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Gomez - Liquid Skin Audio CD

A fair review of the Gomez "Liquid Skin" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Gomez reviews here, or go back to the Gomez tabs.

Gomez Band: Gomez
Title: Liquid Skin
Rating:
Release Date: 1999-09-21
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Hangover 2: Revolutionary Kind 3: Bring It On 4: Blue Moon Rising 5: Vegas Dealer 6: We Haven't Turned Around 7: Fill My Cup 8: Rhythm & Blues Alibi 9: Rosalita 10: California 11: Devil Will Ride

Brilliant
There is a great diversity of melody, composition, and general sound. I dig almost every track on this CD. It is my favorite album by this artist and would highly recommend it. .


Only slight sophomore slump
In retrospect it's inevitable that Liquid Skin sounded like a disappointment at the time. When I initially got a hold of Gomez's second album, it was after a solid year of listening to their debut Bring It On almost every single day. Most of the tracks here are more pastiches than songs, as Gomez tries to blur their influences to the point where true originality comes out on the other end. In 2001 it seemed like overproduced mush, but time (and the iTunes shuffle feature) has been kind to Liquid Skin.

"We Haven't Turned Around" is kind of an obvious attempt to write an epic anthem on the scale of "You Can't Get Always Get What You Want" or the like; its string sections seem forced and it goes on for twice as long as it needs to. I much prefer the loopy "Strawberry Fields"-quoting version on the Gomez b-sides anthology Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline. Aside from that, the bulk of Liquid Skin is densely layered but ultimately rewarding.

"Las Vegas Dealer" transforms from a blues shuffle to a 6/8 carnival background. "Fill My Cup" marries Motorhead fuzz bass to an insistent, syncopated sing-songy guitar hook. "Blue Moon Rising" has a woozy, witch-doctor bassline and furious drumming from Gomez's secret weapon Olly Peacock. "Hangover" even manages to find a non-cliche application for electric sitar. The vocals, shared equally by gravelly-voiced Ben Ottewell, indie pinup Ian Ball, and the nondescript Tom Gray, find fewer easy hooks than on the debut but use the stylistic differences between the three to better effect. Nobody in Gomez writes particularly great lyrics, but that's sort of besides the point here.

If you've never heard the band before, I would certainly advise turning to Bring It On or the more recent Split the Difference as a primer. Liquid Skin is more of a grower, but in time you may well find it the home to your favorite Gomez song. I can listen to "Las Vegas Dealer" over and over again. If the idea of a jam band with no instrumental soloists appeals to you, you should definitely see them live as well.


Liquid Skin
Thats always left them as in a sort of no mans land of musical genres and despite having had some considerable meant they've never really broken through to the mainstream. Gomez are a hard band to pin down, drawing their inspiration from far to many places to considered tradtional pop rock, yet not innovative or left field enough to fit into any sort of indie/underground grouping.

However the bands real problem on 'Liquid Skin' is the bands attitude not style. Drawning from mainly late sixties/early seventies roots, blues and psychadelic bands the mix is certaintly interesting. Blues guitars, a faint smattering of morricone lite/mariachi rhythms and horns, backed with electronic swirls and alternating smoothe/rough vocals the band certaintly has the ability to grab your attention. The problem they have is making you stay for repeat listenings. With the exception of a couple of tunes, most notably 'Rhythm & Blues Alibi' the songs on 'Liquid Skin' lack charisma and feeling. Everythings a big forced and controlled and Gomez never quite lets go and gives it all the passion they can muster. You get the feeling that if they'd just give full abandon to the music this would probably be a five star record. Sadly it isn't though its hopeful that one day they'll knock out an album that reveals their true potential.

All in all its only worth three stars, but still worth giving it at least one spin. .


Average musicians making average music
I gave the album a listen after reading all the rave reviews here. I first heard the song Rosalita from a friend's mix CD and thought it was a decent little song. Maybe my expectations were just too high after reading all the praise, but I found this album unimpressive. The music is trite and uninteresting; not that it's bad, but it just lacks anything really that original. The lyrics are too heavy-handed and recycled at times. There are a few decent tunes on this album, but overall, it's average at best, IMO.


You WILL buy this album.
You will then pop it into your CD player and turn it up too loud because Hangover starts our rather quiet. You will buy Liquid Skin. You will enjoy both Hangover and Revolutionary Kind. Then Bring It On will come on and you will finally start to get it. Next comes Blue Moon Rising that you will underrate at first, along with Las Vegas Dealer. Brace yourself, because We Haven't Turned Around is next, and it will blow you away. It might take until about halfway through the song when it comes back from a beautiful string interlude with slightly distorted guitars. Then comes Fill My Cup, the overdrive on the bass will intrigue you, but it will not really compare to the album version of Rhythm & Blues Alibi. Next comes Rosalita which can only be described as damn beautiful. California is rather long, but you will be too caught up in it to really notice. Last comes Devil Will Ride, which should just bring about a perfect end to one of the best albums in recent history. You will have just spent almost an hour of your life that you will wish you could get back to and relive, because it will never sound as awe-inspiring as that first time. You will eventually get to know the album like the back of your hand. It will play through your mind all the time, but it will never be able to surprise you as it did that first listen. And you will never be the same.


You can see a complete list of all Gomez discography, or go back to the Gomez tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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