Chumbawamba - Readymades (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Darkbeat Melodies and Sheer Ingenuity

Larissa F. Seay | USA | 11/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After buying Tubthumber and WYSIWYG, I wasn't sure what to expect with Readymades..more pop/rock cynical satire? Not at all with this album. This cd sounds like it was created by Moby while on valium. It's dark, melodic, techno-inspired songs are both soothing and bitterly sardonic, quite a feat, really. I was blown away the first time I listened to it.
Tracks:
1. Salt Fare, North Sea: Invokes a kind of sad nostalgia with a soft piano melody and soothing vocals by Alice or Lou, don't know which. The eventually-introduced beat adds to the song's charm.
2. Jacob's Ladder: Kind of folky; more of the Chumbawamba I'm used to hearing. I'm not a big fan of this song, actually.
3. All In Vain: A kind of mournful dirge set to a clubby beat. The female vocals sound resigned and almost on the verge of tears. Quite a good song.
4. Home With Me: A song about traveling. It's catchy, but lacks charm.
5. If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me: A more comical dancebeat-dittie, if you listen to the lyrics. "Sweet flows the water, yellow as royal piss..." I really enjoy this song.
6. Don't Try This At Home: Piano and a chorus of the group's voices starts off this song. Not as dance-inspired as the others, but still relevant and interesting.
7. Song For Len Shackleton: I'm not sure what to make of this one. A folk sampling starts off this tune. It's not too bad, but I'm not a big fan of this one.
8. Without Rhyme or Reason: A sad melody with little percussion to accompany the vocals and synth. There's a voiceover sample discussing police. I like this song.
9. Don't Pass Go: I really enjoy this one. The first thing you hear is a dark, almost angry sounding piano melody. When the beat and the vocals come in, you can tell that this is going to be the most bitterly sardonic track on the album. Listen to the words to get why: "the facts said yes, but the church said no..go straight to jail and don't pass go." The bitterness is done so well! Haha...
10. One Way Or The Other: I don't find this track particularly unique, but it is dark and relaxing.
11. When I'm Bad: "They try in vain our minds to chain.." Kind of a schizophrenic song, both happy and sad at the same time. The use of a child's voice with only synth backups in the middle of the song is eery and compelling. I really like this song.
12. Sewing Up Crap: I'm not a big fan of this one because I find it a bit boring compared to the others, but it is soothing and amusing. "Working for the Gap, sewing up crap." At the end a child sings a rhyme about child laborers that I found really interesting.
13. After Shelley: Heavy beat, good melody. The perfect way to end an album on a good note. Almost anthemic, even. Good song!Final Note: There is a lot of synth programming on this album compared to earlier albums, a move that I think was bold and an excellent choice. Juxtaposing folk samples with dance-inspired beats was quite a departure from earlier albums. I think that Chumbawamba is constantly changing and moving in different directions. Overall, this is an excellent album with relevant songs!"

W-A-M-B-A!!

Chimp | Uk | 01/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes yes fantastic album and all that (no- I mean that) but the real reason I needed to write something on here is to ask all those people who write Chumbawamba with 2 U's if they're dislexic, blind or just stupid. WAMBA! W-A-M-B-A! (and its pronunced 'wAmba' aswell. AND I find it hard to belive that most ChumbawAmba fans cant tell the difference between Alice's vocals and Lou's. Whenever you hear a sweet high pitched womans voice, thats Lou. When you hear a broad Leeds accent female voice that doesnt really sing, more talks the lyrics, thats Alice. Aaaaaa! That was theraputic!"

Excellent CD

Clark B. Timmins | West Jordan, UT USA | 10/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Their best work since Anarchy--if you like or have liked Chumbawamba, then you will like this CD. It's very cohesive, and all the tracks play well. No inter-track clutter, and no out-of-place tracks on the whole thing. Excellent."

The Chumbas continue to show their musical flexibility

josh82 | USA | 06/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Readymades, like every Chumba album, is unlike any previous album. This music has a mellow quality that comes across as thoughtful. The lyrics are wonderful. You won't find them in the sleeve, but they might still be found on www.chumba.com, along with the story behind each song. Don't let the music mislead you into thinking the lyrics are toned down. Salt Fare North Sea is about mutinies for sailors' rights, Jacob's Ladder criticizes nations being too proud to ask for help when lives are at stake (there are 3 incarnations of this song), All in Vain and Don't Pass Go are about social prejudices, and Sewing Up Crap takes a shot at Gap and child labor. The songs aren't all about the evils of capitalism and human nature. Home With Me is probably the 'loveliest' Chumba song you'll ever hear. I don't see this album (or any other Chumba album) ever attaining half the "success" of Tubthumper, but I do think it is great in its own right. It's nice to hear socially and politically conscious music in a gentler way. In their own lyrics, "It's not how loud you sing / it's what you sing". But I can't help wondering how this album would sound if it was louder and more confrontational. I still give it 5 stars."

A Classic. Yes, I said that: A CLASSIC.

Ancient Fuzz | 06/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's probably both a good and a bad thing that Chumbawamba had a major, stomping hit with 'Tubthumping': good in the sense that it got their anarchist, activist sensibility out there (even if most people didn't know what a 'Tubthumper' was: certainly the frat boys didn't); bad in the sense that through media overkill, many people dismissed the long-together Chumbas as a novelty, thereby missing the full-on pop deconstruction of their last brilliant CD, "WYSIWG."

'Readymades' is, quite simply, a corker of an album. Yes, it still sounds like Chumbawamba, but it is a quieter CD than the two previous ones (no real verse, shout chorus, verse thing). In part this is due to the remarkable samples on this CD: they are utilizing English folk singers here, alongside the group's wonderful harmonizing. So right away, you get the gorgeous voice of the recently passed Lal Waterson of the legendary Watersons, and you know that you are in for a treat. The way in which the traditional voices -- and music (check out the sampled Davey Graham guitar, even!) is worked in here is a WONDER to behold.

Is it political? You bet. Is it danceable? Of course; lots of drum and bass. Is it beautiful, even? Hell, yes. Is it commercial? YES, and steady on, Chumbawamba, NO ONE knows how to work within the system like you do. At least you can rest assured that if some of the songs get picked up for use in radio or television advertising, non-violent direct action groups (of course the Chumbas support 'em -- thereby acting as a conduit between big business money and the groups kicking them in the...) will have something to smile about. 100% Brilliant, and let's hope this CD is a HUGE success in bringing Chumbawamba back to the attention of the masses!"

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	Chumbawamba Readymades Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop, Rock Track Listings (13) - Disc #1 Salt Fare, North Sea Jacob's Ladder All In Vain Home With Me If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me Don't Try This At Home Song For Len Shackleton Without Reason Or Rhyme (The Killing Of Harry Stanley) Don't Pass Go One Way Or The Other When I'm Bad Sewing Up Crap After Shelley
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