Customer Reviews

Kissproof World

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jane, the creative heartbeat of The Go-Go's is back with her fourth solo cd (fifth if you count her "Very Best Of" compilation that is now out of print)- "Kissproof World" shoots a breath of fresh air into the boring current state of pop music (not counting Madonna!) Never one to jump on a tired bandwagon, Jane does here what she's always done best: crafting nifty pop confections with melodic hooks that will keep you humming for days. This album lacks the gloss that filled Jane's excellent "Fur" and "Tangled" albums (and to some extent her first album "Jane Wiedlin"). This time she goes for a more, although still electrified, organic experience. Each and every song comes up a winner. Standouts: "Icicle", "Feeling Like Flying", "Die Now! Pay Later!", "Drain" (which recalls her earlier song "World On Fire") and "Messy". The Go-Go's were always SO underappreciated... can't wait for their new album in 2001!

Feeling like flying and He's not talking are worth the $9.
Flying is just plain awesome and Talking is the PERFECT solution to working an atmospheric ballad into the space-age punk vibe of her later career.
Drain and Messy are classic Jane.
If you've been on the journey of Jane Wiedlin's career, you can't leave this one out.
After froSTed, she seems to have tried to be a bit more creative and unconventional musically. It is my opinion, that she was better off with her usual structure overall, but it did pay off on a few tracks. It chronicles a dark time and isn't the feel good album of the year, but the highlights make it worth having in your collection, even if only to throw them on a Jane Wiedlin & froSTed compilation.

And hey...
When you're pissed off at the world for being fake and yourself for sinking into it... This one's for you!

But if it were up to me,
I'd just take Flying & Talking, throw em on a cd with froSTed & Lady Robotika highlights, and drop acid with the sci-fi channel on.

The current state of mediocrity in pop music makes Kissproof World shine all the brighter. Some artists write great music, while others have something to say; Jane melds both gifts into something that is much more than the sum of its parts.

Her melodic ear is unerring; always has been. But what rises to the surface here is the raw emotional honesty of some of J's lyrics, particularly on "Fallen" and "The Good Wife." Throughout, there's an air of integrity and love for the music itself.

It speaks volumes--to me, at least--that Jane Wiedlin is not a major star. Anyone looking for something really rare and rewarding should get this instant classic post-haste.

a great album, and long overdue a wider release. Hopefully we'll be hearing new tunes from Miss W. soon

Jane Wiedlin's new album, Kissproof World, her latest full-length solo effort since 1992's "Tangled." The album shows true pain, gloss, and over-all fun. The first three tracks as the highlight of the album, especially "Icicle." Afterwards, such songs as "The Good Wife," and "Kissproof World," shine, with a few un-memorable tunes in between. Overall rating: 4. Not perfect, but even more than what one would expect from this talented song-striess.

Like the other reviewers here I've been a big fan of Jane's for a long time -- both as a member of the Go-Go's and as a solo artist. Unlike everyone else I have to say this isn't Jane's best album. Lyrically it's a great album -- Jane was always the best wordsmith in the Go-Go's (sorry folks, but Charlotte Caffey was and always will be the best musician). She definitely knows how to work a phrase, but unfortunately the music and the lyrics don't often click or left me feeling let down. "Feeling Like Flying" has a fab Middle-Eastern feel at the beginning, but it's just an intro and quickly lost my attention. Other songs sound like throw-aways from That Dog's "Retreat From the Sun", which shouldn't be too surprising as Petra Hayden from That Dog appears here and Caffey produced That Dog.

The exception to all of this is "Good Wife" about the breakdown of Jane's marriage. It's a stellar track and possibly one of the best she's ever written.

I was lucky enough to see the Go-Go's this past summer and they performed a few of their new songs so I know Jane still has the magic. Maybe (hopefully) that album will showcase Jane's best work.