Not Very Good, But interesting AND FOR A GOOD CAUSE!!!
JRL | MI USA | 07/24/2006
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Two bands whom I've genuinely enjoyed and collected music by--that being MUSE & STEREOPHONICS--lent songs to this collection, which is why I bought the CD. Also, there were about 5 other bands featured on this disc who I could say at least, if I wasn't a fan, they were decent.
It's a given that anything benefiting the War Child organization is worth the money since they are dedicated to providing hope and relief for children throughout the world.
I ordered the disc off Amazon and when it arrived I quite happily placed it in the disc player, cranked the volume and started thumbing through the very nice and detailed booklet.
What I found interesting upon reading the liner notes was that, not only is this an all-covers album, but one with a unifying thread; which is that these songs all appeared at number one in UK pop charts at some time, hence the pun of the disc's title: 1 Love (meaning also LOVE for Number One's).
This fact actually made me even a bit MORE open-minded to all the contributions since, even if I wasn't into a certain band, the oppurtunity still existed to hear interpretations of songs that, if nothing else are probably good because, at one time, they'd landed at the top of the charts.
Well, my open-mindedness unfortunately wasn't rewarded, because the songs didn't grab me, and the performances all seemed a bit tepid and unmemorable.
The funny thing is that the 2 exceptions are actually Muse's death metal version of "House Of the Rising Sun," and Stereophonics naked and tortured take on "Nothing Compares 2 U." I know it seems biased, but Muse's track literally jumps out of the speakers with an almost devilish passion. It's not to say it's the BEST version of this song ever, as the bombast detracts a little from the song's lyrical details, but fans of Matthew Bellamy's angsty howl will NOT be dissapointed with his banshee-like delivery of the song's vocal melody. Also flawed is Stereophonics song, which should ACTUALLY just be credited to Kelly Jones, solo. "Nothing Compares 2 U" only features Kelly's voice, acoustic guitar, and some airy synth-strings. The song would have been better if the BAND had played it so as to include live drums and bass. This rendition is bit plunky at times and clearly sounds more like a demo than a fully realized version. But I have to say Kelly Jones' vocals are great...he actually can hit ALL the right notes with almost as much finess as Sinead O'Connor.
Elbow lend a rendition of the well-known "Something In the Air," and at one time, I also had a soft-spot for them, but alas this track is simply breathy and forgettable.
Honestly, nothing great came of trying to be "grabbed" by any of these covers, although I do remember Jimmy Eat World did a vastly different and, if I remember correctly, MELODIC cover of "Firestarter," so at least they were inventive, but it wasn't strong enough to hold my interest for long, and the whole disc seems to have that quality where it really wouldn't be bad if the songs were all shorter because they're certainly not captivating.
Oh well, for fans or completists of Muse and Stereophonics I'd say their tracks are at least slightly better than half-way essential and half-way decent, but again I'm not sorry about purchasing an album related to a cause as important as War Child."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1