Well, she makes me happy anyway. Single number four from young Ms Spears, "Born To Make You Happy" is slow of tempo, mellow of mood and slinkier than a greased-up leopard wearing lingerie. Continuing her world domination of the solo female pop market (Christine Agweelywoo who?), Britney cartwheels her gymnastic tonsils around this irresistibly catchy and only slightly cloying number, culminating in a chorus that injects you full of adolescent pheromones, tanks your head up on cheap fizzy wine and takes you back to the school disco dancefloor. Truly wonderful, in only the school disco dancefloor way that Britney can be.
A slightly different remix of the a-side follows, stacatto stiletto stabs and beats filtering through the original, making it less smooth but no less slinky. A big housey hip-hop remix of "(You Drive Me) Crazy" shimmies up last, prowling around like a tigress on heat. Sadly, no video.
And now for the obligatory picture (yes, I know I need to get out more).
Rating: 9/10
The Rest
I missed this one last week, hence I am unable to make it SOTW (though it is better than La Spears by far - sorry, Brit). A much-heralded return to Generation Terrorists-era Manics (though "Buildings For Dead People" on the "Tsunami" single was also like this), "The Masses Against The Classes" sounds like your teeth exploding inside your head to the soundtrack of a metal foundry collapsing. Richey will be looking down from his cloud and smiling at this mile-high pneumatic powerhouse that makes the introspective sounds of "This Is My Truth..." sound like Charlotte Church in comparison. I love this sort of stuff - the reason I got into music in the first place - and to hear a band who were appearing to be past their best release a nuclear salvo like this is life affirming to say the least. And it's number one, which means there's hope for us all. Now, let's hope the next LP's full of material like this.
B-sides bode well, as "Close My Eyes", whilst being a relatively introspective slowie, is covered in buzzsaw guitar and scuzzy production - knobs at 11. The boys' ears for a tune are however not damaged by all the noise, as "Close My Eyes" features a classic Manics guitar-fuelled melody, lilting along happily in fake fur and mascara. "Rock And Roll Music" is last, a Chuck Berry cover taken to the garage, injected with gasoline and torched to within an inch of its sorry little life.
The Manics are my favourite band all over again.
Rating: 10/10
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