Search - Quando Quango :: Pigs & Battleships

Great Singles, Substandard Album

Thomas Horan | Chapel Hill, NC | 01/10/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As you might expect from a band fronted by Hacienda DJ Mike Pickering, Quando Quango released some incredible dance singles that anticipated the House music explosion of the late eighties and early nineties. All of these songs (or superlative remixes thereof) are included as bonus tracks on this release.Unfortunately, the bulk of the album itself amounts to far less than the sum of its parts. The influence of salsa, jazz, hip-hop, disco, dub, and pop is felt on nearly every track. But somehow it all runs together into a generic and wearisome bore. I think there were too many gifted and creative people involved in the recording of this album and their differing tastes and ambitions somehow canceled each other out. In addition to Mike Pickering, Johnny Marr, Vini Reilly, and Simon Topping all contribute to "Pigs + Battleships", but the chemistry just isn't there. Quando Quango weren't bad at all. But the album clearly wasn't a format that suited what they did best. Is it any wonder they made only one?"

Only one real reason to buy this disc...LOVE TEMPO!!!

Daniel W. Kelly | Long Island, NY United States | 08/31/2005

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The 12" version of Love Tempo, clocking in at 7:55, is finally on CD. Sound quality is excellent. I'd never heard any other songs by Quando Quango, but it really isn't anything special, and becomes boring quite quickly. A couple of songs have a "new wave 80s" feel, but most of the tracks are repetitive and uninteresting. Nothing on here is a lost 80s gem. Too bad Love Tempo didn't show up on an 80s compilation so I wouldn't have to own this whole disc for one song...."