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	Chumbawamba Tubthumper Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop When Chumbawamba--an anarchist musical collective from Leeds--can have a major U.S. hit, this isn't reality--it's more like Utopia. They'd been plugging away in the underground for years, highlighting hypocrisy with wit an... more » « less
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CD Details

All Artists: Chumbawamba
Title: Tubthumper
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 28
Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
Release Date: 6/13/2006
Album Type: Import
Genres: Alternative Rock, Pop
Styles: Hardcore & Punk, Indie & Lo-Fi, British Alternative, Vocal Pop
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
Other Editions: Chumbawamba- Tubthumper
UPCs: 601215309928, 2605000008957, 724349387829, 724385945526, 724385945540

Synopsis

Amazon.com

When Chumbawamba--an anarchist musical collective from Leeds--can have a major U.S. hit, this isn't reality--it's more like Utopia. They'd been plugging away in the underground for years, highlighting hypocrisy with wit and releasing a series of brilliant albums before achieving critical mass in 1997. There's the drum & bass ("Smalltown"), and "The Good Ship Lifestyle" where they manage to weld the rhythms seamlessly onto songs. Anything and everything is fair game here, and why not? Chumbawamba have their own voice, and these snapshots of England (Polaroids of Leeds, really) prove that pop and politics can make comfortable bedfellows. --Chris Nickson

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Member CD Reviews

Amy T. (simplyamy) from DAKOTA DUNES, SD
Reviewed on 8/16/2007...

A classic drinking CD!

CD Reviews

Surprisingly Good

Westley | Stuck in my head | 10/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chumbawamba is a most unlikely hit group - a co-ed U.K. collective best-known for their idiosyncratic, working-class polemics; they toiled in obscurity for many years. In 1997, though, their song "Tubthumping" became a left-field international smash - peaking at #6 in the U.S. and holding at #1 in airplay for an astounding 9 weeks. Love it or hate it, "Tubthumping" is indisputably one of the catchiest and most original hits of the last decade. However, the group is usually dismissed today as a novelty act or one-hit-wonder.

Of note, "Tubthumping" wasn't released as a single, so people had to buy the full-length CD, "Tubthumper," to get the song (over 3 millions people did so). I'm sure many people who purchased the CD listened only to "Tubthumping." However, the rest of the CD deserves attention. It's the type of CD in my collection that I don't listen to often, but when I do, I'm always surprised by how much better it is than I expect.

Aside from "Tubthumping," quite a few of the songs are stand-outs. "Amnesia" is another tremendously catchy song, with a clever chorus, "Do you suffer from long-term memory loss/ I don't remember" - and it even includes a tango-styled break. It managed to become a UK hit - slipping into the Top 10. "Drip, Drip, Drip" is another highlight - a surprisingly melodic song built around some intriguing spoken-word samples and featuring a swanky piano outro. Indeed, one of the group's trademarks is to throw in an unexpected element, such as the young English lad who finished "The Big Issue." Overall, the music isn't earth-shattering and does tend to wear a bit after repeated listens. However, "Tubthumper" is enjoyable, well-written, and features good production; careful listeners who appreciate quirky music will be well-rewarded if they approach this CD with an open mind.

"

This Put Them On The Map, But This Isn't Their Finest

K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 07/17/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The song "Tubthumping" may have turned them into a household name, but this CD, on the whole, is not representative of Chumbawamba's greatness. This isn't a horrid album, but with the exception of "Tubthumping," not much to write home about. In my opinion, "WYSIWYG", the album following this one, is their crowning glory. They capture that sardonic anti-establishment flavor beautifully on that CD.If you want to pick up this CD merely for the hit song, it is worth the dough. If you want to hear really great Chumbawamba from the first to final track, I highly recommend "WYSIWYG.""

The words...

K. Brown | 09/03/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I can't say that 'Tubthumper' is a bad CD, however, it's not that good CD, neither. I think that Chumbawamba's style is just not my favorite. I find that the tunes are kinda "patience-challenging". However... Chumbawamba's lyrics, filled with political and social criticism, are worth the 12 bucks. The lyrics are REALLY good. They deal with politics, with social problems, religion... I enjoy them a lot. And I actually like bands with ideologies (as long they are not nazi or racist, of course!)
We should have much more songwriters like Chumbawamba. Not all lyrics should deal with silly topics like love and stuff. And the tunes are not bad. So I recommend this CD. I think it is in fact closer to 4 stars than to 3 stars (but there's not 3 3/4 stars rating).
Well, hope this helps. Take care."

Catchy, clever, classic Chumbawamba

Ivan Himanen | New York, NY, USA | 04/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was my first-owned Chumbawamba album, and I still pull it out often to take a listen. It became clear to me that this album was their most successful arguable because of the near-perfect mix of mainstream, slightly repetitive, melodically clean tunes, and their unrelenting and light-hearted cynicism towards the governments that run and ruin their world. A previous reviewer claimed that WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) is their best album, and in some cases it may be true. WYSIWYG displayed a more sketchy, playful, and raw approach to their anarchical criticisms, while it may seem that Tubthumper spoke with a much more subtle and thought-out voice. Not as many tracks blatantly address their opinions, although it is obvious that each song's underlying message does. As much as I love listening to the giddy WYSIWYG, I must admit that Tubthumper's more melodic tunes and slightly more concealed, philosophically-lined lyrics grab me more. It seems that their approach to various genres of mainstream music worked on me. Such clean and sing-alongy melodies can be found in tracks like Amnesia, Drip, Drip, Drip, and Smalltown (not to mention Tubthumping). Clearly the songs are more subtle as opposed to such WYSIWYG tracks as Smart Bomb or She's Got All The Friends, but I find it pleasing that Chumbawamba found a sweet spot in the catchy/delivering continuum. Perhaps this album is what they needed to break out on the big scene in the U.S., and I am thankful for as much."