 Hello cyber surfers… Each week we will be doing reviews for your reading pleasure, so sit back, grab a coffee and read what we have to say about the world of entertainment this week. We have five album reviews from some of the biggest acts currently in the charts…  The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night (Virgin/Astrawerks/EMI)
Five albums later and we were all wondering what the chemically enhanced; Grammy winning duo were going to do next. Chemical Tom and Chemical Ed also known as Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are the masterminds behind the sound and style of The Chemical Brothers. They were the pioneers of the big beat electronic genre along with The Prodigy, The Crystal Method and Fat Boy Slim. Most notably the Chems are best known for their incredible live sets, being coined the best live thing in dance… So with their sixth album out this month, we have reviewed it to see if The Chemical Brothers are still living up to their reputation. The Chemical Brothers have released a studio album almost every two years since their debut album ‘Exit Planet Dust’ in 1995. It seems throughout this period they have remained inextricably tied to the Big Beat genre and this is apparent in their new album. Although Big Beat was quickly introduced and over shadowed by other more predominant genres in dance, one thing is for sure, it has given birth to some of the most memorable dance records in existence. The Chemical Brothers music can only be described as a universal combination of cross-contaminated sounds and genres through acid house, to explosive bass lines and break beat, resulting in a psychedelic masterpiece. In their latest album there is a sense of expanding freedom that has crept up from their last two releases, evolving and growing, leaving a lasting but confused impression on the listener. Only for them to then say ‘I don’t know what that was, but I think I liked it…’ Whilst listening to the album you can’t help but feel it sounds a little bit cheap. But then come on, this is The Chemical Brothers, surely this can’t be so. Well, with attempts at minimalism never done before and which should never be attempted again, and the frustration of the over theatrical introduction of The Klaxons, it is so! It makes a mockery out of their previous albums. Like previous albums, although sounding very different, they have stuck to the original formula of getting guest ‘of the moment’ vocalists to collaborate with. The Klaxons, Willy Mason and Fat Lip all appear but seem to add no value. There are some high points on the album; ‘Saturate’ seemed to perk up my ears a little, with sounds reminiscing of the early acid house era and ‘A Modern Midnight Conversation’ echoing the euphoric sounds only heard in ‘Star Guitar’, a Chemical Brothers classic. Although here in the office we can’t make our minds up about ‘We Are the Night’ one thing is for sure, this is a far cry from the hay day of Dig Your Own Hole in 1997. What we cannot be certain about is that maybe, just maybe, this album was meant to be performed live. If this is so, then they may have been knocked off their recording podium. However, the fact remains, watching them on stage is awe-inspiring! TalentGold’s recommendation: If you are a Chemical Brothers fan then you will probably go out and buy this album anyway. It’s still a good album but it just doesn’t reflect the duos true abilities.  The Travelling Wilburys - Collection (Rhino)
Another supergroup, another super album, the only difference was they actually lived up to their promise. The Travelling Wilburys were made up of George Harrison, Jeff Lyne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan, and they were the supergroup of supergroups. The reason behind their success was that they never intended to be one. In fact the result of the band came about after a meal between George Harrison, Jeff Lyne and Roy Orbison. A guitar that was left in Tom Petty’s house and a recording session in Santa Monica, California, that just so happened to be Bob Dylan’s’ studio.
The story goes… George Harrison was asked by Warner Bros to come up with a B side for his single ‘This is Love’ a single to be taken from his album ‘Cloud 9’. Asking all of the above to collaborate with him, the result was ‘Handle with Care’ that went on to inspire another collaboration, but this time as a group.
The idea was there, George Harrison took over and all five of them started working on an album.
The result was the first of two albums included in the Travelling Wilburys collection. All five men had star status of their own and so decided not to use their own names but not only this; everybody wrote, everybody produced and everybody sang and the result was an ego-free supergroup that will go down in history as one of the all time greats.
With massive international success, selling over five million copies – The Travelling Wilburys volume 1 had to be followed up by a second album. It was titled The Travelling Wilburys volume 3, for no apparent reason other than George’s humour. However sadly, by this point Roy Orbison had died. Although not as good as the first album, it is still memorable and echoes the work of some of the greatest musicians ever to grace the earth.
Rolling Stone referred to The Travelling Wilburys as one of the top 100 albums of all time and we agree. Up until now the albums have been woefully out of print for ten years. However now they have been re-released by the Harrison estate and Warner Bros and they come in the form of a 3 disk box set, containing both albums and also a bonus DVD containing the 24 minute documentary ‘The True History of The Travelling Wilburys’.
Highlights of the album include the original ‘Handle with Care’, a great classical rock song and listen out for ‘Not Alone Any More’ with Orbison’s heart-wrenching solo. Others to look out for are; ‘Tweeter and the Monkey Man’, ‘End of the Line’ and ‘Wilbury Twist’. Although pay attention to the master rework of the Del Shannon number 1 ‘Runaway’, a song only the Travelling Wilburys could successfully cover. It’s hard to list just a few highlights from an album that deserves all the praise and credit of a top 100 album of all time, but there you go…
A deluxe version is available that has a 40 page collectable book.
TalentGold’s recommendation: Go and buy or download this album now. It truly is amazing!
 Crowded House - Time on Earth (Parlophone)
Neil Finn and friends are back with a new album, recorded in memory of late drummer Peter Hestler.
Crowded House is a rock group that formed in Australia, fronted by Neil Finn. They are best known for hits ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’, ‘Better Be Home Soon’, ‘Something So Strong’, ‘Fall At Your Feet’ and ‘Weather With You’.
The band owes much of their success to the Australian live music scene. However a lot of Crowded House songs pay tribute to Neil Finns home country of New Zealand, with a lot of references to the people and places there.
So now they’re back and the expectations are high for a band whose songwriters have an OBE. Listening to the new album titled ‘Time On Earth’ it is clear from the start that this is a Crowded House album, with original bass player Nick Seymore and Mark Hart on keyboard and of course Finn’s sweet but rough voice. The sound is crisp and gives you the sense that this record is not just to be heard but to be listened to. However you wouldn’t expect anything less from a group who haven’t released an album since 1993. This does not however mean that it’s necessarily good, renewing an old sound in effect appeals to an established audience, but won’t guarantee Crowded House any new fans. So let’s take a look at some of the songs……..
What the people say:
"The melancholy of ‘Say That Again’, ‘Silent House’ and ‘Heaven That I’m Making’ goes far beyond their trademark bittersweet jollity. ‘A Sigh’ lives up to its title, and only the jaunty ‘She Called Up’ lifts the mood. It’s certainly effective, if unlikely to win any new fans." – The Times
"Unforgettable melodies, a pervading melancholy balanced by quirky pop flourishes and Finn's ability to conjure a lyrical narrative that allows the listener to invest their own meaning into the songs - make this one of 2007's must-have pop albums." – Australian Daily Telegraph
What Talent Gold says:
Reflecting on the fact that this album is in remembrance of Hester there is a heavy dose of melancholy and only in ‘She Called Up’ is there a sign of relief, a song that could have been recorded by the Finn Brothers. ‘Don’t Stop Now’ is beautiful and it reflects the true style of Crowded House in the perfectly metaphoric lyrics, taking examples from the natural world. The one reflection is that there are less catchy hook lines than in previous albums, but this album is crafted to stand the tests of times. It is an album for Crowded House fans.
 Editors - An End Has a Start (Kitchenware)
That anticipated second album is always a tricky dilemma for a band, especially when your debut album goes platinum. It is a cliché most bands fall into. The question is, should you continue with what you know best, or do you offer your audience something different?
‘An End Has a Start’ begins where ‘Black Room’ left off, a perfect transition between debut and second album, but then again, why would you want to change something that already has a winning formula? Editors are doing what they do best. If I could describe the album it would have to be by saying if Coldplay and Joy Division had a love child it would be called ‘An End Has a Start’. An amazing combination of gloomy, dark-laden guitar hooks with an electro-infused sweeping piano. The type of sound you could imagine pumping out of the headphones of a punk-indie kid sitting at the back of the bus, but also you could associate it with the big wig, 'in the suite' man. Editors fans, I’m sure are relieved to see that although they haven’t actually done anything different from their debut, they are still on top with an album that is quite frankly musically better than its predecessor. Opening the album is the repeating drum loop that introduces Tom Smith’s vocals nicely in ‘Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors’. Listening through the album, by track 3 ‘The Weight of the World’ you realise that you’re in familiar territory. But what else does it offer… Of course with everything there is criticism. Although a good album, the impact is never the same the second time round. Black Room offered a breath of fresh air, and now it is easy to see why some people could think the air has gone stale. Black Room helped take us on a journey back to the early eighties with a sound that had been missed; ‘An End Has a Start’ doesn’t really take you on that same journey, this maybe because of all the other lovechild sibling bands that seem to be copying the same formula. Overall, the sound is a lot fuller than the first album, a sound that could be reproduced perfectly on stage in the Academy or just as suited to the big stages of a festival. There are some anthems on there that could well be songs for the summer, songs like ‘The Racing Rats’ and ‘The Weight of the World’. They have attempted to try something different, whether on purpose or by accident, ‘Push Your Head’ seems to resemble nothing else on the album. It makes for a nice transition between the first half of the album and the hypnotic sound of ‘Spiders’. If Ian Curtis was alive today I’m sure he would have something to say about this album. Their fans will love this album just as much as the first, anyone who has not heard it yet will be hypnotised by the larger than life sound, like the title track, which is already familiar from ubiquitous radio play. A final thought… This is a rounded album that is easy to listen to wherever and whenever. Black Room showed us signs of things to come, it came and it conquered, but this begs the question, where do they go from here? Second time round they could pull it off, but can they do the same for the anticipated third album? TalentGold Recommends: If you liked the first album, then you will love this one, as long as that early eighties remake sound gracing our air ways hasn’t put you off yet!
 Take That - Never Forget The Ultimate Collection (RCA)
With over 19 million record sales in the bag (9million albums, 10 million singles) between the years of 1991, and1996 when they split up, it’s true to say that Take That have had a great impact on the British music industry. The BBC described them as ‘the most successful band since The Beatles’. They are loved by young and old alike and dominated the chats during the 90s having two of the best selling albums with ‘Everything Changes’ and ‘Greatest Hits’. It seems the general consensus was not whether they would get a number one, but how many and when?
Their dance filled pop songs and soulful ballads helped make their music very appealing to a wide audience. On May 9th 2006 Take That recorded their first solo album and were back together following their 2006 tour titled The Ultimate Tour.
Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection is a collection of the most notable songs by the band including;
1. Never Forget
2. Back for Good
3. How Deep Is Your Love
4. Pray
5. Relight My Fire
6. Everything Changes
7. Babe
8. Sure
9. It Only Takes a Minute
10. Million Love Songs
11. Could It Be Magic
12. Why Can't I Wake Up with You
13. Love Ain't Here Anymore
14. I Found Heaven
15. Promises
16. Once You've Tasted Love
17. Pray [Live Berlin]
18. Relight My Fire [Element Remix]
19. Today I've Lost You It seems they have got the pop formula right, when they were in their hay day in the 90s they were selling singles to the same people that are buying them now in the 21st century. After a documentary titled ‘’Back for Good’ in which all but Robbie Williams appeared, Take That reformed. This was announced on the 25th of November with a sell out tour happening in 2006, totalling 30 stadiums and arenas around the country and ran from April through to June. So officially, Take That are just as popular as ever.
This album is the perfect reflection of the best boy band since The Beatles but, whether you like Take That or not, this album helps fly the flagpole for British music.
TalentGold Recommends: Go out and buy this album, if you don’t have it already!
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