Make It Better [Import]

Dubstar | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 6, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Phantom Sound & Vision
• ASIN: B000BRHPHI
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,377,723 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Take It

2. I (Friday Night) [Original Version]

3. The Self Same Thing

4. Mercury

5. Stay

6. Another World

7. When the World Knows Your Name

8. Arc of Fire

9. Believe in Me

10. I'm Conscious of Myself

11. Rise to the Top

12. Swansong

13. Stay Together

14. Swansong

Editorial Reviews

Japanese version of third album from Welsh indie pop act fronted by the enchanting Sarah Blackwood. Featuring the infectious first single 'Friday Night' and 2 exclusive bonus tracks 'Stay Together' and 'Swansong'. 2000 release. Standard jewelcase. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Let Sarah Make It Better, January 31, 2002

By 

ed payne (London) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Make It Better (Audio CD)

After meeting Sarah Blackwood in a London pub recently, I can safely say that it was make or break time for the Dubstar crew based on the success of this album. Why then did they not stay together? From the first powerful pop/ rock guitar riffs of "Take It" to the final breathy vocals of "Swansong" it is hard to imagine that past fans have passed this third album by. Songs like "Self Same Thing" and the truly blissful "Another Word" become the strongest ballads of the bands career, whereas the deliciously funky "Believe in Me" and the northern attitude that accompanies gems like "Stay" and "Take it" load the Dubstar engine with the fuel to drive this into an energtic and poetic masterpiece. Okay, so its not as twinkly and innocent as "Disgraceful" or as playful as "Goodbye", but when have Dubstar ever stuck to a strict formula or failed to produce original work? The outstanding "I (Friday Night)" is proof that this is as good as mature pop gets, and listening to it as background music is robbing it of its credibility.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS 2000 POP ALBUM., October 25, 2001

By 

A. REY "array" (London) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Make It Better (Audio CD)

This is an awfully overlooked album even if I think it's formidable pop. I think it is one of the very few late pop efforts which achieves being fashioned while being elegant and still having a very eighties feeling. I would dare to say this was definetely released at the peak of Dubstar's work. Sarah's voice is spectacular all over and the production is very much in detail while remaining very modern, straight, vivid and youthful: "Take it", "Rise to the top", or the very impressive "I'm conscious of myself" are good examples of this. Any of these could have
been a huge single if they had ever been played, but to be frank I never even got to see the music clips (had to buy them) even if I use to watch hours of after midnight MTV every week.
Make it better sounds fresh, it has "something" in common with best Pet Shop Boys in parts which could be due to the way both bands craft their tunes (lyrics and musically too) and the sort of audience they aim at (eighties lovers, techno-pop fans, female/gay/eccentric male UK indie pop fans, gay people, ...), some ABBA (Arc of fire), even some Cocteau twins type of ethereal stuff as in "Stay" or the Enya-esque sort of production in the very last track Swansong. But don't get misled, this is pure Dubstar most of the time; for the very first time this CD is totally consistent and varied all the way through; I always thought the two previous albums are not that good at all though there are pop gems therein (Dubstar fans know EPs contain some of their greatest stuff).
The EP for Self same thing is also one of the most amazing CDs last year, not only for the tacky melodious single but for the two duets there (with Gary Numan and Ian Broodie of the
Lighting seeds). They produce very moody tracks about loosing someone or dumping somebody in a relationship. If you like well crafted melodious and shophisticated pop music you'll surely love both the CD and this EP.

Thanks Dubstar for these fabulous stuff.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's as good as it gets!, June 26, 2009

By 

Theo Kalargiros "Theo" (San Ho, California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Make It Better (Audio CD)

This is Dubstar's 3rd studio album where here, they continue to be innovative with newer material, while maintaining the sound from when they first started off since their 95' "Disgraceful" album. I've already listened to this album about half-a-dozen times already in the first week I've had it, so I give it 5 stars! The singles "i" and "Swansong" never really did it for me but my Favorite tracks are: "The Self Same Thing";
"Mercury", "Arc of Fire" and "Believe in Me". I heard that they were working on a new album in late 2008, which got put on hold because Sarah Blackwood remains to stay busy with her band; "Client". That's too bad because I'd love to hear what the next album is going to sound like!