Customer Reviews

Omnipop (It's Only A Flesh Wound Lambchop)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I disagree with Jeff Bateman's and Stephen Thomas Erlewine's (allmusic.com) criticisms of this album. The styles, ranging from guitar feedback experimentalism to pastiches of easy listening, only serve to broaden the palette for the super-fastidious, ultra-thoughtful, lyrical songwriting of Sam Phillips. These are not merely complex, biting comments on society and relationships (remarkable enough for today's "pop" music) but brilliantly constructed songs, in every aspect matching the quality tradition of Weill, or Brecht. This album is best seen as the maturation of her model of mimesis; for it demonstrates a freedom to explore a new, unfamiliar sounds, yet one that is grounded in her own mastery of the pop idiom. Anyone who puts down this work in comparison to Martinis and Bikinis isn't giving Sam her fair shake as an artist. Don't expect those who are truly creative to stay in the same niche of sound, or of color, or of whatever medium, to which you have grown accustomed. Let's hope Sam will come out with a few more albums that are again in a new direction.

Sam Phillips remains a highly praised artist by critics, but woefully under-supported by the masses. She intentionally flips back and forth between 'commercial' releases and then 'experimental and artistic' releases. Her debut "Indescribable Wow" was a commercial release, which contained some of the best pop songs every written. Then, she took an experimental and artistic turn with the gem "Cruel Inventions". Then, she came back with the commercial "Martinis and Bikinis", so now we are back to the 'experimental and artistic' with Omnipop. This CD is way out in left field and themes mostly on sexuality and it really works. My favorite cuts are the first song, which to me, is one of her best. She took the word 'entertainment' and left off the 't' on the end and look what you got: "Entertain-men", which is the focus of this song - how life can sometimes revolve around what entertains men, especially where women are concerned. Is it just me or does Sam's voice sound so incredibly sexy when she sings "Watch me... Watch me... Ahhhhh.... Oh let me by your TV, AAHHHHH"!?!? I love the freshness and artsy-ness of "Plastic is Forever". I absolutely loved the sexy and jazzy "Help Yourself". Die-hard fans will find "Power World" a familiar Sam Phillip's trademark. You can always count on Sam to never sound the same, and this one is her most intriguing release to date.

Most longtime fans will agree Sam was always an artist before her time, and this is the album to prove it. Here you'll find cabaret pop predating the advent of Rufus Wainwright and the sort of experimental soundscapes that artists like Bjork would come to use many years later. " Too clever and complex for most listeners"? This is underestimating the sophistication of music fans. Less adventurous listeners may not have found this album as compelling as her more pop-oriented work on The Indescribable Wow or Martinis and Bikinis. But more's the pity. Lots of great stuff here, including "Your Hands" and "Faster Pussycat to the Library!", two of my favorite Sam tracks.

One of my favorite CDs. Not your regular pop album. Zero is nice and melodious. Other songs are more grinding and complex. Great for multiple listning or challenging your high end Hifi system. Sorry to see she went "unplugged" inlast album. ...!

Artists are supposed to get better with practice, experience, and introspection---but commercial artists, especially in the popular media, usually don't. The luminous, extraordinary Sam Phillips, however, is no ordinary pop musician; she is a visionary who dares to take the crafting of pop music seriously, refusing to check either her brains or her heart at the door---the one in order to cash in, the other in order to protect herself. "Omnipop" features all sorts of eardrum feasts, for listeners who are starved for catchy, engaging, transcendent music that doesn't either offend or bore. Her Sixties sensibilities shine through in almost every song; "Entertainmen" has a glamorous darkness worthy of a James Bond film's title song; "Animals on Wheels" berates the numbing deadness of modern living, offering as counterpoint its own lighter-than-air phantasmagoria of whimsy and wit; and "Power World" is quite possibly the perfect pop song, so intoxicating and uplifting you could almost find yourself defying gravity by the time it's done playing. Her usual mixture of weird experimentation and unnervingly accurate pop stylings makes you wonder what well she's been drinking from---and thankful that she saved plenty for us to drink, too. Beautiful, sensitive, damned talented, witty, unforgettable---Sam's got it all, and so does this album.

I have had this CD for quite some time now, and it never ceases to stimulate. True, this work is perhaps a more obvious departure from her earlier works; however, this is the mark of a true artist and of true genius. Biting social commentary combined with experimental sound combinations is probably not for everyone. But I applaud the effort and look forward to what lies ahead in this brilliant woman's future endeavors. Its smart, its witty and its just darn cool.

Omnipop will not let you off easy. Admittedly, on first listen I was tempted to wonder aloud, "Huh?" The catch is that the lyrics simply will not spoon-feed the listener; they are, by nature, poetic and thought-provoking. If one will not put forth the effort to consider meaning, one will miss much of what the album has to offer. The music ranges from trippy to nearly dismal -- but always effectively connected to the meaning and emotion of the song. An excellent (and challenging) CD.

If you are into cheesy worthless pop lyrics... this is not for you. If you want substance and art, something different, check this out. I've followed her work for over a decade and a half... She is not an artist to be toyed with. If you wanna feel good about the lies in your life, you will hate her. She is here to uncover reality and its infinite twists and quirks.

Some background: I've bought and loved all of Sam's prior secular releases, beginning with THE INDESCRIBABLE WOW (which I recently listed among my Top 20 Albums of the '80s in an on-line poll). I even enjoyed some of her prior Christian recordings as Leslie Phillips. I've paid good money to see her perform live. Over the years, I've raved about her smart, melodic, beautifully-sung pop rock to anyone who would listen. I have been, in other words, a fan.

I couldn't stand this album.

I really tried. Listened to it straight through; put it in the changer on random with her other discs; shelved it and came back to it weeks later: nothing worked. After about six months, I gave up and traded it away.

Quirky arrangements, oddball instrumentation, not an unaffected lead vocal line to be heard anywhere. Worst of all, the classic pop melodies 'n hooks that informed all her previous work had pretty much disappeared.

If you only want an overview of Sam's career, last year's compilation ZERO ZERO ZERO is probably the way to go; it includes a couple of cuts from OMNIPOP, which will give you an idea of what you're (not) missing. A better investment would be any/all of her three prior secular albums, INDESCRIBABLE WOW, CRUEL INVENTIONS, and MARTINIS & BIKINIS. Avoid this one, though--and join me in hoping for Sam's return to form in the not-too-distant future.

Well, this is a new direction for Sam Phillips, and I can listen to it... but in the time I have owned the album, I have just not been able to connect with it on any level. It is entertaining and listenable... but it is just not a favourite. Phillips is her stunning self... very polished... experimental, however... and it will take a while to get used to if you are familiar with Sam's other incarnations.