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Tubthumper
Chumbawamba
Tubthumper
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop
 
When Chumbawamba--an anarchist musical collective from Leeds--can have a major U.S. hit, this isn't reality--it's more like Utopia. They'd been plugging away in the underground for years, highlighting hypocrisy with wit an...  more »

     
   

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CD Details

All Artists: Chumbawamba
Title: Tubthumper
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 29
Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
Release Date: 6/13/2006
Album Type: Import
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop
Styles: Hardcore & Punk, Indie & Lo-Fi, British Alternative, Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
Other Editions: Chumbawamba- Tubthumper
UPCs: 601215309928, 2605000008957, 724349387829, 724385945526, 724385945540

Synopsis

Amazon.com
When Chumbawamba--an anarchist musical collective from Leeds--can have a major U.S. hit, this isn't reality--it's more like Utopia. They'd been plugging away in the underground for years, highlighting hypocrisy with wit and releasing a series of brilliant albums before achieving critical mass in 1997. There's the drum & bass ("Smalltown"), and "The Good Ship Lifestyle" where they manage to weld the rhythms seamlessly onto songs. Anything and everything is fair game here, and why not? Chumbawamba have their own voice, and these snapshots of England (Polaroids of Leeds, really) prove that pop and politics can make comfortable bedfellows. --Chris Nickson

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Amy T. (simplyamy) from DAKOTA DUNES, SD
Reviewed on 8/16/2007...
A classic drinking CD!

CD Reviews

Surprisingly Good
Westley | Stuck in my head | 10/23/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chumbawamba is a most unlikely hit group - a co-ed U.K. collective best-known for their idiosyncratic, working-class polemics; they toiled in obscurity for many years. In 1997, though, their song "Tubthumping" became a left-field international smash - peaking at #6 in the U.S. and holding at #1 in airplay for an astounding 9 weeks. Love it or hate it, "Tubthumping" is indisputably one of the catchiest and most original hits of the last decade. However, the group is usually dismissed today as a novelty act or one-hit-wonder.



Of note, "Tubthumping" wasn't released as a single, so people had to buy the full-length CD, "Tubthumper," to get the song (over 3 millions people did so). I'm sure many people who purchased the CD listened only to "Tubthumping." However, the rest of the CD deserves attention. It's the type of CD in my collection that I don't listen to often, but when I do, I'm always surprised by how much better it is than I expect.



Aside from "Tubthumping," quite a few of the songs are stand-outs. "Amnesia" is another tremendously catchy song, with a clever chorus, "Do you suffer from long-term memory loss/ I don't remember" - and it even includes a tango-styled break. It managed to become a UK hit - slipping into the Top 10. "Drip, Drip, Drip" is another highlight - a surprisingly melodic song built around some intriguing spoken-word samples and featuring a swanky piano outro. Indeed, one of the group's trademarks is to throw in an unexpected element, such as the young English lad who finished "The Big Issue." Overall, the music isn't earth-shattering and does tend to wear a bit after repeated listens. However, "Tubthumper" is enjoyable, well-written, and features good production; careful listeners who appreciate quirky music will be well-rewarded if they approach this CD with an open mind.



"
This Put Them On The Map, But This Isn't Their Finest
K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 07/17/2004
(3 out of 5 stars)

"The song "Tubthumping" may have turned them into a household name, but this CD, on the whole, is not representative of Chumbawamba's greatness. This isn't a horrid album, but with the exception of "Tubthumping," not much to write home about. In my opinion, "WYSIWYG", the album following this one, is their crowning glory. They capture that sardonic anti-establishment flavor beautifully on that CD.If you want to pick up this CD merely for the hit song, it is worth the dough. If you want to hear really great Chumbawamba from the first to final track, I highly recommend "WYSIWYG.""