So, we hit that moment that many a gay boy enjoys... his first listen of a new Kylie album... and in this instance, 'Body Language'... I'm greeting this album with a selection of mixed feelings. Firstly, there was my initial reaction to 'Slow', being that I have grown to like it, but wondering on first listen where the actual 'song' was. Also, being the fact that this is the first Kylie album since 'Light Years' that I haven't had some 'hand in' on the Australian marketing side... it feels a bit like your old friends are throwing a party and you are most certainly no longer welcome... it's a bit hard to explain and I know that i'm being overly precious about it all... but it does feel like that after something that i've spent so much time, energy, enthusiasm and pure love in.
So... we all know 'Slow'... can I add that I love the clip too. Funnily enough, I was surprised at the number of people who felt inclined to tell me how 'gay' they thought the clip was. Yes, men in speedos lying around a pool equals big homosexual fest... apparently. I can think of some individuals that this may apply to but really, the clip looks like a poolside in Barcelona to me... which, funnily enough, it was.
I've given up on the idea of doing a track by track. There are already a few out there that the 'die hard fans' would have seen them all, and it is difficult to do a real track by track on first listen anyway. I guess I can talk about the stand out tracks for me though, of which there are a couple on first listen.
The one that has really rocked my world is 'Chocolate'. It is, without doubt, one of the most subtle yet sensual and seductive things that Kylie has ever done. It is timeless pop, and seems to suggest everything right about 'Body Language'. One thing is clearly obvious about 'Body Language' - it isn't a 'get out there and shake your booty all night long like you don't care' album. It is a little more mature for that, and while many fans are screaming that it is a blatant attempt to crack the US market based on the three tracks that they've heard ('Secret (Take Me Home)' and 'Red Blooded Woman' have both leaked), it actually does feel more like a natural extension to 'Fever' in context to a full listen.
Granted, tracks like 'Red Blooded Woman', which does tend to make me cring a little, does feel aimed more at the US market... but tracks like 'Still Standing' (very electro pop with some nice cutting synths slicing through the mix) and 'Chocolate' more than compensate. Tracks like 'Someday' are very... ahem... Sunday... they're slow groovers with a pleasant melody but more background than face slammers. 'Loving Days' has some rather lush string arrangements, although I can't help wish that they had made it even a little more epic and melodramatic and gone the full 'over the top' hog.
The second half of the album really does tend to 'slow down' (no pun intended, considering there is both 'Slow' and 'Slo Motion' on the album)... and actually, there seems to be rather a lot of mention of food during the album... or atleast I got a late night appetite from somewhere... maybe that's it, cause there is a lot of mentions of 'taking it to the floor' on the album too and yet I felt no urge to listen to the album horizontally.
Jumping back a bit... 'Sweet Music'... which is also appearing on the album... fans will wet themselves over this track... another great track and people are going to draw comparisons to how great 'Limbo' was as a b-side and album track to 'Some Kind Of Bliss'/'Impossible Princess'.
In summary, it won't become my favourite Kylie album... I still have too much of a soft spot for 'Rhythm Of Love' for my early 20's and 'Light Years' for my late 20's... but it certainly isn't taking a step back for her either. Some of the tracks are what those in the music industry like to call 'growers' (which translates as boring unless it was done by an artist you're biased about), but then I disliked 'Fragile' from 'Fever' when I first heard it and it grew to become one of my favourite tracks from that album. Most importantly, people won't be disappointed, and while the 'singles' may not be obvious ('Chocolate' and 'Secret (Take Me Home)' seem the most immediate choices initially), it isn't filled with filler either.
More onto my life lately... Seb, better known as DJ Kinky, is heading over from Perth to Melbourne Saturday week, and personally - I cannot wait to see him. He already knows my housemate, and it will be fun to have a visitor stay with me for a while... read his blog (link to the right) - Inferno In Disco - very VERY funny stuff, and it's all real... scary... is Melbourne ready for this?
On another note, one of my closest and treasured friends, Jimmy, celebrates his birthday this coming Thursday night... so it's another big weekend out and about for us! Ant is organizing the cake for him (Ant is such a sweetie), and it looks set to be a rather massive night!
Work wise, I got up this morning, and even though I was tired, I was actually looking forward to getting in and 'doing it'... first time I kind of felt that since FMR. Yes, I do obviously still miss FMR... I miss the artists I was working there, especially Kylie... but more importantly, I miss some of my 'old family' there. There are certain individuals that I feel I may have invested too much time in trying to develope a friendship with, and I guess if I had known that, what I thought was a real friendship was just infact a friendly working relationship, I perhaps wouldn't have invested as much... but there are a few people there who just continue to prove themselves to me to be not just amazing at what they do, but amazing as human beings as well... certainly the man who has picked up working Kylie (again) fits into that category and has won as much respect from me since leaving FMR as he did when I was there working alongside him. However... some of them... look, I know they haven't lost touch cause they dislike or don't care for me... but you know what - IT'S A JOB, people... it doesn't love you for you at the end of the day... it doesn't care about how your are... it doesn't send you an email just to say hello... and it certainly won't keep you company when you're lonely... and one day, it will go away from you. Friends don't do that... but jobs do.
I keep saying it but i'll say it again... 2003 has turned out nothing like I would've expected, considered, or even potentially wanted... but it will be one of the most valuable learning periods of my life... and those moments, no matter how painful and upsetting they can be, will always be the ones that make us better people.
Finally, to all those that sent me an email lately that I haven't got back too... sorry! The new job, and everything, has just been a little overwhelming lately. But I am getting to grips with it and starting to resurface again, and so if you have yet to hear back from me... you will soon - I promise!
