Customer Reviews

Chumbawamba- Tubthumper

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Chumbawamba is a most unlikely hit group - a co-ed U.K. collective best-known for their idiosyncratic, working-class polemics; they toiled in obscurity for many years. In 1997, though, their song "Tubthumping" became a left-field international smash - peaking at #6 in the U.S. and holding at #1 in airplay for an astounding 9 weeks. Love it or hate it, "Tubthumping" is indisputably one of the catchiest and most original hits of the last decade. However, the group is usually dismissed today as a novelty act or one-hit-wonder.

Of note, "Tubthumping" wasn't released as a single, so people had to buy the full-length CD, "Tubthumper," to get the song (over 3 millions people did so). I'm sure many people who purchased the CD listened only to "Tubthumping." However, the rest of the CD deserves attention. It's the type of CD in my collection that I don't listen to often, but when I do, I'm always surprised by how much better it is than I expect.

Aside from "Tubthumping," quite a few of the songs are stand-outs. "Amnesia" is another tremendously catchy song, with a clever chorus, "Do you suffer from long-term memory loss/ I don't remember" - and it even includes a tango-styled break. It managed to become a UK hit - slipping into the Top 10. "Drip, Drip, Drip" is another highlight - a surprisingly melodic song built around some intriguing spoken-word samples and featuring a swanky piano outro. Indeed, one of the group's trademarks is to throw in an unexpected element, such as the young English lad who finished "The Big Issue." Overall, the music isn't earth-shattering and does tend to wear a bit after repeated listens. However, "Tubthumper" is enjoyable, well-written, and features good production; careful listeners who appreciate quirky music will be well-rewarded if they approach this CD with an open mind.

This is one of those albums where you simply have to look at each song individually...because no two are even remotely similar. Here goes:

1. Tubthumping - It should be pretty obvious to anyone that this is by far the *dumbest* song on the album. And given that it's their massive blowout hit, that's about a lead pipe cinch that it isn't in any way indicative of their work as a whole. Nothing wrong with that, of course, just keep that in mind. I don't really care for this one.

2. Amnesia - Fairly easygoing rock number about memory loss. And...ah, those who suffer from memory loss. Listenable and mostly nonserious.

3. Drip, Drip, Drip - One of those non-hip hop talky pieces. Pretty much the same deal as Amnesia.

4. The Big Issue - This, IMHO, *should* have been their breakthrough. Completely mainstream, harmless pop/rock, message notwithstanding.

5. The Good Ship Lifestyle - Okay, this is a style called "drum and bass". If you're not familiar with a club scene, you probably haven't had much exposure to this. It's very popular in some European circles. Pretty much ordinary punk otherwise.

6. One By One - Oh yeah! NOW we're talking! *This* is the unflinching, angry politicizing that makes Chumbawamba what it is, and it sounds downright beautiful, too. A very simple, powerful ballad about a union leader who abandons his responsiblities for personal gain and the terrible consequences. Unquestionably the best song on the album, IMHO.

7. Outsider - Ooh, house! Not much of a message here, but who cares, it's loads of fun.

8. Creepy Crawling - Another talky one. Wasn't able to get much out of this; it's just weird. Reminds me of Five Iron Frenzy for some reason.

9. Mary, Mary - A loud metalish piece about a woman named Mary who, gasp! (yawn) falls a bit short of her biblical counterpart. A bit too repetitive for my tastes.

10. Smalltown - More delicious D&B; actually a lot truer to the style than The Good Ship Lifestyle. Good stuff, good stuff.

11. I Want More - Not a hint of subtletly here, just pure unadulterated punk. Great fist pumping music (whatever that is).

12. Scapegoat - Eurobeat (or a reasonable facsimile thereof)? Man, they're doin' EVERYTHING here! A worthy sendoff.

A little repetitive at times, and doesn't always hang together, but in all, this is a surprisingly well done album. It's definitely worth whatever you paid for it. :-D*

* (Subtle reference to highly questionable activity encouraged by Chumbawamba which I needn't get into here, thank you very much.)

I can't say that 'Tubthumper' is a bad CD, however, it's not that good CD, neither. I think that Chumbawamba's style is just not my favorite. I find that the tunes are kinda "patience-challenging". However... Chumbawamba's lyrics, filled with political and social criticism, are worth the 12 bucks. The lyrics are REALLY good. They deal with politics, with social problems, religion... I enjoy them a lot. And I actually like bands with ideologies (as long they are not nazi or racist, of course!)
We should have much more songwriters like Chumbawamba. Not all lyrics should deal with silly topics like love and stuff. And the tunes are not bad. So I recommend this CD. I think it is in fact closer to 4 stars than to 3 stars (but there's not 3 3/4 stars rating).
Well, hope this helps. Take care.

This was my first-owned Chumbawamba album, and I still pull it out often to take a listen. It became clear to me that this album was their most successful arguable because of the near-perfect mix of mainstream, slightly repetitive, melodically clean tunes, and their unrelenting and light-hearted cynicism towards the governments that run and ruin their world. A previous reviewer claimed that WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) is their best album, and in some cases it may be true. WYSIWYG displayed a more sketchy, playful, and raw approach to their anarchical criticisms, while it may seem that Tubthumper spoke with a much more subtle and thought-out voice. Not as many tracks blatantly address their opinions, although it is obvious that each song's underlying message does. As much as I love listening to the giddy WYSIWYG, I must admit that Tubthumper's more melodic tunes and slightly more concealed, philosophically-lined lyrics grab me more. It seems that their approach to various genres of mainstream music worked on me. Such clean and sing-alongy melodies can be found in tracks like Amnesia, Drip, Drip, Drip, and Smalltown (not to mention Tubthumping). Clearly the songs are more subtle as opposed to such WYSIWYG tracks as Smart Bomb or She's Got All The Friends, but I find it pleasing that Chumbawamba found a sweet spot in the catchy/delivering continuum. Perhaps this album is what they needed to break out on the big scene in the U.S., and I am thankful for as much.

I was interested in Chumbawamba after I saw the front cover of Tubthumper in Time magazine... It was an article on the WTO protesters; what they were like... who were their heroes... They had a picture of Noam Chomsky and the Unabomber... Then they had this Chumbawamba album cover next to the Unabomber's head like this is what those weird anarchists listen to... I was thinking... Isn't that the band with the `I get knocked down song?' I think I saw them on MTV... Real anarchists would listen to Rage Against the Machine or Black Flag wouldn't they... but Time magazine is sometimes way off... So I got a copy of the CD and in the liner notes it had this repeating paragraph "Due to the complexities of USA copyright law, we are not able to print the information intended for this space... we can supply you with a leaflet or you can read it on our web site." I figured this was some kind of censorship thing... So I check out the web site and the stuff they wanted to print was really cool socialist anarchist quotes from radical magazines, philosophers, politicians and other various anonymous left wing high-jinks type activists... You can get their full liner notes on the import but not on the US version... Strange for a land that prides itself on freedom of speech... Needless to say I was immediately hooked... The music took on a whole new meaning... These were not love songs... Chumbawamba tackles the Big Issues and makes it most danceable... Check it out if you like rave/techno and the lyrics of Billy Bragg, The Clash, Rage Against the Machine or The Dead Kennedy's... ...

The song "Tubthumping" may have turned them into a household name, but this CD, on the whole, is not representative of Chumbawamba's greatness. This isn't a horrid album, but with the exception of "Tubthumping," not much to write home about. In my opinion, "WYSIWYG", the album following this one, is their crowning glory. They capture that sardonic anti-establishment flavor beautifully on that CD.

If you want to pick up this CD merely for the hit song, it is worth the dough. If you want to hear really great Chumbawamba from the first to final track, I highly recommend "WYSIWYG."

Besides the much maligned mega-hit "Tubthumping" which I didn't like when it was first released but like now, this is a solid CD with great arrangements, lyrics, and performances. It's not perfect but how many CD's are perfect these days? I have recently discovered "Ready Mades and Then Some" - clearly a 5-star effort and a symposium on how to arrange a song. Masterfully done. I won't write a song-by-song critique here because several other reviewers have done a more than adequate job of that. However, I do put forward a challenge to "rtbarry" in AZ to move beyond his very own drivel masquerading as a "review", if he is capable, to explain in detail what in his opinion is lacking in this CD that rates it only one star? Or, does he believe we are supposed to obey his fiat review as if he were Kim Jong-il of North Korea? Otherwise, "rtbarry" don't waste our time with drivel.

I have not followed this band since 98 when they were at the time a household name. Looking back, I am truly shocked and disappointed. Shocked because a band like Chumbawamba had made it to the top of the charts in the late 90s. This was a time when Spice Girls, Brandy, and the Backstreet Boys ruled the airwaves. For a brief moment we had edgy, controversial, 80s style alternative music on the radio! I'm still shocked at the marvel. (Who allowed it???) I'm disappointed because it did not last.

To say the least this is a gorgeous album. The "I get knocked down.." song is what inspired me to get the album in the first place, but little did I know what else was in store for me. So many goodies to discover. I'll name all the gems:
In addition to Tubthumping, there's also Amnesia, Drip Drip Drip, Big Issue, Good Ship Lifestyle, One By One, Outsider, and Smalltown. Since my "free country" had banned the lyrics and the rest of the liner notes, I had to get them from the internet. In my opinion, the lyrics to many of the songs are actually quite abstract. One would have to read the band's explanations in order to fully understand the meaning behind them. Nevertheless, the music is very good. One can actually become so totally mesmerized by it and not even realize that it focused on left wing political ideas like hypocrisy, working-class issues, and overhauling the establishment. It's no wonder the lyrics were deemed "unneccessary". I supposed that's how the Tubthumping song made it on the US charts in the first place.

I will forever cherish this album simply because in 98 it represented the open mind, in addition to a tiny ray of hope among all that awful overprocessed pop and rap crap that they're still playing on my radio today.
Chumbawamba, we miss you.

If only every song Chumbawamba released was like Tubthumping. That one song makes this CD a must own, but thats about it. Some of the other songs are OK, but most of the rest are highly annoying hip-hop songs and anthems that i didn't care for. This band varies greatly with their songs, I found no similarity whatsoever between songs like Tubthumping and Skapegoat. However, if you like Tubthumping, this CD is well worth the money. And if you like bands like Aqua and Smash Mouth, you'll like it too.

I've always had a soft spot for political rockers, which actually surprises some of my friends who don't consider me all that political myself. There's just something about the earnestness, the commitment, the downright obstinacy it takes to maintain a stance in a show biz climate. And when it's done with a little humor and a bit of pizzazz, well, so much the better.

I've read a few commentaries on Chumbawumba that express something like surprise that these self-proclaimed anarchists produce a very un-punk, un-grunge sound. TUBTHUMPER comes across as an amalgam of 80s British synth-pop (Kajawumba? Chumbagoogoo?) and 60s art-rock experimentalism. Most tracks are embedded in sound collages with snippets of film dialogue and extemporaneous monologues supplied by whoever may have been in the studio that day. Some of the songs are well developed, while others are abbreviated and almost fragmentary (shades of ABBEY ROAD). It's all good, and it holds together remarkably well. Especially to these cynical old ears (since I feared one hit and a lot of filler).

How ironic is it that that one Top 40 hit is the novelty song "Tubthumping"? There's probably a certain ironic satisfaction for the band members in having one of their songs become an anthem for drunken jocks and frat boys throughout the US. Or do these anarchists Brits really appreciate the irony of that? I bet they do, and that they're lovin' it.

Is "Tubthumping" one of the few apolitical ditty the Chumbas have to offer? Well, it might seem foolish to spend a lot of time analyzing the song. But there are those who maintain that all art is political, and even a song done as a lark may have broader implications. Me, I just wonder if the songs narrator is feeling affectionate or condescending toward the poor drunken bloke he's singing about. And is that same bloke the one singing, "I get knocked down, but I get up again/ No one's ever going to keep me down"? And are those words to live by, or is he just kidding himself in his stupor?

See, overanalyzing is easy and fun to do. What I really like about the Chumbas on this record is that their politics are always there beneath the surface, but that there's a lot of other stuff going on too. Is "Good Ship Lifestyle" an ironic shanty about alienation more political than personal? Or is understood, as the feminists have been telling us for over 30 years, that the personal is political?

Chumbawumba dances around the edge of politics that way. They have their angry moments ("Whatever Happened to Mary"), but unlike many of the punkers, they're mainly cheerful anarchists. And that cheer is contagious.