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Gorillaz - Gorillaz - CD

It's tempting to judge Gorillaz -- Damon Albarn, Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett, and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura's virtual band -- just by their brilliantly animated videos and write the project off as another triumph of style over substance. Admittedly, Hewlett's edgy-cute characterizations of 2-D, Gorillaz' pretty-boy singer (who looks a cross between the Charlatans' Tim Burgess and Sonic the Hedgehog), sinister bassist Murdoc, whiz-kid guitarist Noodle, and b-boy drummer Russel are so arresting that they almost detract from Gorillaz' music. The amazing "Thriller"-meets-Planet of the Apes clip for "Clint Eastwood" is so visually clever that it's easy to take the song's equally clever, hip-hop-tinged update of the Specials' "Ghost Town" for granted. And initially, Gorillaz' self-titled debut feels incomplete when Hewlett's imagery is removed; the concept of Gorillaz as a virtual band doesn't hold up as well when you can't see the virtual bandmembers. It's too bad that there isn't a DVD version of Gorillaz, with videos for every song, a la the DVD version of Super Furry Animals' Rings Around the World. Musically, however, Gorillaz is a cutely caricatured blend of Albarn's eclectic Brit-pop and Nakamura's equally wide-ranging hip-hop, and it sounds almost as good as the band looks. Albarn has fun sending up Blur's cheeky pop on songs like "5/4" and "Re-Hash," their trip-hop experiments on "New Genious" and "Sound Check," and "Song 2"-like thrash-pop on "Punk" and "M1 A1." Despite the similarities between Albarn's main gig and his contributions here, Gorillaz isn't an Albarn solo album in disguise; Nakamura's bass- and beat-oriented production gives the album an authentically dub and hip-hop-inspired feel, particularly on "Rock the House" and "Tomorrow Comes Today." Likewise, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Miho Hatori, and Ibrahim Ferrer's vocals ensure that it sounds like a diverse collaboration rather than an insular side project. Instead, it feels like a musical vacation for all parties involved -- a little self-indulgent, but filled with enough fun ideas and good songs to make this virtual band's debut a genuinely enjoyable album. Gorillaz was also released in a "clean" edition, containing no profanities or vulgarities. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Performer	Gorillaz
Music genre	Alternative
Music subgenre	CD - ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Music release type	Release
Media format	CD
Edition	Standard
Language	English
Number of tracks	13
Has parental advisory label	N
Number of discs	1
Series title	Gorillaz - Gorillaz [CD]
Track listing	Re-Hash,5/4,Tomorrow Comes Today,New Genious (Brother),Clint Eastwood,Man Research (Clapper),Punk,Sound Check (Gravity),Double Bass,Rock the House,19-2000,Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo),Starshine,Slow Country,M1 A1,Dracula,Left Hand Suzuki Method
Record label	WB / Parlophone
Target audience	Adult
Composer	Gorillaz
Songwriter	Gorillaz
Music producer	Gorillaz
Number in series	1
Occasion	All Occasion
Track name	Clint Eastwood, 19-2000, Rock The House, Tomorrow Comes Today, Re-Hash, 5/4, New Genius (Brother), Man Research (Clapper), Punk, Sound Check (Gravity), Double Bass, Rock the House, Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo), Starshine, Slow Country, M1 A1, Clint Eastwood (Ed Case/Sweetie Irie Remix), 19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)
Digital audio file format	Cd
Music media format	CD
Is edited	N
Is enhanced	N