Customer Reviews

Plastic Beach (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ventured on board the Gorillaz hype machine during Demon Days, their 2nd album and possibly their best to date. At the time I picked up the Deluxe version of Demon Days and loved the incredible quality of the package. With a great plastic slip, unique artwork and an entire mini-art book and DVD / CD it was truly an exceptional value as well as collector's piece.

When I saw the artwork for the Gorillaz latest album, 'Plastic Beach' I immediately thought of how great the last Deluxe edition had been and put in my pre-order. Upon it's arrival, the first thing that immediately struck me is how cheap it looked. Rather than any sort of slip case or plastic, everything in this "Deluxe" edition is cardboard. It looks terrible in comparison to the Demon Days deluxe package and basically it's a fold out cardboard piece with 2 sleeves that hold 2 smaller cardboard sleeves for the CD & DVD 'Making Of.' The saving grace for the packaging is the artwork, with vivid colors and images it almost provides the necessary incentive to pay about twice as much for this edition compared to the standard release.

With that said, I can't whole heartedly recommend this as a purchase. While the packaging is poorly made, the biggest disappointment by far is the included DVD. Prior to the release of Plastic Beach, I was lucky enough to see the music video for Stylo on youtube. It was great, with CGI Gorillaz members and even Bruce Willis. On the Demon Days deluxe edition, there was a nice variety of content included on the bonus DVD including the album's leading song in music video format.

On the Plastic Beach Deluxe edition, they have made a dire error that I feel should stop anyone who was a fan of the DVD in Demon Day's Deluxe from picking this edition up. As is becoming more of the norm these days, the producers of this package opted to include special downloadable and streaming content via the Gorillaz website rather than including said games, videos and more on the bonus DVD. In my opinion, this is incredibly disappointing and takes away from the actual physical package. The Demon Days DVD was solid and really made the purchase worthwhile ... the Plastic Beach is only a 45 minute "making of feature" that offers very little of the Gorillaz artwork or any mention of the Stylo video ... that's it, there is nothing else on the disc. I'm sure the bonus online content is quite good but down the road in 5 to 10 years, I'll still be able to pop in the Demon Days DVD and get everything in one convenient place, sadly the same cannot be said for this "Deluxe" edition.

For those on the fence about this edition, I say go with the standard and save your money ... only diehard Gorillaz fans will find the extras worthwhile and while the artwork on the packaging is incredible, the medium on which it is presented is cheap and disappointing.

2 1/2 stars out of 5 for the Deluxe edition(rounded up for Amazon.com)

When I first got this CD and popped it into my computer to give it a listen, I wasn't impressed. The songs seemed forgettable, repetitive, and it just seemed like a just above mediocre CD. In a state of shock, I listened to it again on my iPod, and while it still wasn't my favorite CD, I found more little things I liked about it. I just kept listening to it to find more things that they put in there, and after a while, it became brilliant in my mind. Now, before I begin my analysis, I think you should know what the Gorillaz are. I'm not going to put a big description and waste space here, so just look them up on Wikipedia. Here we go!

1. Orchestral Intro: This is a nice little tune, I felt kind of like I was looking at a beach covered in syringes, plastic bags and other crap. Good show, Jamie/Damon.
2. Welcome to The World of The Plastic Beach: This is not a good way to start out the vocal songs. I guess the melody is fine, just really sleepy. And that seemed to have an effect on Snoop Doggy Dawg. I have a feeling he just crashed on the studio doorstep, and Damon Albarn just but him front of a mic with a lyric sheet, for him to speak at whatever point he wanted. Maybe I'm going a little harsh on him, but I'm just not fond of the track.
3. White Flag: I like this song. The rapping is really entertaining, and the flute(?) section sounds really cool. The backing beat, I could like more. It sounded like a drum looping machine. Still a very cool track, though.
4. Rhinestone Eyes: The first track with 2D/Damon's vocals. Finally! If you think he speak-sings in his other songs, you'll think he's just talking in this one. Frankly, I thought that it was a very good choice. A beautiful, calming song.
5. Stylo: There is some Controversy about this track. They have been accused of stealing the beginning of the song from Eddy Grant's 'Time Warp'. The tracks are similar for that part, although I'm not sure that 3 notes warrant a lawsuit. Regardless, I thought this was probably the best track all around, but the vocals were absolutely outstanding. Bobby Womack, Mos Def, and of course Damon were all really into the song. Also, the music video is quite nice. Shame it did not come with the 'Experience' edition.
6. Superfast Jellyfish: THis is the Weirdest track, and you can decide for yourself if that's good or not. I loved it, starting out like a breakfast commercial, and then getting deep-voiced rappers to sing about how much they love this treat for breakfast, and the little toys that come with it. Genius!
7. Empire Ants: This track starts out about as excited as a nerd having to sit through Batman and Robin. It starts off like another 'WTTWOTPB', but it gets better when Little Dragon joins in. Still a sleepy track, but ore interesting. At this point I realized the album had a recurring theme of a 'system', or 'machine'. Possibly representing an independent government being established? I don't know, all I know that this is just a fair track.
8. Glitter Freeze: This was my favorite track when I first heard the CD online (legally, mind you). But now it just sound like a lot of sirens. Bland.
9. Some Kind of Nature: People already seem to loving this one. And it's certainly a great song. It's another weird one like Jellyfish, but it fits in with the calm and worried feel of the other songs.
10. On Melancholy Hill: THis is another popular one, but I don't really understand what instruments they used for that warping sound that would be in teen pop songs back around 2000-2004. That doesn't make it a bad song, it just makes me think about listening to the radio back then.
11. Broken: This one sticks in my head sometimes, but there's nothing much to say. It's a good, but not great song.
12. Sweepstakes: I liked this song on my initial listening too, but I don't resent it as much as Glitter Freeze. It's pretty much just Mos Def chanting/rapping to a drum-machine, and unlike most Gorillaz songs it feels like you're not gaining anything from it. It just doesn't work.
13. Plastic Beach: Ah, the title song. The one that is expected to be a hit by piggybacking off of he CD's name, but really just ends up being a B-Side. THis is no exception to that. 'Casio on the Plastic Beach'? Really? That's the chorus?
14. To Binge: Sounds like we're getting back on track! How many songs are left? ...2? Whatever. I enjoy this track. While the 'drum machine' songs suffered from their simplicity, this one actually exceeds expectations from it. It's like a folk song, and Little Dragon is fantastic again. I'll have to see what they've released.
15. Cloud of Unknowing: Bobby Womack, you seem really talented. But I'm not sure that this is the best song for you. It's not that you're bad! It's just that this sounds kind of like an old man reminiscing about a song from his youth. You're still great.
16. Pirate Jet: This one sounds more like the Gorillaz from Demon Days. It's a nice way to end the CD, but I'm not sure how I would have felt if it was placed somewhere else.

So there you have it! A solid effort from Gorillaz, if not as good as Demon Days. Looking forward to the music videos!

EDIT: I've spent even more time with this, and I have to say, it's not worth the money to buy the "Experience" version. I expected to get exclusive streaming events, but all I got was a digital booklets, some desktops, and a cool screensaver. Album gets an 8.5, the DVD and experience drag it down to a 6.

Yessir. I'm a bona fide Gorillaz fan(atic). Here has been my experience with the album thus far.

Three songs hit me immediately. Stylo, Rhinestone Eyes and To Binge. The rest didn't come easy at first. Partly because I didn't have time to give them a fair listen and partly (mostly) because Gorillaz does that to me. When I got the first album, I put it away immediately, only to be bored one day and give it a fair listen and fell in love. Demon Days was definitely easier on the ears first listen, but I cannot say that the first few spins were as lovely as now. Plastic Beach is no different. I got the feeling that I wouldn't like it at first. Kinda saddened me. I knew however that I'd keep it in my car every trip for a while to see if it would catch me. Today I got the smile on my face, knowing that this album won't disappoint. I can't stop playing this and it probably won't for a while.

I guess this is a word of caution to the casual listener. This album requires patience, especially if you're not familiar with Gorillaz. But not much at all, that's especially if you are. The best part about it is when you are on your third, fourth or fifth play through and a track hits you, it does so with a bullet.

Well, for me at least but that's all I can really offer is my opinion right? Hope this helps.

I've loved Gorillaz for over 10 years. Loved their previous albums. This album disappointed me. They collaborated with other artists way too much it didn't have the Gorillaz "vibe" like they used to have. Getting "The Fall" soon, I hope that doesn't disappoint me..

I was eagerly looking forward to the new Gorillaz album and have given this a solid listening to over the past months to gauge fully it's sound and feel. This is a great progression to their last album and whilst the sound is familiar territory, it has moved on enough to keep things interesting. My favourite track easily has to be `Stylo' which has some amazing vocals from Bobby Womack and Mos Def and an infectious groove from the off. As always on a Gorillaz album there are wonderful collaborations throughout and the artist roll call is especially impressive this time, featuring Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed, Mark E Smith and Mick Jones, amongst others. Gorillaz always manages to be at the forefront of the music scene at the time of each release and with `Plastic Beach' that remains the same and this album offers up plenty of tunes to delight and interest old and new fans alike.

This `Experience Edition' features an additional DVD which features a `making of' documentary and also a code to access additional information from the band website. The documentary is relatively short, and the disc lacks any extras, but it does give an insight into the making of the album and should please hardcore fans. For the casual listener you can buy the single disc version of the album and be easily satisfied knowing you aren't missing anything truly groundbreaking.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

This is a Solid Album has some nice hooks but it is not as good as the previous releases. No Song really catches on to me like Dare or Dirty Harry did from the previous Albums.

Excellent CD/DVD SET..
Packaged VERY WELL...
Thanks Alot!! Now I have
everything from them to date..

The album is different than previous Gorillaz work, but they have always been transforming from hip-hop to trip-hop to pop to whatever else. I'd say this one is a bit less 'chill' than their previous work, with more tracks taking on a specific mood. The typical guest artists have been changed around a little, although the new faces all work pretty well. It's not my favorite Gorillaz album, but it certainly isn't bad. The nice deluxe edition digipak was really nice, too.

Plastic Beach may be my favorite Gorillaz album yet! It's unique blend of styles and moods are fantastic! The fact that this is also a very thoughtful album should not go unnoticed. The making of Plastic Beach DVD and the additional concept art this "experience edition" features was more than worth the extra money! A must have for any Gorillaz fan!

You can never accuse the Gorillaz camp of giving you the same thing over and over. Whether you like the music or not, this group always does a good job of keping you interested through various types of media and articles. In "Gorillaz UK" the group took a stand against the predictable, boring, garbage being pumped out by the music industry. They wanted to present something brand new and so it started that the world became addicted to music and videos that were not only dispalayed in an animated setting, but by an animated band. After that, "Demon Days" took aim at the violence and war that was being pushed on civillians who had nothing to do with the extremists, politicians, or oil companies that were causing destruction worldwide.

In "Plastic Beach" the Gorillaz put the spotlight on the earth's plague of polloution, and flips it by announcing the group has a new home on a private island which is completely comprised of litter. Tracks like "Some kind of Nature" and "Pirate Jet" highlight the rubbish. I'll focus on the music for this review as there is just too much publicity, videos, artwork, and sub-stories related to the release of "Plastic Beach" to comment on.

The album can described in a word as whimsical. The music is different from the last album just as the last album was different from it's prior version. The Brits have described this album as being more "pop" inspired than previous releases, but brit pop is a genre hard to define especially by other cultures. With tracks like "Glitter Freeze" paying homage to the Glitter Beat (A beat coined and named after the "Glitter Band") the listener will have to dig a little deeper to understand and apprecite the album, thereby forcing the fan to research and relate the music to the world of Gorillaz (Mission accomplished).
The Band's usual vocalist (2D, Albarn) takes a backseat ride on this album as 12 of the 16 tracks feture guest artists most of whom take the lead on the songs. This trend started on "Demon Days" but is more apparent on "Plastic Beach".

If you are not true Gorillaz fan and have no desire to waste time on the extensive plots and schemes of the Gorillaz, then you will probably hate this album. Die hard fans seem to love it. As a fan and a music enthusiast, The album seems to do to me what it does to most people who own it...grows on me. The more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it and find myself randomly humming, or singing under my voice, snippets from tracks that make no sense to the average person passing by (ie: "Super Fast Jellyfish"). Steal this album from your older brother and give it a listen over a few times before deciding on your own copy.