hip-hop, an occasional sexual throwaway is fine. When you're making music that is far more "soul" than "hip-hop", you need to learn to grow the hell up! People (such as myself) are attempting to find a meaning to your music, and all you give us is a "joke" about oral sex? What the hell is wrong with you? I want to re-emphasise: I understand the song is silly and an odd thing in the album, but this line has no place in this album. Full stop. Anyway, the vocals for the chorus are amazing, and I figured all of the song would be like that, but the verses are sung in a way that is both idiotic and irritating. It took me a while to remember what it reminded me of, but I eventually pinned it down: The Salmon Dance by The Chemical Brothers. It's not a terrible song, but it is not the sort of thing I would like to be drawing parallels with Gnarls Barkley. The music does manage to fit the song however, overblown and camp.

Sigh.
56/100

7. Feng Shui
Okay, we're back with half decent music. Now, Feng Suei is what I have to call "easy hip-hop". Although a lot of people claim Australian hip-hop is watered down, this song show it better, but it is certainly not worse for it. I think the actual song has a message about belief and order, but I truly don't think that it is meant to be over-analysed (which, sadly, is one of my fortes). The lyrics are fantastic and as soon as it becomes clear that the vocals are meant to be in a hip-hop fashion, it meshes well with the rest of the song. The music is restrained, but the only thing that I could think is how this song just screams to be the theme for a television show. the one that instantly came to mind was a book called the Feng Shui detective I'd read a couple of years ago. I can really imagine that. I don't know who would play the detective, but I think that Molly Quinn (Castle's daughter from Castle) would be great as his assistant. Considering WIN is now airing a show called "Marry My Boy", where mothers plead desperately for young women to marry their sons (I think), I might have a chance with this show...

Oh, right. I was talking about a song there, wasn't I? Creative, and well pulled off. Interestingly, the shortest song on the album at only 1:26
87/100

8. Just A Thought
OK, well this song is just begging to be analysed. For this song, I completely refuse to take "just screwing around" as an acceptable excuse for this particular tune, due to the fact there is just so much it explores. The main theme is contemplation of suicide. That is the "Thought" in the title, the main theme of the music video (which I think does accentuate the song very nicely) and is a very interesting theme. The way the song approaches it is fascinating. It is not in the "Life is pain" style, or a story of a character killing themselves. It is a look at the human psyche. It is a look at the thought of suicide, without any kind of plan to enact it. There is not a human being alive who has not contemplated suicide. Not necessarily thought about committing it, but something as simple as the logistics: "Would the beams in the roof hold if...?" or "I wonder if 30 of these tablets...?". There is nothing to be ashamed of about it. It is natural human thought. The line at the very end of the song confirms this:
"But I'm fine."
This shows that the "character" in the song has not actually committed suicide, nor is he mentally unstable. He's just an average Joe thinking of suicide in a very basic fashion. The other issue brought up is human aggression, talking about being an animal and questioning what to do with aggression, which is a very closely tied point to suicide. "I'm angry...but who with?". I honestly can't remember who said it, but someone once said that some of the most spite filled writings they had ever read were suicide notes, which makes perfect sense. Haven't you ever thought: "If I died, that'd show 'em!". The logic here is capable of holding up little but air, but for many people caught in a passionate rage, it makes perfect sense, and writing a suicide note with bile on your tongue is a natural association. Now, the rest of the song. Well. The vocals are Ok and the lyrics are excellent. That;s all that needs to be said right? That's everything that makes up a song? Lyrics and vocals? Well, I'm done.....fine. The music is horrid. It sounds like the music is repeatedly running into a metal door in an attempt to get away. The music is jerky, loud, harsh and completely unpleasant. I understand how it fits with the mood of the song, but I still dislike it.

Perhaps just read the lyrics. Don't listen to the music.
89/100

9. Transformer
This song sucks. There is not much to say about this. The music sounds like it's trying to achieve the speed of sound and the entire song is basically Green playing around with all the functions on the voice modifications. I'm not learned on the "Transformers" franchise, so the best I can do in analysing this song is to think of the classic condition of "I can completely change at the drop of a hat. I just don't want to", where people think they only are who they are to get through day to day life. This is great for maintaining sanity, I must say. Listening to this song is not.

The only good line is :
"A Microchip off the old block".
But its still not worth listening to.
 58/100

10. Who Cares?
Well, it looks like Green worked out those pesky voice modulators, but man did he work them out well. Who Cares? is the final single off the album, and it certainly deserves to be. I would definitely have to place this just underneath Crazy as the second best song off the album. Firstly, lyrics. The overarching theme, if you haven't quite gotten it yet, is the concept of sanity. This is explored through many ways throughout the album. Just A Thought and Crazy being an exploration of the "character" in the song's worries that he may have an unstable grasp on reality and his own sanity, while Transformers and The Boogie Monster are attempts to make the listener question their own sanity, in having purchased this album. Who Cares? does talk a little bit about apathy as the name suggests, but I think it is more about the concept of normality. The line:
"I'm afraid 'cause I have no fear."
shows just how much people worry about being anything outside the norm, even when the change is a positive on. The other major point this song explores (or I will make it explore) is personality. The line:
"But I'll be at least 2 people today"
is a comment on how we act as different people around people. You may be loud and boisterous around family, calm and quiet around friends and aggressive around strangers, although some traits shine through all of these. Anyway, the music and vocals are absolutely astounding, truly taking the cake and showing that even bad tracks have a silver lining, if it helps artists achieve these kinds of songs.

Although the sample of "But who cares?" breaks immersion in the song a little bit, it does change the pace a little. Personally, I would have dropped it.
93/100

11. Online
The title of this song has two meanings explored in the song. The first is obviously Internet, shown in the line:
"I'm with everybody, but I'm still alone."
If I need to go into that line any more, I will lose a lot of respect for my audience (Yeah, yeah, like I have an audience). The second meaning is in regard to boundaries, as in "line in the sand". "Online" is a metaphor for on the edge of your comfort zone, doing what is uncomfortable, forcing you to stand on your self imposed boundaries. Very interesting. The vocals are very interesting, with a strange haunting sample used in the background. The music is a little too separated from the theme of the song, but that is a very small complaint.

The song seems remarkable short. I wonder why? There must have been much more to discuss in relation to the topic. For god's sake, this was the first album to become a UK number 1 based on downloads alone (making it the most popular album I've ever reviewed on this blog). This surely means it appealed to internet users.
84/100

12. Necromancer
OK..............................................................................................................I quote from the song:
"It's naughty, very naughty necrophilia"
..................I can do this. This week I managed to convince someone that a song about arson and drugs was actually a metaphor for a parliamentary double-dissolution. So... this song is...clearly a metaphor....for....possessiveness? Challenging societal norms? Our death focused society? I don't fucking know! This song I am more than willing to believe is part of the "just screwing with us" set of songs. I...really don't know what to make of these lyrics. I would greatly appreciate anyone looking up the lyrics (the music doesn't mean mush) and telling me what to make of this...if anything. OK, the vocals are fine and the sample of the organ in such a disturbing piece is a great move. The piano sample kept reminding me of an old Hilltop Hoods song, but that might just be me.

So......screwing corpses........how about that?......
66/100

13. Storm Coming
.................corpses? Wh- Oh, right, new song. Erm, there is little here. There are no clever metaphors that I can pick up, the music and vocals are pretty par for the course on this album: good, atmospheric but nothing extraordinary. Really nothing worth listening to.

To be fair to this song, I must admit that my Discman decided to give the song a unique dubstep remix at the end of the last verse. I may judge it unfairly because of this, but really, if it took that long to get good, should I really care?
69/100

14. The Last Time
This is a song about dancing. Yes, another. Everyone from David Bowie to Lady Gaga has done it, but I can't hold it against Gnarls Barkley for doing it themselves. There are no really clever metaphors or analogies or topics in the lyrics, so I'm going to go ahead and compare them to the music. The music gives the song a style of modern, brief, stylish hit single, while the lyrics seem to be more timeless, something that could outlast Gnarls Barkley. This is the first time I've noticed a real clash between music and lyrics, and for that to be only on the last track shows the strength of Gnarls Barkley. I don't think it subtracts from the song at all, but it is interesting. The vocals are terrific and this is overall a perfect song to finish off with. Many songs were better, but would have left the audience feeling a bit down. This is a pretty middle-of-the-road point to leave the listeners.

I mentioned on the first song the sound of an old movie reel starting up, and I truly adore the little touch of the sound of the same machine shutting down again at the end of this song. It's the little touches that really make certain albums last as long as they do.
87/100

St. Elsewhere is a fantastic album. It has a few stinkers, but so do all the greatest albums. Some things really could have done with an explanation...or could have been left out completely, but overall, it works fine. The best thing about this entire album is not its lyrics, which are great, but more its ability to establish atmosphere better than friggin' Stephen King.

Well happy Easter to the Christians out there (and a happy "The day we got him" to everyone else).

H. Rourke