D-Sides

Gorillaz | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 20, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000VQQIC2
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,745 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #26 in Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > Britpop
  • #45 in Music > Rap & Hip-Hop > Experimental Rap

Editorial Reviews

Two CD set. While Gorillaz take a well-earned break from global domination, the menials at Kong Studios have been hard at work. As 2D finishes his law degree and Russel reinvents himself as a personal trainer, the glorious ephemera from the last phase of their musical career has been swept up, gathered together and pickled in plastic for music fans everywhere. D-Sides sees the B-sides from Gorillaz' multi-platinum selling second album Demon Days, along with early demos and previously unreleased tracks collected together for the first time. Highlights include Gorillaz' dubbed-out collaboration with The Bees, 'Bill Murray', and the apocalyptic scum-pop of 'We Are Happy Landfill'.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The end, or merely the closing of a chapter?, November 27, 2007

By 

Pen Name? "fluxus" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: D-Sides (Audio CD)

While Damon Albarn's original band Blur released seven proper albums and many b-sides during each period, many of which were tracks of songs good enough to go on any album, or at least a lesser band's albums. They could have compiled a b-sides compilation solid enough to rival something like Oasis' "The Masterplan", but they never did. Albarn's second major project, Gorillaz, on the other hand have released only 2 proper albums thus far and on their singles haven't released nearly as many fully developed songs for b-sides. Yet it is Gorillaz who have now released a second b-sides collection (or rather 1 G-Sides and 1 D-Sides collection). Whereas the first collection G-Sides featured only a handful of new tracks to go alongside some reworkings and remixes of album tracks (with some difference depending on what continent you purchased the album), the main program of this collection almost entirely features tracks that are distinct from the album (though 2 are early versions of what would become Demon Days' tracks). Many of these tracks may barely be recognizable as Gorillaz to fans who only know their work from the proper LPs, even less so to those who only know the hits. Much of this collection features songs that are more experimental works and groove oriented, though skewed, electro-pop playing with a number of styles and exploring musical territories.
The first track, "68 State" is a fully instrumental groove techno track, a quite good one, that gets the proceedings off to a nice start.
It's followed up nicely by "People" which is another techno-dance track, this time with some repeating verses. "People" develops the beat that would later go on to form the hit single "Dare", but I rather like it better in this form.
"Hongkongaton" follows, and is one of the oddest tracks here, as it starts off with some piano and synth riffs and builds off some rather unintelligible and almost inaudible lyrics, as it builds up with some more elements, it is catchy but on the bizarre end of catchy.
Track 4, "We Are Happy Landfill" is a full fledged song, originally available as a download (that you had to use a crowbar to fetch out of a kitchen cupboard) if you bought the deluxe version of Demon Days. It's a good track and perhaps the song most suited to being a Gorillaz single on this comp.
Track 5 "Hong Kong" is a reworked version of the beautiful song Damon made for the War Child project. It was popularized as the closer for the Gorillaz live performances in Manchester and Harlem, though Damon originally did not intend it to be labeled a Gorillaz track. But as the track stands here in this new recording, it is even more beautiful and easily the centerpiece of this collecton.
"Hong Kong" is followed up with another more mellow track, "Highway" which has a very nice vocal melody built off of a simple bass/handclap beat.
"Rockit" is a simple track with a recognizable Gorillaz groove. It was originally leaked online as a harbinger to note that Gorillaz were at work on a new album, it even has a video which has been playing on the website since 2005 and has already been anthologized on the last Gorillaz dvd.
"Bill Murray" is a loose groove with a couple movements and some repeated lyrics, I suppose it could suit a Bill Murray character in one of his recent movies.
"The Swagga" is a very good track, which is a more developed track lyrically as the song builds in tempo and force from some very simple electro beats, and features Damon yelling "Whoo" in the chorus, so it by all rights should become extremely popular, just like "Song 2" (Whoo hoo!).
"Murdoc is God" has loud guitar and repeats things like the title of the song, probably the most throw away of any track here.
"Spitting Out the Demons" has a reggae-ish vibe which builds nicely into the demo of "Don't Get Lost in Heaven" which has a very happy and loose dancehall feel, you could almost light skank to it.
Things finish up on disc one with the beautiful "Stop the Dams", a really nice way to wrap up the proceedings.

So, there's a lot of nice stuff here that exposes a lot of different angles to Damon's song writing process and the Gorillaz collaboration. Some of the material is very beautiful (Stop the Dams, Hong Kong) and shows Damon near the height of his powers as a singer, other tracks might be better suited to something like Damon's Democrazy album (which the demo for Dirty Harry came out on) as they are roughly formed, but still catchy and at least expose the sort of foundation for some of the Gorillaz sound, behind the scenes glimpses in a way.

Disc two features remixes of all the Demon Days singles, 3 a piece for Dare and Kids With Guns, 1 each for the others. There's a few very good remixes and a couple that are just okay. Dirty Harry is redone in Chinese by other performers, and track 3 is basically a new song built around elements of Kids With Guns that has a rap developed around the kids turning to monsters theme, almost a broadway character sketch of a song. Those tracks might be more or less novelties, but most of the other remixes are quite worth listening to.

Those who pick up the deluxe package will be treated to a nice gift box, a sew-on patch, a set of 4 buttons, a sheet of stickers of the Gorillaz characters and 2 nice art prints, in addition to the nice booklet and both discs.

Well worth the pick up for serious Gorillaz fans, though casual fans will possibly be perplexed. The deluxe set also makes a great gift or collectors item for the true fan.

Now, whether this will be the final release from Gorillaz, or whether there will be future albums, that movie that's been in the works for so long, a soundtrack for it... we'll have to wait and see. With this package, the Gorillaz have both left themselves a lot of directions to go in, or at least a nice document of where they've already explored.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars About the extras, November 27, 2007

By 

Pen Name? "fluxus" - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: D-Sides (Deluxe Edition) (Audio CD)

I've already just written a full review of the album under the regular release listing, but to comment on the extras that you'll get with the deluxe set I will post here.
In the deluxe set you get a nice black box package, with a stamped lid that comes fully off to open the package. Inside there is a cardboard, 2 disc slip case with the discs included and a track listing on the back with the times of each track. You get the booklet, which is likely the same as the regular edition, though I can't be certain. There is a sheet of 4 stickers with 1 of each of the Gorillaz. There are 4 buttons which have Gorillaz related designs, though they aren't "Gorillaz" badges or buttons. There are 2 Gorillaz art prints that are pretty cool (I don't know if different ones are inserted in different sets, or if everyone gets the same ones.) There is also a sew-on patch relating to the album artwork. And that's all. So, while I like the box and am pleased with the extras, I'm sure most fans won't necessarily want to pay extra for buttons, stickers, a patch and a couple art cards. So, assess how devoted the fan you're buying for is before making your decision.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For those who didn't like Demon Days, November 21, 2007

By 

Michael Cochran "Vincent" (NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: D-Sides (MP3 Download)

This CD (at least disk 1) is really what would have happened had Danger Mouse not produced Demon Days. I liked Demon Days a lot, but I think I ultimate preferred the self titled. So if you are one of those people who enjoyed the first CD more - which it's all together less polished and stranger sound then this CD is for you.

So, in my opinion, the first disk or the b-sides is much stronger. These songs are really good. The remix side isn't as great. It's probably because they remix the same songs over and over again (you can only here DARE so many times) and compared to the Spacemonkeyz album - which had a cohesive structure these just aren't as good. Here's hoping they (Spacemonkeyz) remix Demon Days.

All in all if you own G-sides you have no reason not to buy this one for the content and the price this is a really good set of disks. I give it 4 stars because I think the second disk is weaker in my opinion.

If you are a Gorillaz fan you won't be disappointed. I got the mp3's off Amazon since they were cheaper (and faster) and since they are encoded at 256 VBR - I would have just filed the CD away at home had I gotten the physical copy (and spent more money)...