15th November 1999


No, Mr Bond - I expect you to die...


Single of the Week

"Dollars In The Heavens" by Geneva

Geneva - they of the angelic chrystalline sonic wonder and students-on-pot-noodles image problems - are back after far too long away with the space-bound magnificence of "Dollars In The Heavens". Starting off on the launchpad with an earthbound verse resplendent in cascading guitar and rich vocals, the countdown begins and "Dollars In The Heavens" is soon breaking through the atmosphere, fuelled mainly by Andrew Montgomery's planet-sized vocals, and a chorus that turns into a spectacular comet-like thing, eclipsing the likes of the similarly high-reaching Suede and Gene with a dazzling display of pyrotechnics. And there is a good place to stop, not least because I've run out of tortuous space metaphors.

"Faintest Tremor In The Weakest Heart" follows next, much more muted in tone with Radiohead-like guitars vying with each other for attention. What sets it miles apart from the average however is - once again - Montgomery's vocals; part Alison Moyet, part McAlmont, part Britney Spears (er...): all glass-shattering beauty. "She's So Familiar" closes things with another slice of God's own apple pie; delicate, shimmering and delicious, and with a ponderous resonant bass covering the whole thing like custard.

These are the sort of songs that the light switch was invented for: listen to this in the dark and be transported to another place (not necessarily Geneva).

Rating: 10/10


The Rest

"The World Is Not Enough" by Garbage

Not since Duran Duran have such a cool band done a Bond movie theme. After Pulp were pipped at the post for Cheryl "sings like a" Crow's version of "Tomorrow Never Dies", it looked like 007 was forever destined to be soundtracked by the kinds of bands your mum would invite in for a cup of tea and a biscuit. Now however, Shirley and her undercover agents of 90s techno-goth have taken James hostage, forcing him to dress up in leather, wear shades at night-time and switching his vodka Martina for cider and blackcurrant. Mind you, scored as it is by David Arnold, "The World Is Not Enough" is less pvc-in-yer-face as you might have hoped a Garbage-penned theme song might have been, and is in fact rather predictable in terms of Bond themes: huge strings, a mighty chorus and 60s-style guitar that evokes memories of every spy movie ever. It is left to Shirley and her undeniably provocative and slinky vocals therefore to yank things out of mediocrity swamp with a big chain, and this she does well, exuding the dangerous attraction of a villainess rather than a Bond girl.

An "U.N.K.L.E." remix follows, shooting volts of electricity through the original, but without changing the tempo, resulting in something that only twitches slightly instead of pumping on your stereo. "Ice Bandits" follows, presumably a bit of incidental music from Mr Bond's latest gritty and realistic adventures. As such, it has all the repeated listening value of your granny playing the spoons at Christmas time.

Rating: 8/10

"No Distance Left To Run" by Blur

Yet another slice of lo-fi carved from the rump of "13", "No Distance Left To Run" is Damon's heart-rending swansong to Justine, pumped full of tear-stained lyrics ("It's over - I won't kill myself trying to stay in your life"), soft, maudlin guitar and a vocal that has you believing the boy Albarn's crying into his shandy whilst he's singing it. Cynicism aside however, it is one of the best break-up songs ever written, and it is not for the likes of me to belittle it with smart-arsed criticisms. Though not their best, it is a brave choice for a single and comes straight from the heart. I doff my cap to it, and offer it a Kleenex.

A bizarre Cornelius remix of "Tender" follows, which strips away all the music of the original, leaving just the vocals and some "My First Sequencer" style beats and synths. It gets into its own about half-way through when the fast beats spill out the toybox, and certainly makes a nice change from remixes which simply stick on a drum loop to the original then run away. "So You" is the third track, by the sounds of it from the same sessions as those that produced "13". Notable for a guitar riff that buzzes through it like a run-down generator, and a tune that deceives with its simplicity in the way that only Blur can deceive.

CD2 has an "UNKLE" (these boys get around) remix of "Battle", resulting in a fairly forgettable bit of ambient techno. "Beagle 2" is another unreleased track, but is simply one of those haunted fairground style instrumentals that Blur are so keen of sticking on b-sides. The second CD is redeemed by the suitably downbeat video to "No Distance Left To Run", made up of actual footage of the band sleeping. Preceded by the guys stating how nervous they are at being filmed asleep, the actual video proves they had little to worry about. No drooling or tentpoles to be seen.

Rating: 7/10

"Heart Go Boom" by Apollo 440

I bet this crew would've loved to get their hands on the Bond theme, and rip it limb from limb the same way they did so scarily well with "Lost In Space". They console themselves here with "Heart Go Boom", a pistol-packin' hombre swaggering along to a soundtrack of ragga-fied techno, Apollo 440's trademark mighty twin drum beats and guitars shooting off his stetson every now and again. Not as gonad-grapplingly great as "Stop The Rock", it still manages to give you the same sort of frisson of excitement as spilling your cocoa on the electric blanket. It made my heart go boom boom, anyway.

2 live tracks on the b: the Terminator-esque "Altamont" and the superior "The Machine In The Ghost", a spooky, shady thing that flits through the same haunted house inhabited by Massive Attack. Also included is the Heinz Spaghetti Western video, sadly not featuring the dog from "Stop The Rock".

Rating: 7/10


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