Kylie’s X is for Xtatic, seXy or eXcellent...you choose!

Now comes the time for me to post my review of Kylie's latest CD "X"

1/ 2 Hearts 8.5/10
Everyone knows now this one, first single, electro piece of glam rock she got from band Kish Mauve... not the way we wanted her to come back, but a grower and a killer chorus!
2/ Like a drug 8/10
Another grower, I'm afraid. When i bought my CD, there was a sticker saying "including the singles 2 Hearts, Like a drug, In my arms..." so when I first listened to it, I thought SH****T! this one can't be a single! It sounded too messy without a real key phrase in the chorus except for the repeated "like a drug, like a drug" in the end... After several listens, I admit I now like the song. I still hope though it ain't ever be a single 'cos there's more single potential packed in there to waste a place for this one!
3/ In my arms 9/10
Leaked a couple of months ago, this track looks like it is worth its place here and should become second single off X. It's a nice electro pop number with a good chorus. Still ar away from her pure pop roots but poppy enough to appeal to everyone.
4/ Speakerphone 4/10
Another piece of electro noizy track with annoying lyrics "singing" and a vocoder effect that captures Kylie's voice all over the chorus... There have been leaked tracks that should have took this place for sure. Both Mylo tracks were FAR FAR superior. This one ain't worth a B-Side!!!
5/ Sensitized 10/10
Using this over-used (for french ears only thanx to MC Solaar's previous hit Gangster moderne) sample from Gainsbourg's Melody Nelson was a good idea as this breathy & rythmic light pop song captures your brain and makes itself a place in there for the rest of the day. Another studio leak that stands its place here, close to "Tightrope" in Kylie's mid-tempo perfection department and single potential ! Thank you pop genius Cathy Dennis & pop guru Guy Chambers .
6/ Heart beat rock 8/10
Back to rhythm, bleeps, noizes & extra phatt beat for an electro repetitive but extremely addictive track : the more you want to dislike it, the more you whistle it...
7/ The one 10/10
A disco synthetic rhythm displaid all over the song for a pure anthemic dance pop number I had high expectations for (due to favourite remixers Freemasons co-production credits) and ... it didn't deceive me ! When the chorus comes and Kylie sings "I'm the one, love me, love me, love me", I can't help but jumping on my too feet to sing along and even answer her that YES, she's the only one, queen of pop in our hearts and we LOVE HER, LOVE HER, LOVE HER !!! That should be a highlight in the Live X Tour next year with the crowd singing along her... I dream... I anticipate ! Another single potential too.
8/ No more rain 10/10
The intro puts the marks right there. We're back in the pop territories, electro clashy sounds are over and we can savor the melody, the voices & lyrics, all melting together like a torrent of white chocolate, warm and sweet, while the song is flowing into our ears. A moment of pure bliss, though I don't see it becoming a single.
9/ All I see 9.5/10
Another nice album track, more rhythmic than before, even quite funky with a good chorus where lead idea "All I see is you" stays in our minds long after it has ended.
10/ Stars 9.5/10
It could be "light years" part II. A disco beat, synthé effects behind, a killer chorus but with a rockier sound. Definitely another single potential !
11/ Wow 100/10 (YES! I meant this eXtra note...)
This is the stand-out track for me here ! A must-be second or third single if Parlophone or Kylie aren't dumb at all. A pure pop number like she needs it to ride high in the charts again with a deserved number one position worldwide... The intro is pure perfection, like only Stock Aitken & Waterman used to do, the sounds here get her back in the Fever era with filtered disco house and the chorus makes me go ..Wow wow wow woW ! I know it was easy but it's the truth. I think I will never get enough of this song EVER ! Put at this position on the CD, it is as if they have wanted to hide a secret jewel when everybody would have thought only fillers were still to come...
12/ Nu-di-ty 2.5/10
Did we talked about fillers ? Here comes one, back to electro sounds with a R&B rhythm that Beyoncé could have sung. That means for me that it's a piece of music non-sense that could only bettered by a Freemasons remix.
13/ Cosmic 7.5/10
Time to cool down now it's the last song from the CD. A nice ballad with nice vocals, like for some Disney soundtrack or from some Broadway musical. A timeless classic to end somehow a better album than Body Language was, although Light years and Fever perfections are still far away...

Open-disc bonus : Rippin' up the disco 8/10
It has been hard to manage to get my bonus track on my computer as I hadn't the right Java applet to get it but after numerous tries & updates, I got it. It is a good electro disco track that wouldn't sound out of place in Scissor Sisters' catalogue. As It's from the net, I don't know who wrote/produced this one but it's a nice try though I think Kylie's voice sounds too cold while singing "rippin' up the disco". Worth grabbin' anyway !

i-Tunes bonus : Magnetic electric 9.5/10
I think I'll never understand how the music industry tries to make us all still buy physical CDs when bonus tracks are only available from online stores... !? Anyway, at least, this one wasn't available in a bundle only cash-in offer and is pleasant enough it makes me regret it wasn't included on the CD in the 4 or 12 positions...

Bonus DVD Edition bonus : White diamond (ballad version) 8/10
Every Kylie fan knows this song for this Scissor Sisters exclusive appeared first on her Showgirl Homecoming Tour. The problem is that it's a nearly symphonic ballad version of the wonderful song we all wanted to hear in studio quality that has landed on the special edition along photos gallery & interview... A beautiful song that will be cherished by those (like me!) who liked her live cabaret versions of Better the devil you know or I should be so lucky but still not the real thing .

2 Hearts' Bonus tracks Don't know what it is (6.5/10) and king and queen (8.5/10) are nice tracks too but when the first lets itself playing without further notice, the second, when it comes to end, makes me push the PLAY button : Syncopated & still electro, it is spicy like a ginger candy could be ...and only lasts 2:38.

Overall an album that will for sure stay a year or more in my mp3 player but that makes me wonder which further singles are gonna be released ! It has some variety enough in there to let EMI choose the best as well as the crapiest to try and hit the charts so I'm scared...

Lorie goes Kylie

LORIE GOES KYLIE!
and sure it sounds better than before...

Some may have left Lorie like me while she released some music for teenies on her previous records.
But now things have changed.
She is a woman, not a girl.
No more french Britney, call in french Kylie!
No sex, just sexy
No trash, just classy
No R&Bish, just ElectroPop
and she comes back with such a GREAT single "Je vais vite", written & produced like most of her album by Mr. Frédéric Chateau (remember 80's hits "le malheur des uns et le bonheur des autres", "stop Lucie", "Les liaisons dangereuses", "Ferme les yeux", etc.), aka Asdorve (of Pascal Obispo's music team), aka half of Mademoiselle (remember electro "do you love me?"), aka the leader of 90's Foxalone poprock band, aka writer of summer hit "Hey arriba!" by Raydel... the list is endless! Frédéric Chateau is a major not-so-well face in France's music landslide.

Her single has been remixed by frenchie Benoît Courti, germans Spencer & Hill and english lads of Thriller Jill (Mr. Trouser Enthusiasts aka Ian Masterson & Terry Ronald with Paul Harris, who have worked with both Minogue sisters) and all mixes are great. The video looks like Kylie's "can't get you out of my head", very futuristic and technoïd, with lots of tektonic hip dance.



The album is mainly produced (and written/composed) by Fred Chateau, but not only and there's more international talent in there :
Thriller Jill boys are there on two tracks, "Le bonheur à tout prix!" (written with Richard X & Hannah Robinson) and "Pas un ange" with french lyrics by Thierry Sforza. Their collaboration must have been pleasant as Lorie is featured on their new project "2A.M." with a nice electro dance single "Lonely" where she laid the vocals and danced in the vid) to appear soon for the international market I hope... A snippet of it is to be seen on Ian masterson's myspace page here : http://www.myspace.com/ianmasterson.
Swedish team is on board too with Hugo Lira on "L'accalmie". Star Academy vocal coach Jasmine Roy was there for Lorie's voice and Lorie even co-wrote some stuff.
Most interesting lyrics goes to "1 Garçon" where she tells her boyfriend she has noticed he has fallen in love with a boy and that it won't be the end of the world for her if he tells her the truth, some kind of "menage à trois" like Alcazar could have been singing in french...

10 songs out of 12 are upbeat and electro except for the first track, "2LOR en moi" (which could mean there's gold in her as well as two Lorie in herself) that is R&B like a shade of her past before turning the page to the new music on there.
It gets better with "Je vais vite" and "Play" but then the tempo slows down with a candy sweet ballad "On ne grandit vraiment jamais" that is out of place there right in the middle"... The other slower song "Loin des yeux" is greater and closes the tracklisting, which is perfect after 45' of tektonic dancing .
Other great tracks & potential singles are "1 Garçon" and "Avance encore" for me.

The booklet is classy with all lyrics and credits, thank you's and nice photos on a glossy paper and I can't help but ordering everyone to go to her page, take a listen and then buy it for a taste of good popdance made in France!

Spencer’s album : a dedication to SAW

Maybe Spencer and the Charlene & Scott muppets mean something for someone out there in UK or maybe Oz?

For me, it meant nothing except I remembered having seen Spencer's name associated to a cover of Jason Donovan so when I saw his album on eBay, I couldn't help but click on "buy it" as the tracklisting made me dream :
Jason Donovan's She's in love with you & When I get you alone along Adam Rickitt's Make me believe in love, Barry Stone's Never felt as good & Erasure's Oh l'amour... !


I received my CD today and as I'm listening to it, I can't help but think it's a very good SAW fans' selfmade dance pop collection (except for the slowed down part at the end) with good original songs too.

Production helps come from some well-known names from my Stock Aitken & Waterman's Hit Factory forum or MySpace friends (Steen Ulrich, SAW Surfers & Yisraelee) along main actors (Chris Daniels, Miles Young, Surebackings.com & SoOutThere) so I thank them all for their dedication by writing some lines and promote their poptastic work...

As it's available for a nice price at www.thespencershow.co.uk I think you should all rush there and buy it like I did :)

My copy came with a promo page a la "Smash Hits" that made me have a good laugh too. Check the front page at www.myspace.com/SpencerOfficial

Young Divas : episode 2... new member, new attitude

26/11/2007 will see the release in Australia of the Young Divas' 2nd album, New Attitude.

Just a couple of weeks after Ricki-Lee's solo album after her departure from the vocally talented quatuor, the girls, who have recruited a new member as Jessica Mauboy, another Pop Idol reject, are releasing a new collection of good old disco anthems and the albums looks BRILLIANT! Judge by yourself :

1. Got To Be Real, the Cheryl Lynn anthem
2. If I Can't Have You, the Bee gees disco gemm for Yvonne Elliman
3. Turn Me Loose, a song by Loverboy (who?)
4. I Can't Wait, a Stevie Nicks original
5. Jump (For My Love), a hit from the Pointer Sisters
6. Love Will Lead You Back, a stunning Diane Warren penned ballad that belonged to Taylor Dayne
7. Chain Reaction, the Diana Ross cult anthem
8. New Attitude, the disco hit from the 80's from Patti Labelle
9. I'm So Excited, another one from the Pointer Sisters that everybody know by heart
10. Tell It To My Heart, the first hit and global disco anthem of Taylor Dayne (again)
11. (Bonus Track) Dear Santa (Bring Me A Man This Christmas), ... a seasonal track, for the Christmas market / radio airplay, a Weather girls original, that looks like it could be Camp too and means the girls wish us all a happy christmas gay, sorry day

Sure this one will seem too short (only 11 tracks!) but the tracklisting makes me want to be very soon at the start of December when Mr. Postman will have brought me my imported CD from Oz'... It will be Christmas day!

BONUS : There is an iTunes bonus track 12 that is, like tell it to my heart, another song Kelly Llorenna previously covered, as it is Whitney Houston's I wanna dance with somebody. And it's ...fabulous!

Welcome to Dannii Minogue’s Club Disco

November 2007 is Minogue Sisters' month !

Before Kylie releases her critics acclaimed new single 2 Hearts & album X,

Before Dannii releases her stunning new single with Jason Nevins Touch me like that,

Danni's old record companies are releasing 4 (FOUR ! QUATRE ! VIER ! QUATTRO !) albums ! .

- a re-release of her 1997 Girl album on a 2CD set including all unreleased tracks & remixes,

CD1
01. All I Wanna Do
02. Heaven Can Wait
03. So In Love With Yourself
04. Am I Dreaming?
05. Everybody Changes Underwater
06. Everything I Wanted
07. It It Moves – Dub It
08. Disremembrance
09. It's Amazing
10. Movin' Up (Extended Mix) *
11. Keep Up With The Good Times *
12. Someone New (Radio Edit) *
13. Coconut
14. All I Wanna Do (Trouser Enthusiasts Radio Edit) *
15. Everything I Wanted (Xenomania Radio Edit)
16. Disremembrance (Trouser Enthusiasts Radio Edit) *
CD2
01. All I Wanna Do (12" Extended Mix)
02. Everything I Wanted (Xenomania 12" Club Mix)
03. Heaven Can Wait (Trouser Enthusiasts Cloud Nine Mix)
04. Disremembrance (Full Orchestral 12" Mix) *
05. All I Wanna Do (Qattara's Club Mix)
06. Everything I Wanted (Jupiter 6 Soul Surround Mix)
07. Disremembrance (Twyce As Nyce 1:40AM Club Mix) *
08. Movin' Up (Getting Harder Mix) *
09. Keep Up With The Good Times (Xenomania 12" Mix) *
10. All I Wanna Do (Tiny Tim & The Mekon Dream Dub) *

- a re-release of her 2003 Neon Nights album on a 2CD set including all unreleased tracks & remixes just like the previous one,
CD1
01. Put The Needle On It
02. Creep
03. I Begin To Wonder
04. Hey! (So What)
05. For The Record
06. Mighty Fine
07. On The Loop
08. Push
09. Mystified
10. Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling
11. Vibe On
12. A Piece Of Time
13. Who Do You Love Now? (Radio Edit)
14. Come And Get It (Radio Version) *
15. Nervous
16. Just Can't Give You Up *
17. Hide And Seek
18. Don't Wanna Lose This Groove (Radio Edit)
19. Est-Ce Que Tu M'Aimes Encore?
20. Goodbye Song
21. It Won't Work Out (Acoustic Version) *
CD2
01. Don't Wanna Lose This Groove (Extended Version)
02. Begin To Spin Me Round (Extended Version)
03. Who Do You Love Now? (Riva's Bora Bora Club Mix)
04. Put The Needle On It (Jason Nevins Freak Club Creation Mix)
05. Hide And Seek (Thriller Jill Original Extended Mix) *
06. Come And Get It (Jerome Isma-Ae Remix) *
07. Put The Needle On It (Tiga's Cookies Dub)
08. Creep (Jon Dixon Club Mix) *
09. I Begin To Wonder (Almighty Transensual Club Mix) *
10. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Vocal Mix)
11. Come And Get It (Sharam Jey Remix) *
12. Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jupiter Ace Speared Thru The Heart Mix) *

- a budget compilation Unleashed of unreleased songs & mixes,

01. All I Wanna Do (Innocent Girl Mix) *
02. Blame It On The Music *
03. Spend Your Love On Me *
04. Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling (Jewels & Stone Radio Edit) *
05. Going Going Gone *
06. Everything I Wanted (Metro 7'' Mix)
07. Undeniable *
08. No Romeo *
09. Hide And Seek (Original Thriller Jill Version) *
10. Hurt In Love *
11. Who Do You Love Now? (Riva's Bora Bora Edit)
12. Put The Needle On It (Cicada Vocal Edit)
13. Come And Get It (Alternative Radio Cut) *
14. Begin To Spin Me Round (Radio Edit)
15. Love Me Like This *
16. Bad Weather *
17. Invitation *
18. It Won't Work Out (Ross Cullum Single Mix) *
19. (iTunes Bonus) Viva L'Amour *

- an album intended for release in 2006 Club Disco but shelved for her The Hits & beyond compilation by AATW Records and now available for download only, though most of it was made available on her best of or as singles' Bonus tracks

01. Feel Like I Do
02. Perfection (Extended Version)
03. You Won't Forget About Me
04. Love Fight
05. I'm Sorry *
06. Gone
07. So Under Pressure
08. Good Times (Remix)
09. Sunrise
10. He's The Greatest Dancer (LMC Radio Edit)
11. I Can't Sleep At Night
12. I Will Come To You *
13. I've Been Waiting For You
14. Round The World *
15. Do You Believe Me Now? (with Roger Sanchez) *
16. Xanadu *
17. You Won't Forget About Me (Afterlife Lounge Mix)
18. I Can't Sleep At Night (Afterlife Lounge Mix)

* all unreleased songs/mixes

Needless to say I've already bought my Club Disco and Unleashed albums and I'll save the remastered & expanded double CDs for later this month...
There are too many good CDs releases these days for my money in my pocket... (Kylie, Dannii, Celine Dion, BWO, Ari Gold, Peter Wilson, Melissa Mars, September, Worlds Apart, Alan Connor, Sugababes, Freemasons, Booty Luv, Jenifer, Roisin Murphy, E-Type, Britney Spears, Westlife, Jennifer Lopez, Boyz II Men, ...and there's still more to come with Madonna, Young Divas, Delta Goodrem, Jackie 'O', Florent Pagny, Seal, Spice Girls, Shayne Ward, Paul Oscal, Craig David, Girls Aloud, Ian Levine's Disco 2008, Da Buzz, Cyril, Colton Ford... !)

Worlds Apart try a french comeback à la Take That

It's been a long time that I hadn't taken the time to post something and it was mainly due to my work taking all my energy at the time, and maybe there wasn't some strong release making me want to post about it ...till tonight .

It's midnight and I'm about to write something new about some good old guys that have just released a best of here and it gets me excited enough to post about them :

Worlds Apart are back!
There are only three of them remaining but we all know manufactured girls / boys bands see their members come and go with every single release.
Worlds Apart is no stranger to that fate but what amazes me is that they're coming back with a nice piece of a Best Of CD called Platinum, including their most greatest old hit singles (10 tracks) as well as some new songs (4) arranged with 3 interludes. The boys still look sexier as ever and they just sound as good!
But first, for those who weren't even born in the Boys bands era, let's sum up things a little :

Worlds Apart first came up in England in 1993 where five boys were lined up by Garry Wilson to be opposed in the UK medias & charts to pop phenomenon Take That.
Steve Hart, Dan Bowyer, Aaron Paul, Patric Osborne & Schelim Hannan did their best, sang in perfect harmonies, appeared shirtless on their CD covers & videos, and appealed to both little girls & gay guys, but they didn't succeed in gettin' that high in the britcharts...
Heaven must be missing an angel started at 29.
Everlasting love did better but only reached 20.
Could it be I'm falling in love was their finest moment by reaching 15. Noticeable is the fact that, like previous single, it was co-produced by Kim Wilde's brother Ricki.
After this, they went through their first line-up change when Patric left to go solo (but only released one single Love me on Media records, house of Cappella) and Cal Cooper was called in as new member, and then they could release and promote properly their new single & album Together.

It included the last two Stock & Waterman songs before the final PWL split, Same old promises & Experienced, as well as a cover of Earth Wind & Fire's September or a song oddly called Arnold Scharzenegger, all wrapped up with some good pop producers like Phil Kelsey (of DMC), Tim Lever & Mike Percy (of Dead Or Alive), Pete Schwier, Mark Taylor (of future METRO fame), ex PWL mixmaster Dave Ford or Ray Hedges.
Their fourth single Beggin' to be written, some nice ballad, gave them back the 29 position and then they were off. It must have been a bad choice of single after 3 pop-dance cover versions...

The group looked like it splitted up with Dan & Aaron being the next ones leaving and the truth is that their UK career ended then. But like a cat having more than one life, Worlds Apart weren't calling it a day and they re-surfaced in late 1995 in Germany with a new member, ex Brother Beyond singer Nathan Moore, along with remaining members Schelim, Steve & Cal.
Having recorded new material with some german dance producers, they were given a new life in a more Dance Group image with Baby come back. After some Christmas single for fans, When it's christmas time, they followed with Everybody and the album of the same name, soon releasing all these in France to greater success than ever.


Everybody got released and re-released, giving life to a good string of hit singles, Baby come back, Everybody, Je te donne, Everlasting love '96, Just say I said hello & You said, before a brand new album reached the same heights : Don't change, Quand je rêve de toi, Back to where we started, Je serai là, Rise like the sun all were issued from the Don't change album (in two editions due to Schelim's departure & replacement by cutie Tim Fornara).
In between Germany had its fair of exclusive singles, as their french ones were limited to France naturally, Queen's cover I was born to love you or Beatles' She loves you / Sie liebt dich.
Then there was some strange Haribo sponsored single Close your eyes before it all became quiet and less shouty in the Worlds Apart fans' clan... The boys bands mania had passed!


The boys didn't give up and after some break, they got back in 2000 with the Here and now album, sounding mature and pop-rock instead or pop & dancey. It flopped badly and only two singles were released, I will & Language of love.

Then it seemed Worlds Apart were gone for good, Tim leaving the other three, Nathan doing some managing job for UK Real TV flopstars Phixx, Steve doing some acting an Cal becoming a father. They reunited for an online only album The Brotherhood in 2005, just before Take That intended to come back by touring the UK and making the BIGGEST comeback of the century with their latest album Beautiful world.

Worlds Apart reformed for a little show in Leipzig and when fans from all over the country rushed in the snow to attend to the concert, their management decided to try and come back like Gary Barlow & co just did.

The boys, among whom Steve is the only former band's member, worked on new material and chose to cover some Romano Musumarra's hit of the 80's for Demis Roussos, On écrit sur les murs. Backed by two more english songs (Keep smiling, One million times) and some more french lines (Au-delà des larmes) written by Pascal Obispo pal Asdorve (aka ex popstar Frédéric Chateau), it is their comeback single and the taster of their best of, called Platinum, that got released (in France only first) on 29th of October.

I wish them the best, if the success is on the rendez-vous, there'll be a new album in 2008, and ...em, em, Cal, I've got a personal message for you : You've always been the cutest one and you still are .