Customer Reviews

Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (Deluxe)

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Platinum blonde frontwoman Gwen Stefani is best known for the ska-pop sound in her band No Doubt. But for her solo debut, "Love Angel Music Baby," Stefani goes for a totally different sound -- bubblegummy eighties dancepop, a clubby, colorful, glitzy whirl full of Harajuku girls.

"What You Waiting For?" is the strongest single from here, where Stefani ticks off the seconds before launching into a danceable, self-addressed lecture: "Life is short/you're capable.../what you waiting for?" Stefani urges herself to "take a chance" while "you're still a super-hot female," all against her longings to get more fans in Japan.

"Harajuku Girls" is a kitschy ode to Japanese fashionistas (they get mentioned several times over the album), while the sugary "Bubble Pop Electric" with Andre 3000 is a goofy, sugary pop song. A few of the songs misfire, like interracial dating song "Long Way To Go," which becomes way too self-important. But mostly they revel in the sound of early Madonna tunes, with a new wave twist.

The deluxe edition isn't too different from the regular CD, and is intended for die-hard Stefani fans rather than someone giving her music a spin for the first time. Don't expect a DVD or anything so major. It has a little hardcover booklet, quite polished and cute, as well as a sort of CD carrying case.

"Love Angel Music Baby" won't surprise anybody -- it's all in the style of the first single. It's sleek. It's sexy. It's a guilty pleasure, and it rarely pretends to be anything else. Basically it's not for anyone looking for high-quality music, but it's a fun diversion when you are dancing around your living room.

Stefani's voice isn't technically the best, but she can range from wispy to a throaty purr to a squeal. And her vocals get a pretty good workout here. The musical styles are more electronic than her previous work with No Doubt, taking on a more new wave sound. Think 21st-century Blondie, with a bit of funk thrown in.

The lyrics are simplistic in a dancefloor kind of way. They're meant to sound fun to the synth beats, not be deep -- "born to blossom/bloom to perish" are perhaps the strongest lines, as Stefani examines her own fragile popularity. Her sole effort at depth, "Long Way To Go" gets a bit too hamhanded. And it's Martin Luther King Jr., sweetie. Martin Luther was the guy who P.O.ed the Pope and formed the Lutheran church.

Gwen Stefani makes a fun guilty pleasure in "Love Angel Music Baby." It has light-as-air lyrics and poppy music, but it's worth a spin if you want something to dance to.

First, I would like to respond to the review by M. Goss. (scroll down or check the next page). If you are buying Gwen Stefani's album, expecting to hear No Doubt, then you are certifiably idiotic. That is the whole POINT of a solo album, to do something NEW, something DIFFERENT.

Which Gwen does with class, style, and smarts to spare. This album is very sleek, sort of like an obsidian shard. It's edgy, it's sharp, but it's pleasing to experience. She gets into her sex on this album, and to anyone not used to the dirty side of Gwen's mouth...well...get used to it. She curses, she groans, she purrs...and most importantly, she BEGS for it. It's insane.

The music accomplished just what she intended. It is all very 80's, from the sock hop on acid "Bubble Pop Electric", to the Tony Kanal produced ode to hospital raunch, "Serious".

This album is a no brainer as it is, but with the presentation, it surpasses any Limited Edition released this year. Easy.

Most limited editions give you a poster, maybe some extra tracks, but this one? It gives you a true gift. Not only do you get a hardback booklet (which contains the lyrics, and the CD), but you get a small CD wallet designed by Gwen Stefani, from her clothing line named L.A.M.B. She plugs the brand in a couple of her songs, so listen out for those as well.

Her collaborations on this disc, as well, are stellar. Eve makes a glorious Gwen-style featuring on "Rich Girl" (one of the cutest songs on the disc) and Andre 3000 shines on "Long Way To Go". The latter track is a great song telling us how stupid it is that two people in love can't be accepted if they are of different skin colors. The song is true, right on target. These days, "Jungle Fever" just isn't accepted.

Keep on preachin, Gwen...you've got the stuff.

I bought the Deluxe CD today without knowing much information about it, so if anyone else is in the same situation I figured I'd let you know just what's so "Deluxe" about it.

Opposed to coming in a standard CD Jewel case, it comes in a hard-cover blue book style case (With gold foil lettering spelling out her name and the album title as well as a symbol in the corner with japanese lettering around it. That flips open with the CD on the left side and the book attached to the right side, Inside the book is a golden ribbon type thing (attached). That whole case slides inside of a thin cardboard case which has the same image as the standard CD (Much like the slipcase on certain DVDs).

In addition to that, it comes with a CD-Wallet case, The wallet is a light brownish color with various designs on it (And the Love Angel Music Baby logo on it). A red ribbon ties it together with a little metal lamb pendant attached to the middle (All together it looks like a birthday present)
Once you open it (It seals together with a velcro strip) it folds out into 3 sections. The left and middle section each have a real cool 'lambskin' print on them, the right section has the CD Sleeves (6 total), Once you flip past all 6, there is a little pocket to hold whatever you may have (Not sure what exactly). Overall, a real nice package, only downsides to it all being that its a bit of a pain to deal with the CD Wallet (Since you need to "tie" and "untie" the ribbon as well as strap/unstrap the velcro to open it, and inside it only holds 6 CD's.

Onto the CD Itself.

I really liked:
Track 1) What you waiting for
Track 2) Rich Girl
Track 3) Holla Back Girl
Track 4) Cool
Track 5) Bubble Pop Electric
Track 8) Crash
Track 11) Danger Zone

Also Liked:
Track 7) Harajuku girls
Track 9) The Real Thing
Track 12) Long Way to Go

I was a big fan of No Doubt since the early days, and I thought this was a real good CD (I rated it 5, but it's more of a 4.5 or so, I just didnt want to rate it a 4 when it deserved more).

This CD really isnt like a typical No Doubt CD though, It has one or two no-doubt's "slower" type of music on it, but overall its a pretty fast paced techno'ish CD.

Which one to buy though?
Most stores are selling the original CD for $8.99 and the special edition for $24.99. If you're a big fan, or a collector like myself, the Deluze set is nice (I just really wish it included a DVD Single of her new video), if you're not (or cant spare the extra $15), its not much you're missing out on (New CD packaging and a CD Wallet). :)

I purchased this cd about one week ago, and ever since I have been listening to this cd, non-stop! I love the songs "What You Waiting For?" & "Rich Girl". Gwen Stefani has always been one of my favorite music performers. So I thought this would be a wonderful cd,and it is. My favorite songs are #1.) What you waiting for?
#2.)Rich Girl, #4.) Cool, and #9.) The Real Thing. This is defintaly a good cd and if you are a fan of Gwen Stefani Buy this.

No Doubt has been one of the best ska bands of the past decade and has provided many songs for everyone to enjoy. My personal fave is "ex-Girlfriend". The popularity of its lead singer Gwen Stefani has since grown and Gwen has decided to make a new album without her band, though some songs on this CD (named after her new clothing line) are collaborations with her former bandmates. Led by the hot single "What You Waiting For", Gwen provides us with an eclectic mix of songs on her debut solo CD, showcasing her fascination with Harujuku girls and her own insecurity with making a solo album and how it will be recieived.

Track List
1) What You Waiting For- This is definitely something I have never heard before. Gwen's voice is all over the place with this song and it makes the song so good. This is the first single and it's a great song. This is an excellent song to dance around to (as well as sing to, which I have done several times today, lol.) 5/5

2) Rich Girl (featuring Eve)- Another collaboration with Eve that fails to match or even surpass their previous collaboration on that song "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", but it is still a good song nonetheless. 4/5

3) Hollaback Girl- Although a bit repetitive, this is still a great song. Backed with a stomping sound and trumpets, this song is good, but still could be better. But it is still a fun track. 4/5

4) Cool- A synth filled track, this song talks about a breakup, but puts a positive spin on things by being friends with the person you broke up with (*coughTonyandGwencough* lol). This is a perfect example of Gwen's 80s influences on this CD. 5/5

5) Bubble Pop Electric (featuring Johnny Vulture aka Andre 3000) - Produced by Johnny Vulture (who is also featured in the song), this is another danceable track. Even though it has a weird title, this is a really good song. I love this song! It does have a weird beat. When I was listening to this CD for the first time and I saw that title, I was like "I can only imagine what this song sounds like." 5/5

6) Luxurious- With a more R&B feel, this song is kind of mid tempo and isn't a really good song. It has pretty, beautiful music but the lyrics aren't good enough. It samples a piece from Notorious B.I.G's "Big Poppa". 3/5

7) Harujuku Girls- This song defines Gwen's fascination with the Harujuku girls and has an Oriental feel to it in the beginning. With occasional Japanese words thrown in, this is a good song with a catchy chorus. This is the longest song on this album, coming close to 5 minutes. 5/5

8) Crash- This is a REALLY good song! I love this song, and it sounds a lot like the song "Push It Real Hard" (I think it's called that...) by Salt N Pepa. It talks about driving, but the lyrics could definitely mean something else. Produced by Tony Kanal. 5/5

9) The Real Thing- Starting off slow like a ballad, it moves into mid tempo territory. The lyrics in this song are meaningful and are very beautiful. This song is very mellow and soothing. 5/5

10) Serious- Beginning with string instruments playing, it goes straight into an electronic beat. Written by Gwen and Tony, this song does sound like an 80s song done by Kylie Minogue that kind of combines her early career and her indie period. This is a good song, but not good enough. 3/5

11) Danger Zone- With an electro bass sound, this is one of my favorite songs. It does get a bit repetitive, but it is still a good track. 4/5

12) Long Way to Go (featuring Andre 3000)- This song deals with interracial dating and features clips from Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech. The clips are weird just because they are spliced with the beats and it sounds weird. With clever poetic lyrics, this song is sure to provoke some thought on this issue. 5/5

Despite her constant references to her new clothing line, this is still a good album to get. I would suggest getting it at Target because it's only $10 there. The booklet that comes with the CD contains the lyrics to each song, which I always like to have when I buy a CD. There is also a deluxe edition of the CD that costs anywhere from $25 to $35 that contains a "Fabric wrapped, gold embossed, hardcore digipak - Book style layout with gold ribbon bookmark - Plus a custom CD case designed by Gwen (taken from amazon.com)" So go out and buy it!

i love this cd it mixes pop with funk and sexyness. it is so fun to listen to and i love it. all the songs are hip and fun and make sure you take care of your disc i have a scratch on one of my favorite songs and i regret it. the breakaway from no doubt was worth it and i love this girl. number 10 and 11 are especially good. Love the cd holder that comes with it it is so HOTT love ya gwen.

Gwen Stefani's album is...embarrassingly catchy. Is this what happens when you don't have to worry about writing with someone you broke up with over ten years ago???

The 80's influence is obvious on "Love, Angel, Music, Baby," and that should come as no surprise. No one was waiting to usher in this newfound fascination with all things Reagan-era quite like Stefani. It shows up plenty, but is especially prominent on the first single, "What You Waiting For," (also the album's first track).

It's odd, though, how little airplay Stefani's first single got, at least here in St. Paul. It's got to be one of the hookiest songs to come out last year, and yet, I heard more Linkin Park.... How tragic.

Not to be discounted though, is the heavy hip-hop, R&B influence on Stefani's solo work. Not that this should come as any surprise for those familiar with No Doubt's last album, "Rock Steady" (and how could you not be? most of the songs were released as singles). "Hey Baby" and "Hella Good" were obvious forays into hip hop, and they only really took the ND fans who still believed ND was a ska band by surprise.

Everyone else just enjoyed the evolution and shrugged off any nagging feelings that Tragic Kingdom would be no more.

Songs like "Harajuku Girls", "Luxurious (one of the few mistakes on the album)", and "Rich Girl (her second single and reunion with Eve)" show Stefani's natural dexterity with hip hop and R&B, genre's she and No Doubt have only really recently delved into.

It's Stefani's eclectic love of musical genres (okay, by "electic", I do mean in the realm of modern pop music. There's no Jamaican Polka-Jazz fusion here), that keep "Love, Angel, Music, Baby," so interesting. None of the songs blend together, and it's refreshing to find an album full of catchy, intriguing songs in a time when few mainstream artists seem to be making real albums.

Although, I'm still not sure her duet with Andre 3000 on the album's last track, "Long Way to Go", was all that necessary. It's an excellent song, with a distinctive Prince groove that Andre 3000's becoming quite adept at copping, but the song belongs more to him than to her.

Lucky Gwen.

Ok, lets not have a cow! All the negative reviewers are taking this CD too seriously. Gwen is not out to please every No Doubt fan or her own fans! She just wants to have fun. I like this one a lot. She is a fashion and music icon, like it or not and this is her way of projecting the image she honed over the years.

First off, if you are expecting No Doubt, don't expect it. This album is NOTHING like No Doubt.

Gwen pulls off an amazing solo album, with catchy beats, dancy, and hip hoppy. It's a great variety of music, but it really does fit Gwen's spunky attitude she shows us all the time. This music, in my opinion, really fits Gwen.

It's not rock, it's more electronica type stuff. Japanese based stuff is also there, as well as some r&b stuff.

There is an awesome song "Rich Girl" with Eve, that is great! It's catchy, and has a good tune, and is just funny and quirky.

Some of the songs I could have done without, but they aren't worth mentioning because I am just opinionated at times, besides, none of the songs are bad. They are all great and awesome and stuff and things and now you need to buy this album right now so do it.

First off, you really have to be a fan of Gwen Stefani (singular) to really enjoy this album. If you're expecting No Doubt, you might be a little disappointed.

If not, 'Love.Angel.Music.Baby' is party music. It's a combination of everything Stefani is. 80s electronica/bubble gum pop/R&B, etc. It's a combination of Stefani's non-SKA influences, and I'd go as far as to say it's a collaboration with many of those.

Producers range from Nellee Hooper (All Saints/Britney Spears), Dr. Dre, The Neptunes, Dallas Austin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Andre 3000 and No Doubt pal, Tony Kanal. If you're not familiar with those names, just know that they are all at the top of their game in the music business. Especially in commercial popular music. CD starts off with the first single, "What You Waiting For" produced by Hooper and co-written with Linda Perry, this one is one of the highlights--really upbeat. "Rich Girl" features Eve, is a combination of several writers including Canadian songstress Chantal Kreviazuk (Avril Lavigne). Over all, there are only 12 tracks, you'll hear the phrase "wicked style" about 50 thousand times, especially in a track almost dedicated to its cause "Harajuku Girls". Also a highlight, "Hollaback Girl," "Crash," and "Long Way to Go."

As for the special edition...the CD comes in a hardback mini-book, with the booklet inside, and a box to hold it in. Also, you'll get your own L.A.M.B. CD carrying case with a metallic lamb hanging on the side and logo printed all on it. Not a huge investment, but if you're a Stefani fan, you'll want to have it just because it's awesome.

Overall, if you like this kind of music and are a fan of Stefani, you're really going to dig this album. It's light music that you don't have to think about or try to decipher, just be free with. Clearly, it's well-produced a good compilation of Stefani's background.