15th September, 1997

Not a great deal to write home about this week.

Single of the Week

"Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind

It must be quite hard for a band to decide what they're best at and what musical genre to follow. Third Eye Blind have obviously decided the decision was too much for them and have gone for three or four styles in one song instead. Fortunately their power pop punk rap beach tune "Semi-Charmed Life" is largely effective and proves to be an interesting diversion for a little while. One for all those old EMF fans out there. Both of you.

B-side "London" is a snottier, harder, Chili Peppers style rant containing the worthy and utterly understandable line "I don't wanna go to London". Third track on the single is "Tattoo Of The Sun" that tries its hand at funk rock and is on the whole unsuccessful. One hit wonders then (if they get a hit).

Rating: 8/10

The Rest

"M.O.R." by Blur

Someone should pass a law stating that no band can release more than two singles from one LP. That way these damned groups may actually have to work for a living. Bloody riffraff. I can remember when all this was fields, you know.

That said, "M.O.R." is a storming song, the forty-third to be lifted from "Blur" - and admirably, a slightly different version than that which appears on the album. Seeing the band in "Song 2" punk explosion territory, "M.O.R." burns up your speakers and tries - almost successfully - to be Sonic Youth partying with David Bowie. Lovely.

Extra song number one is "Swallows In The Heatwave", which is where I finally see the Pavement connection everyone was talking about. Plus on this Damon makes J Mascis sound like Chuck D on speed, which is always good - can't beat a good bit of torpor. Next we get a couple of remixes of LP tracks: "Movin' On" and "Beetlebum", both of which work. "Movin' On" in particular, mixed into a big scary Kraftwerk mess by William Orbit is wonderful. Moby's take on "Beetlebum" is less exciting, but quite amusing nevertheless as the "English Slacker" anthem is turned into a handbag house smasheroonie.

Rating: 8/10

"South Of The Border" by Robbie Williams

"Robbbeeeeeee!!" we all scream as everyone's favourite That-ter returns with another decidedly non-teen-band anthem. Like his previous two efforts, "South Of The Border" is a guitar (big glam variety) number in which Mr Williams exercises his vocal chords and lives out all his rock n roll fantasies. Fortunately he does it well and allows us to enjoy it too.

And I wonder if that's our Robbie doing all that whistling..? What a mult-talented chap.

First b-side is "Cheap Love Song", Elvis' "His Latest Flame" slowed down and flavoured with Brett Anderson style vocals and frankly pretentious guitar doodlings. Not bad though. The other 2 tracks on the release are unnecessary remixes of the a-side.

Rating: 7/10

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