Good the Bad & The Queen

The Good The Bad & The Queen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 23, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000IAZ3E0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #17,885 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #63 in Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > Britpop

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

To open this oddball supergroup's debut, Paul Simonon hints at "Guns of Brixton," and when Tony Allen's flex rhythms come in, there's a shadow of Fela Kuti, too. Then Damon Albarn's slow grit of a voice enters--framed by Simon Tong's flecked guitar. And collectively, The Good, the Bad, & the Queen is quickly sui generis, adamantly different than anything you think you've heard. A band with this much power has at least two options: to cut loose raucously or to mute their overt power for a more covert, dub-inflected atmospheric potency. Smartly, Albarn and his crew opt for the half-light of elastic bass lines, the clouds between the parentheses of drums--the covert. It's not until "Kingdom of Doom," the erstwhile 'single' of the album, that motion expands beyond the languorous. And even then, Tony Allen largely sits out. You get the full flush of Simonon and Allen on "Three Changes" shuffling time even while holding the tempo to a dubbish gait. It's not Blur, the Clash, Fela, the Verve, or Gorillaz. It's more than just names on albums. --Andrew Bartlett

Product Description

Standard UK pressing of the debut album from Britpop supergroup The Good, The Bad And The Queen. TGTBTQ is a new album featuring Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tony Allen (Africa 70/Fela Kuti) and Simon Tong (The Verve). The Good, The Bad and The Queen began life in the Aphrodisia Studios in Nigeria in 2004 and traces a journey from the English music hall tradition, over to West Africa for Afrobeat, zigzagging through the West Indies and its reggae and dub, back to England and London's punk scene, all the while taking in a strand of British beat music from the '50s right through to Britpop. Produced by Brian `Danger Mouse' Burton. EMI. 2007 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ok..Ok..Ignore the rap sheet., February 22, 2007

By 

R. Pelton (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Good the Bad & The Queen (Audio CD)

See. This is a prime example of how we hold artists back with "good ol' days syndrome". I can explain this record in one fell swoop: If this were a debut recording by a unknown band with unknown members, people and press would be gushing all over this.
I didn't care for Blur and Verve was ok in my book, but remained on the periphery due to its short lifespan, and Simonon hasn't done anything since The Clash. Since the preconceptions were subdued, I listened to the record the first time with an open mind. I wasn't waiting for that Blur blitz or that Verve hook or that Clash swagger. As a result, I have a record that is truly engaging and beautiful, especially if you've ever been to London.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A trip down the city, March 18, 2007

By 

vedderoh1 "vedderoh1" (NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Good the Bad & The Queen (Audio CD)

Let's being by saying that this album DOES NOT sound like Blur, Gorillaz, The Clash or The Verve. If you are expecting at least one song to sound like any of the aforementioned, you will be greatly disappointed. That said it is also fair to mention that the talent from those three band members come together in an interesting fusion of skill and concept.

Damon Albarn has said The Good, the bad and the queen is not the name of the band but of the album, and his four piece orchestra is much more difficult to explain that what journalists or even reviewers would like to narrow them down to. And that could well be why this record results so rich in concept and so ethereal in execution.

The somber and at times extremely claustrophobic sound serves to transport the listener to different aspects of London. Just as the lyrics cannot be constricted to either pop or punk, there is a certain mood that prevails all along the album, and it maye be (dare to say) formulated as an electropop-rock-folk allusion to the background of each of the players.
"Kingdom of doom", "Northern Whale" and "80's life" are the standout tracks, but it is in "Herculean" that they summon up all that feeling of overwhelm and almost despair one gets to know while listening to this.
Closing track, which happens to have the same name as the album, is a prolonged exectuion that quite doesn't fit with the rest of tracks but treats us to the showcase of wild drums, exquisite guitars and the omnipresent, yet vague vocals that we have come to indulge in.

If you find this review confusing then you have a leading point to listen to this record. I did not approach it thinking it would remind me of Blur or Verve, but in a way it strives to get past that, and in my opinion it takes it to another level that even they might be wonder about. Call it an acquired taste, The Good, the bad and the queen is an album to savor more than once and discover along with your own secrets.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 star all star effort, January 30, 2007

By 

Elan Bodwick (las vegas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Good the Bad & The Queen (Audio CD)

First thing you notice is the dub bass of Paul Simonon then Albarns dark understated vocals- and throughout this excellent album the odd arrangements and sounds form a hybrid with electronic and disconnected classical strings hanging from very simple songs. Theres dub- a little britpop but mostly an odd kaleidoscope of sounds and a Kingston meets the eastend vibe. Organic folky roots music with a post 911 feel of gloom. This is Gorillaz without the trends or guest stars- this is a well assembled cast of excellent musicians creating a unique experience- timeless but modern.
This will take a few listens as the pace is slow to mid tempo and pretty dark- almost blurred at times. Albarn is an excellent songwriter and this may be his best work yet and former clash bassist Simonon is superb and looks great despite his broken nose in the cd photo. Tong (ex) of the Verve and Tony Allen both add exactly what is needed- nothing fancy but nothing common or predictable. Theres an abundance of piano but not in the coldplay vein- more traditional english music hall. To sum it up this resembles the perfect mix between later period Blur and the moody slower Gorillaz material put through producer Danger Mouse's sonic treatment. So far the best album of the last few months by quite a distance. The whole album is consistent in tone and style and is once again a very special project that transcends the history of its members.