Gnarls Barkley - "St. Elsewhere" Test DriveMusic

[JohnBM01]

I'm back in this thread since making a thread on Natalie's self-titled debut album (by the way, her next album's going to be called "Everything New," coming in August). Picking up the debut album for Gnarls Barkley, here are my views on this CD:

IN GENERAL
( Website: http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/ ) This duo has a widely-diversified style. To be honest, I don't know their exact style. Part of their style is rap. They also mix up funk, R&B, and some rock. Reviews I've read indicate that this duo of Cee-Lo and DJ Danger Mouse are pretty weird in their music. Cee-Lo is sort of a back-from-the-grave deal because he once had a hit back in the early-mid 1990s (or was that Skee-Lo?). It's labeled as rap music, but the beats aren't your average rap beats. Don't be surprised if you listen to the song "Just a Thought" (Track 8 of 14) thinking to hear average rap and hip-hop beats. Gnarls Barkley doesn't claim that the duo name has anything to do with NBA Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley.

PROS
+ unorthodox beats and style
+ a clean convergence of styles
+

CONS
- could have been longer; either longer songs or more songs. It's basically like a sampler CD because there's only 37:30 of music on this CD.

NEWTRAL
= can be a bit weird

MY FAVORITE SONG:
(Track 2 of 14) "Crazy" - this song is their hit song. It really shows what this duo is capable of. If you like "Crazy," you may like many of the other tracks on this CD. I tend to like Verse 2 of this song. The second half of this track goes something like this:

"Come on now. Who do you... who do you, who do you, who do you think you are? Ha, ha, ha... bless your soul! You really think you're in control? Well, I think you're CRAZY..." -2nd Half of second verse of "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley

FINAL VERDICT
Check this CD out. Maybe not groundbreaking, but it's a surprisingly nice convergence of styles. This is a mix of funk, rap, rock, and even some dance. Don't have any doubts about this CD when I say it's labeled a rap CD. The very first thing people will think is that the CD involves things like tricked-out cars, sex, drugs, and all that. Believe it or not, I don't think there is a single curse word in any of the 14 songs. There is no "Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics" tag on the CD cover. So this can be enjoyable by a pretty wide audience. I only wished there could have been longer songs or more songs. (Final Verdict: 8.75/10.00)

Care to add anything to this?

 

[Omnis]

My favorite song is either Transformer or Storm Coming. I've had the album since it came out, and I don't listen to it much anymore.

I'm pretty disappointed with Cee-Lo on some songs, only because I feel he could've done a lot better with his voice at those certain points. The lyrical content isn't exactly fascinating either. It won't blow your socks off, but it still squeaks by. No curse words or scum subject-matter; the first might be a plus for some, and the later is a plus for all. Besides Cee-Lo, I was expecting more from Dangermouse. Besides Crazy and the two previously mentioned songs, my opinion is that the album sounds pretty generic. It's obviously not your ordinary pop CD, but it still starts to fall under the generic abstract category after a couple playthroughs.

I also think the album could do with a good remastering. There are a LOT of times where I think dangermouse should've tweaked dynamics and made a certain drum, click, or whistle have more impact. The album doesn't have the depth of sound that a lot of my others have, and in the car it's so flat, it's like trying to chop a tree down with a horse mackerel. Maybe I got a bad copy. Who knows.

This album, in my opinion, would've done a lot better with more guests on board. The Gorillaz are basically a collab similar to Gnarls Barkley and have enjoyed great success two times now, but the difference is that they brought on others to work on certain tracks alongside the root-collaborators. Gnarls hit it HUGE with Crazy, a single, and that's fantastic, but when it comes to a full-length album, I think they lacked diversity, especially when compared other successful teams.

Again, I'm not necessarily knocking GB; I'm just pointing out things from which I believe they could've benefitted. It's still a worthwhile album. 👍

 

[Giancarlo]

I like it a lot, but it takes a little time for it to grow on you. The song topics are also a little too ridiculous sometimes, heh.

My favorite track is the first one, "Go-Go Gadget Gospel"

 

[Danny]

Smiley Faces takes a bit of getting used to but then it grows on you like genital warts.

 

[JohnBM01]

Since the duo is called "Gnarls Barkley," I sometimes imagine a basketball game going on in my mind when I hear "Crazy" looping in my mind. This is simply because of Gnarls Barkley and the relation to the name "Charles Barkley." I know he brought our Rockets some NBA Title love. This is my favorite song since it's the one I've listened to and enjoyed the most. "Transformer" is a pretty cool song. In terms of hip-hop style, do you know who they remind me of? They sort of remind me of OutKast. OutKast has a style much different from most other hip-hop artists in the fact that they have a variety of styles to use in songs. Gnarls Barkley and OutKast can both play the upbeat hip-hop game pretty well. Track #10 has a blues and jazzy vibe to it. Track #10 is called "Who Cares?" There are some pretty nice beats to most songs on their CD. Their style is more of rap with diversified style. You get diverse beats and styles in a number of songs. Track #12 is called "Necrophilia(?)." This song is more like one of those real slow electronica songs. I think the proper terminology is "chill." The final track (Track 14 of 14) is diverse and a little deep.

I think diversity is the name of the game with this CD and their style. I will agree that the first song is a good one. The first track has a killer beat to it. Some say this CD is a great piece of singing in the realm of Marvin Gaye. Some say this CD was missed oppurtunity. Here's something I read from Amazon.com:

"This album, in short, is truly great. Cee-Lo, a more mainstream rapper/singer/producer with a phenomenal voice and a great energy, teams up with Dangermouse to create a thrilling energy that should capture the attention of kids who like to swing and adults to miss the thrill of Marvin Gaye and Al Green. The continually exciting underground hip hop scene reaches a real peak on this album, and Cee-Lo shines like he never has before. Recommended for anyone looking for a great introduction to what is exciting in music today." -Tyrone Slothrop, a reviewer on Amazon.com; full review (and others) at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EU1KRS/?tag=gtplanet-20

Many people like rock, right? Track 4 is "Gone Daddy Gone" is your rockin' fix. See, there's something for everyone with this CD. I think it's important to note that this CD has nothing to do with the soap opera(?) "St. Elsewhere." You may continue offering your views on this debut CD for the duo Gnarls Barkley.

[UPDATE]
I say there's no cursing on there. Well, there's some light swearing. But nothing like hardcore "I hate you" cursing. Mild swears are stuff like "damn" and "hell." Stuff you can normally get away with without getting censored. But, yeah.