Aphrodite

Kylie Minogue | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 6, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B003IPC5SO
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,985 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #87 in Music > Dance & DJ > Electronica

Editorial Reviews

Over the course of her extraordinary 20-plus-year-career, KYLIE MINOGUE has been a global force in pop music and is one of the world's most successful female artists with more than 60 million albums sold worldwide, 50 hit singles including the US Billboard dance-chart toppers "Can't Get You Our of My Head," "Love At First Sight," "Slow," and the Grammy-Award winning "Come Into My World." Now Kylie returns this summer with APHRODITE, a divine collection of pop treasures and club-ready anthems, and a nod to her goddess status among pop music lovers the world over. Executive-produced by studio genius Stuart Price (musical director for Madonna, producer of the last Killers album and the artist known as Les Rhythmes Digitales), this new collection of songs sees Kylie further celebrating her dancefl oor roots with an amazing array of collaborations with the likes of UK electro upstart Calvin Harris, Australian producers NERVO (who co-wrote David Guetta's hit "When Love Takes Over"), and acclaimed British songwriter Nerina Pallot. Since the release of Kylie's acclaimed 2008 album "X", electronic pop has been storming the US airwaves and charts, as evidenced by the success of Lady Gaga, Kesha and David Guetta, all of whom would surely acknowledge Kylie's place in the pop music pantheon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mighty Aphrodite!, July 6, 2010

By 

Rudy Palma "The Writing Fiend" (NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Aphrodite (Audio CD)

For unabashed, unapologetic pop music fun Kylie Minogue albums are often the answer. With the Aussie singer's 11th album "Aphrodite" this fact is blissfully reaffirmed.

Precision-tooled to blare out of speakers everywhere from San Diego BMWs to overpriced Parisian boutiques to Caribbean nightclubs, this clever, infectious baker's dozen of pop tunes flies out of the oven aimed squarely at the pleasure zone of Minogue's core audience. It is a thing of beauty.

The album has a very appealing sonic marriage of 2002's heavy-handed dance of "Fever" with the upbeat yet cool-as-cucumber lounge-ready pop of hits such as "I Believe In You" and "Chocolate." The result is an uptempo but unserious sound that is often quite European and always danceable.

Lead single "All the Lovers" is an ideal example. Its ceaseless beats have the resonance of disco yet are laser-like and modern. As with other key tracks such as the blissful eureka moment of "Everything Is Beautiful" or the high-BPM "Put Your Hands Up," a confident kiss goodbye to sadness courtesy of the dance floor, the song has a smart, sunny Euro-pop sheen that immediately ingratiates itself. Minogue's smooth, sweet, feminine vocals lead the way.

The diva-comeback theme of the cheeky, delightful, softly rambunctious title track can be seen coming from a mile away, but this upfront lack of pretense is part of Minogue's effortless charm. "Better Than Today" also impresses with its sharply-chiseled synthesizers buoying her jubilant vocals.

Unlike 2007's "X," there is a track or two that do not impress as much as those that surround. Although its lyrics are well-written, "Closer" is essentially a less appealing sequel to 2004's slick, sexy "Slow" and the closing "Can't Beat the Feeling" flies by without calling attention to itself.

"Get Outta My Way," the album's high point, is a declaration of intentions to savor all of life's transient pleasures whether or not company joins in. Its frenetic energy and sugary-sweet pop hook make it destined for the upper reaches of the charts, although comparisons to Minogue's 2000 hit "Spinning Around" are certainly justified from the title alone.

"Put your hands up if you feel love tonight," "Take a chance tonight and try something new," "I'm fierce and I'm feeling mighty, I'm an aphrodite" and "Can you feel me in the stereo?" are some of the album's best lines and indication of themes listeners will find and enjoy.

"Aphrodite" is expertly crafted, low-brow yet sophisticated and endlessly listenable. What more can a pop music fan ask for?

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Princess of Pop Reigns Supreme, December 3, 2010

By 

Nick Dangerous (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aphrodite (Audio CD)

Foreword

It was 1988 when one Kylie Minogue first made her presence felt in the pop world but it was not until 2000 - 12 years later that she finally came into her own. Following four successful albums under manufactured pop gurus- Stock, Aitken & Waterman, she severed ties with her mentors in 1992 in favour of creative independence and new horizons.

The albums that followed- 1994's `Kylie Minogue' & 1997's `Impossible Princess' (both on Deconstruction Records) whilst containing a handful of great songs - most notably on her `94 effort, were ultimately misguided and patchy affairs which failed to live up to expectations. By the late 90's, and now having passed the age of 30, it seemed KM's career in pop music was all but over.

Yet it would be the Noughties in which the Aussie star truly shined. Returning to her Dance-Pop roots for new single `Spinning Around' in 2000, the song was paired with an eye popping video in which she wore a pair of gold hot pants - helping to send it to the top of the charts in the UK & Australia. The rest as they say is history.

Here's a brief recap of The Princess of Pop's output over the last 10 years-

Light Years (2000) `70's Disco meets early Noughties Dance-Pop on Kylie's big comeback album for the new century. Light Years ft. some great singles in `Spinning Around' `On a Night like This' & `Please Stay' but it all gets a bit too camp in the middle and the majority of the album is forgettable. Light Years marked the first album in a long and successful relationship with Parlophone Records.
5/10

Fever (2001) Not only her best album musically speaking, but also the most commercially successful release - Fever is the center piece of the KM discography. Unlike `Light Years' the 1970's disco is minimal, and the camp silliness entirely absent. This album sounds like it belongs in the 21st century; - blending pop with dance & Electro instead of with disco and crappy 90's dance beats. By this point KM had perfected her vocal delivery for maximum effectiveness. As well as her default singing voice she now also possessed a very sexy almost whispered tone which would be used more heavily on follow-up Body Language. These elements combined with the fact that a number of songs are about lust/sex makes Fever feel like the first adult KM album. All the songs are good, and the production dazzling. Highlights include- `Love at First Sight', `Come Into My World' & the monstrous global smash- `Can't Get You Out of My Head', which, similar to Cannibal Corpse's `Hammer Smashed Face' is this artists defining moment.
9/10

Body Language (2003) More stripped down and laid back than the dance orientated Fever - Body Language is KM at the top of her game. The minimalistic sound of the album is an unexpected yet welcome dynamic and some tracks even ft. traces of hip hop. What makes it all gel is that most of the songs are built around a great hook or catchy melody and every component from the lyrics, vocal arrangements & production - right down to the chic Bardot-inspired snaps and cover font is effortlessly cool. Killer cuts- `Secret (Take You Home)', `Red Blooded Woman' & the sexy `After Dark'.
8/10

X (2007) Following a break from the pop world after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 and going on to beat it, KM triumphantly returned to the charts in 2007 with `X'- her 10th studio album. Easily the most diverse album to date with multiple styles explored, that is, within the safe confines of what could still be considered pop music. `Heart Beat Rock's Electro riff gets stuck in your head, the unexpected pseudo Rock of `Stars' works well (though it would have worked better with a slightly heavier guitar tone- but that would never happen on a KM album), Kylie meets J-Pop on `Nu-di-ty' another cool track and there's even an R&B number in `All I See' which is a nice romantic one. X has also got a few duds, lead single `2 Hearts' goes nowhere and is a bore but overall X is more good than bad.
7/10

So here we are- 2010 and it's time for album No11- Aphrodite. Named after the goddess of love, Aphrodite debuted at No 1 in the UK albums chart on it's week of release and also marked the singer's 5th No 1 album in the UK. Let's take a closer look.

Review

All the Lovers (3:20) Reasonably catchy mid paced opener in a wishy washy kind of way. A slightly odd choice for a first single but then I would say the same of the first singles from BL & X.
5/10

Get Outta My Way (3:39) This is more like it - an up tempo and very catchy tune. The chorus is a totally huge and really sucks you into the song. Great track.
10/10

Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love) (3:38) The title says it all, this one is a feel good number and is very simple maintaining the same rhythm throughout. It's not one of the standout tracks and the vocals don't do anything interesting.
5/10

Closer (3:09) This one is pretty cool. It starts off with what sounds like a Harpsichord and a simple drumbeat as synthesizers build to a big pulsating chorus. The vocal patterns and repeating lyrics gives the track a robotic quality which makes for an appealing dynamic against the subject matter. 7/10

Everything Is Beautiful (3:26) One of the album highlights, this one has a nice laid back groove which is like getting a relaxing massage after a hard day at work. The vocals and percussion work particularly great together to sooth away your stresses. 9/10

Aphrodite (3:46) Best song on the album. This one is everything a good pop song should be- catchy; uplifting & it gets you pumped while the lyrics are basically a celebration of Kylie being a badass. 10/10

Illusion (3:22) starts off with layered harmonized vocals as mid paced beat begins which is backed up with a deep groove and some satisfying `whoa-oh's. Another catchy song which like most on Aphrodite, if you pay attention - multiple layers of instrumentation can be detected amongst the slick production. 7/10

Better than Today (3:26) 3rd single from the album is classic Kylie fare and another highlight. This one is light and fun with a message for everyone to forget their woes and let go and dance. Good Times! 8/10

Too Much (3:16) lyrically `Too Much' expresses the excitement of a connection with another person. The song has an almost early 90's dance feel to it, which is cool in a retro kind of way but it's also one of the weaker tracks on offer. 6/10

Cupid Boy (4:27) One of Aphrodite's best songs, Cupid Boy whips along like an exhilarating fair ground ride set against a fireworks lit sky. Really catchy, gets stuck in your head, awesome. 10/10

Looking for an Angel (3:50) features a string section, is the lightest sounding song on the album and similar to `Too Much', if any could be described as filler this would be one of them. 5/10

Can't Beat the Feeling (4:11) like many KM songs this one is about the euphoric feeling of time spent with that special someone, and like her best is up-tempo and contains a positive charge that seduces the listener and makes you feel good. A fitting album closer. 8/10

Kylie has never been a great singer or dancer; instead you could say she is capable & well trained in these areas. She has however always been rather easy on the eyes and if you combine all these elements you have one hell of a recipe for a pop star. The other area in which she is blessed is in having a team of great songwriters and producers behind her who understand her range and construct music that best highlights her talents. Her sweet spot is up-tempo or mid paced pop tunes. That's were her voice works best and her natural charisma really shines through.

Aphrodite is a welcome return to a more traditional style of radio pop, and of all her past works is most similar to Fever. The songs are very catchy and they sound huge. The last two albums- Body Language & X, seemed to have quite specific styles they were shooting for, but with Aphrodite it appears the primary goal was to just to write & record some great pop tunes. As a result it's hard not to view this as the strongest album since Fever; I'd probably tie it with Body Language as her joint second best. Ultimately Aphrodite is another great effort from the one and only KM. Ooh-rah!
5 stars / 8/10.

26 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kylie: The Golden Girl (4.5 stars), July 6, 2010

By 

David - See all my reviews

This review is from: Aphrodite (Audio CD)

Fans and critics often consider Kylie's golden period to be between the years of 1998-2002, encompassing the albums "Impossible Princess" (a leap into more adventurous territory), "Light Years" (a reimagining of retro disco), and "Fever" (transitioning to deeper club grooves, and a U.S. crossover smash).

After what some observers believe to be a few years in the wilderness, Kylie aims to recapture the spark that was seen occasionally in more recent times (especially evident in such songs as "I Believe In You" and "White Diamond"), but burned most brightly during the era of "Fever".

When I heard "Aphrodite" in full for the first time, I had mixed feelings. Yes, it sounds great on the surface - it's all very immaculately produced and is quite consistent. But hasn't Kylie done this all before, perhaps better? And considering everything she's been through, where's the lyrical and emotional depth?

Over a period of listening and absorbing the work, I've found that even though there is enough surface sparkle to immediately catch the attention, there's also an underlying vitality that begins to emerge upon further plays. Track 2, "Get Outta My Way", has a massive double chorus that is balanced out by surprisingly dialled-down verses, giving a counterpoint to the bluster and adding interest while still maintaining the momentum.

The first song to really capture me on a deeper level has been track 4, "Closer". Off-kilter synth drones, baroque style harpsichord, and a steadily building rhythm, around which Kylie cryptically intones: "We'll redesign / Where we combine / To be divine / Love in us", before pulling the listener into a chorus of disembodied yearning, reminiscent of ethereal music such as Delerium (circa "Poem").

Following this comes "Everything Is Beautiful". A song which might easily be overlooked on initial listening, it eventually reveals itself as a gorgeous highlight. Produced to sound like a veritable fantasy realm, with tinkling piano, billowing synths and layered vocal sighs, it's dream-pop at its finest, at times recalling the lushest moments of Fleetwood Mac's "Tango in the Night" album. There are some rather evocative vocals, lyrics and melodies that almost could've come from Billy Corgan during the "Adore" era: "Pulling the ripcord I dive / It's a cardboard kingdom / But it makes me feel / That if I lie with you long enough / I can see the things I'm dreaming of / Let's go through the ritual / Until everything is beautiful".

Completing this mid-album epiphany is "Aphrodite" - the title track itself. And it's powerful. It makes a grand entrance with the sound of insistent marching drums and aerial whooshes, followed by Kylie's near military cadence. It then explodes into a commanding chorus, brimming with a strength of will that is certain to boost the confidence of anyone who follows in step: "I'm fierce and I'm feeling mighty / I'm a golden girl / I'm an Aphrodite / Alright!".

Another high point comes in the form of "Better Than Today", which, along with the title track, was written by Nerina Pallot (who worked with the aforementioned Delerium, and is surely an artist to keep an eye on). With lyrics such as: "I know life is hard / So we're living for the weekend / You can hurt or take heart / I guess it really depends", the song takes a philosophical stance and calls on people to let loose: "You've got to lose it / Use it / Know the chance to do it / What's the point in living / If you don't want to dance?"

And yes, there are many pure dance tracks - make no mistake, they are the driving force behind this project. However, it is far from the inanity that some may mistake it for; rather, it is smart enough to know not to overcomplicate itself, where simple pleasure is a distilled quality. Tracks such as "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)", and "Too Much" tap into the giddy, playful excitement of the "Fever" era, and more specifically expands on a hidden gem of that period, the outtake "Whenever You Feel Like It" - whereas songs like "All The Lovers" and "Illusion" build upon the atmospheric, danceable melancholy of another buried "Fever" era treasure, "Tightrope".

So what are the problems, if any? "Illusion" may well be shoehorned into a dance track from what could've been a pretty ballad, "Looking For An Angel" comes across as slight and "Cupid Boy" manages the trick of sounding progressive without really going anywhere. But these tracks are still quite pretty and help to flesh out the album's tone. Perhaps the addition of the lovely bonus track "Mighty Rivers" onto the album proper would have added a little more dimension as well. Regardless, the album could be considered a letdown only if a quantum leap in artistic ambition is expected. And it is clear that she has the ability to deliver more brilliant performances; to this day, 1994's "Confide In Me" remains unmatched.

If anything, this album makes me excited again for Kylie's future potential. It seems to have opened her up and allowed her to invest her entire being into a project again. It is clear that Kylie has locked onto a singular vision. It is uplifting euphoria both as a concept and in execution. When Kylie sings such simple lines as "We've got an energy / Burning like I've never seen / Bringing us to life", she not only means it; she feels it, and wants us to feel it too.