Album Too Derivative

[gumption]

Has Monsieur Barso been a big naughty with "I Never Knew Your Name" - It sounds very much like this

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEHd3j1jPeY

As Dusty Springfrield sang - Nothing Can be Proved but I am suspicious!

Also the connections have been made with Tainted Love/Good Thing for My Girl 2 and also the Specials-tinged Death of a Rude Boy.

Some of the other tracks also seem too familiar somehow - Misery reminds me a bit of Time from Mad Not Mad.

While Liberty had lovely attention to detail - the birds on Mark II; the train sound on Africa etc, this album is just a bit loose, a bit lazy.

[simon]

I agree with it lacking direction, leadership and some attention to lyrical detail.

My view is that some of the songs that would have lifted the album further have been held back.

I think they have gone for the obvious, to make a lighter record than LONF which I don't think was a masterpiece or even in my top five albums by Madness

OOSSJJDD is catchy, uptempo, tuneful, lyrically brilliant in part and utterly loveable. It is memorably tuneful in a way not achieved by the band before.

The disappointing artwork, inclusion of two versions of My Girl 2, that track chosen as lead single and unbelievably bland lyrics at times all smack of indecision and rushed work.

But for How can I tell you, Leon, Circus Freaks, So Alive, Small world, powder blue especially it's a thoroughly original and engaging piece of work.