CD Review:
Want something completely different? Then here it is. I usually recommend lights out, smooth drink, close your eyes and relax when listening to good music. Good music this certainly is, but relax you surely won’t.
This is sound-mixing of an extreme nature, requiring your full attention.
21st century ‘Dance’ rhythm based with a touch of soul and rock, mercifully it doesn’t stray into Rap in any sense. The 60s ‘talking blues’ influence is there instead, and so is the keyboard inventiveness of Thomas Dolby and Kraftwerk from the 80s.
Vocally it is everywhere, in the sense that like a well-cast movie, the contributors match the need laid down by the song and the backing track. Not by accident I suspect. We are talking producers and studio engineers who know what the hell they are doing here.
The sublime and mysterious spoken “Cop’s Job” has you desperate to know the ending. The writer, like all good artistes, leaves you wanting more. “All the Same” ‘Supertramps’ you back into your bewilderment at life, questions questions….
“High Performance” soul-rocks its way back into your mid-life psyche reminiscent of Alexis Korner and a touch of very early ‘Chicago’.
“Warrimbool” could not be anything but an Australian track - bushman poetry of the kind I last heard in a Dandenongs music pub where one of the performers claimed to have spent the previous five years being experimented on in a UFO. As a non-whingeing Pom (at least I bloody hope so mates) I buy into that.
“Bastard” is an enigma. Anti-militarism protest possibly. Cynicism with humour for sure.
“Mankind” returns to the hypnotic talking blues Kraftwerk-Frankie Goes To Hollywood dance mix and is a calculated social comment on where we are as a society today. For me the finest track on this extraordinary musical effort.
I leave the instrumental “New York City Cha Cha” until last, for no other reason than I wish Baz Luhrman had had this full-band interpretation track at his disposal for that beyond funny movie “Strictly Ballroom”.
‘Busy’, and despite the influences I found, ‘inventive’ is what this collection of work is. You’d have to be a complete wally (that’s Pom-speak for ‘drongo’) not to find something in it for you.
Geoff Green
Globalart.
Album credits :
1. "WELCOME TO MANKIND" ( M.Vidale , I.Hildebrand , G.Davis , H.Glover ) 6:05
Produced by Henry Glover and Michael Vidale
Ian Hildebrand : Lead Vocal , Guitar
Michael Vidale : Backing Vocal
Tony Pedroza : Backing Vocal
Jenny Forbes : "Welcome" Vocal
Henry Glover : Programming , Keyboards , Drums
2. " A Cop's Job Is Never Done" ( M.Vidale , I.Hildebrand ) 4:44
Produced by Henry Glover and Michael Vidale
Ian Hildebrand : Lead Vocal
Michael Vidale : Bass
Nadia Colbourn : Guest Vocal
Henry Glover : Programming , Keyboards , Drums
3. "Hi Performance" ( O.Ditrich , I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale ) 4:25
Produced by Michael Vidale and Ian Hildebrand
Ian Hildebrand : Lead Vocal , Guitars
Michael Vidale : Basses
Alex Oleg Ditrich : Prophet5
Jonas Sayewell : Backing Vocals , Saxophones
Adoul Zia : Drums
4. "New York City Cha Cha" ( I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale ) 2:43
Produced by Michael Vidale
Ian Hildebrand : Roland VG8
Michael Vidale : Basses , Drum sequence
5. "I Don't Mind" ( I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale , J.Prior ) 3:53
Produced by John Prior and Michael Vidale
Ian Hildebrand : Lead Vocal , Guitar
Michael Vidale : Bass , Keyboard loop , Backing Vocal
Michel Rose : Pedal Steel Guitar , Backing Vocals
John Prior : Drums , Programming strings
6. "Just Desserts" ( I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale ) 2:25
Produced by Michael Vidale and Ian Hildebrand
Ian Hildebrand : Lead Vocal , Guitar , Piano
Michael Vidale : Lead Bass , Guitar fragments
Jonas Sayewell : whispers
Scott Johnston : Drums
7. "Warrumbool" ( I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale ) 4:01
Produced by Michael Vidale
Scott Johnston : Lead Vocal Drums , Percussion
Ian Hildebrand : Guitar , Guitar Synthesiser , Backing Vocals , Tambourine
Michael Vidale : Basses , Snare Drum , Backing Vocals
8. "Modern Art" ( I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale ) 4:06
Produced by Michael Vidale and Ian Hildebrand
Ian Hildebrand : Lead Vocal , Guitars, Casio , Backing Vocal
Michael Vidale : Bass , Chapman Stick , Backing Vocals
Simon Vidale : Guest Vocal Narration
9. "Deadbeat" ( R.Grayson , I.Hildebrand , M.Vidale ) 4:06
Produced by Michael Vidale
Robert Grayson : Lead Vocal
Ian Hildebrand : Octave Guitar
Michael Vidale : Chapman Stick
10. "Let's Go" ( A.Zia , M.Vidale ) 3:02
Produced by Michael Vidale
Ian Hildebrand : Guitars , Guitar Effects
Michael Vidale : Bass , Casio , Vocals , Handclaps
Adoul Zia : Drums , Vocals , Handclaps
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