Album Review: Gorillaz - Demon Days
Gorillaz - Demon Days (2005)
Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Last Living Souls
3. Kids With Guns
4. O Green World
5. Dirty Harry
6. Feel Good Inc.
7. El Mañana
8. Every Planet We Reach is Dead
9. November Has Come
10. All Alone
11. White Light
12. DARE
13. Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head
14. Don't Get Lost in Heaven
15. Demon Days
You know.... no matter how many times I listen to Demon Days, I can't figure out how the heck cartoon characters actually make music. Doesn't it violate some rule of physics or the Prime Directive or some crap like that? Well, to help ease this burdening question on my mind and discuss the new Gorillaz album, I sought out a highly reputable 'cartoon rock journalist' to have a discussion with.
Please welcome.... DROOPER!
That's right, Drooper. Once a member of the hot, international supergroup The Banana Splits, he abandoned his roots and embraced hip hop culture as his number one passion. Now writes reviews for dopehiphopbeatz.com, and just might be planning some kind of a comeback tour in the future (although Bingo still won't talk to him after such a bitter band breakup). His status as an actual cartoon character is hotly debated in the land of gnerdom, since technically he is not animated. Regardless, I feel he has the qualifications.
Matt: So tell me again how cartoons actually make music?
Drooper: Yo, man... it ain't no thing. Ever seen Devo?
Matt: Ah. Point taken. Still, you must be elated to know there's a new Gorillaz album here. You guys don't get much exposure as competent musicians.
Drooper: But that's cool, man... cartoon music is tha true underground!
Matt: Well, you would know.... anyway, we're just gonna sit back here and listen to the first trac.... holy shit.... is that Dawn Of The Dead? Score!
Drooper: Score?
Matt: No, really... it's the score from the film. Well, that's a positively bleak way to begin an album. Not that I, the black-hearted cad that I am, have any problem with a 'dark' album.
Drooper: The first proper song, "Last Living Souls", kinda carries on from there with the gloomy thing. It's mellow, but I think it's pretty phat.
Matt: Yeah... the only complaint I can come up with is that it sounds less like a Gorillaz song and more like a Blur b-side left off of Think Tank.
Drooper: Least it don't sound like a Blur demo... *snicker*
Matt: So "Kids With Guns".... you know, it's pretty alarming when a supergroup gimmick band has more relevant worldly things to say than a big hyped up Clash wannabe album.
Drooper: True dat. But maybe it's all part of the Gorillaz marketing gimmick?
Matt: You know, you're pretty darn clever for a cartoon character.
Drooper: And you're whack for talkin to a cartoon...
Matt: Bob Hoskins did it, and people loved it!
Drooper: He also made Super Mario Bros.....
Matt: [Crestfallen] Oh..... yeah....
Josie: Like, OHMIGAWD! This guy isn't even a real cartoooon! This discussion should be with meee!!!
Matt: YOUR MOVIE SUCKED ASS! GET OUTTA HERE!
Josie: What-eveeeeerrrrr!
Drooper: Damn! "Dirty Harry" might be the most danceable thing I've heard in a LONG time! This 'Danger Mouse' guy sounds like a pretty solid producer so far... even if he did rip off the name from a cartoon homeboy of mine.
Matt: Yeah... I like DM too. I don't think he's a Dan Nakamura, but then again, no one compares to the mighty Automator. Yet, DM adds something to the project that Dan couldn't. It's almost as if he's just sitting back and letting the album produce itself. It all sounds so... natural. Definately not overproduced.
Drooper: [As his jaw hits the floor when Del La Soul shows up out of NOWHERE on "Feel Good Inc"] DOUBLE DAMN! *THIS* might be the most danceable thing I've heard. I got a feeling this single is gonna be around a looong time.
Matt: Probably. And it will show up on every stinking NBA commercial for the next two years just like "Clint Eastwood" did.
Drooper: I really dig the rapping portions of this disc. All these guest spots are in the right places. It never feels forced on you when you're listening.
Matt: Now see, *I* can really dig something like "Every Planet We Reach Is Dead". You wanna talk about funky... Sheer brilliance.
Drooper: Aw, man... "November Has Come" is dope, dude. Who's that rapping on there? MF Doom?
Matt: Yep, yep. You know, I was just thinking... this album is targeted to a real definite demographic. There's really no grey areas. You have to like, or at least tolerate five or six different genres all at the same time to really get Demon Days.
Drooper: I'm wit ya, homie. It's one for the kids who eat too much Trix or Cookie Crisp every morning.
Matt: So now Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays fame shows up on "DARE", and I've got to say... for me, this is the finest moment on Demon Days. If "Feel Good Inc." is going to be around Stateside for a long time, I can see "DARE" being around in the UK for a long time. It's what New Order would sound like if they still had a clue.
Drooper: I hear ya. Albarn wisely steps back and lets homeboy do his thang. Sweet hooks and a solid beat... they must have had a kick-ass drum machine in their studio...
Ringo: I like drooooums!
Matt: More run-ins than a Dusty Rhodes booked pay-per-view. Now moving right along, "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" ..... wait a minute..... is that Victor Draze... uh... Dennis Hopper?!?!
Drooper: Oh boy. Here comes a William Shatner reference...
Matt: Dennis F'N Hopper!!! YEAH! You know... every single magazine review you'll read on Demon Days will likely criticise Dennis Hopper's inclusion on this album. Well, what do they know? Granted, 98.9% of the readers of MY reviews don't have the same musical taste as me, but who cares about them? Spoken word music kicks ass, especially when you've got a really distinct voice like Mr. "I'm the bad guy in Speed".
Drooper: A'ight man, I respect that. But yo, you gotta respect the last one, the title track. It's the perfect way to end an album that's already got the 3 AM vibe about it, and the choir at the end is the shiz.
Matt: Never thought I'd hear 'shiz' in relation to a choir... but okay. So what do you think about Demon Days overall?
Drooper: It's fly. It's gonna pass over alot of peep's heads, fo sure. But tha's cool. It would probably take a really amazing Jurassic 5 or Outkast album to beat this in the 'cool' department.
Matt: I see what you're saying. I think it's damn near perfect for what it is. Granted, it's hard to listen to music like this all the time, or some of the novelty wears off.
Ringo: But they stole the album cover from usss!
Matt: Here. Play with this drum.
Ringo: Drooooums!
10/10
Buy Demon Days from CD Universe
Jem: Oh... that was so LAME! LAME! This whole review was LAME! What a joke! As if Drooper actually talked like that! And the stupid self-referencing crap.... that's just so.... LAME! You know what wouldn't be lame, though? If you went to Hot Topic and picked up about twenty of my supercool pink t-shirts for you and your closest friends! Hee hee! Bye!