Customer Reviews

Suburban Voodoo

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

 

 

If you liked One Good Reason, or any of the other stuff you've heard PC do, then you will probably like this album. There are no samples here, which makes it a leap of faith for the listener. Well, I took that plunge, and it was a soft landing. The best way I can describe SV is that it is kind of like Reason in that the brilliance of PC's vocals are 100% here, but SV is a lot more blusier and guitar oriented than Reason. Reason was more into the keyboards and electronic sound. SV actually sounds like a rock band is playing instrurments, and maybe even live. Also SV is a lot more roots-ier, but at the same time, just as hook-laden and catchy as Reason. Any fan of blue-eyed soul should find this album a must. I'm shocked that it never got any airplay, at least in the US. I could go into more detail about the songs, but since you can't get the samples, there's no point. By the way, this album isn't on iTunes, so don't bother looking there. Maybe you will find it somewhere else on the net, but you can't beat the price here. Good luck. Highly recommended.

Carrack, a journeyman of the rock and roll sorts, finds a temporary niche with producer Nick Lowe at the helm.
Suburban Voodoo is a forgettable album in the sense no one needs to own it, but for those who want a pure piece of 80's pop without replaying the same overheard radio tunes, or hits if you will, with a very recognizable voice coming through the speakers, this album is for you.
Fun, pop, British and hit-ready, Carrack leads his band through tunes that are jumpy, catchy, lyrically intact, and well, just plain fun.
Like Lowe? Rockpile? Brinsley Schwartz? Carrack's Suburban Voodoo will cast its spell on you.

Carrack is one of the last of the British Blue Eyed Soul stirrers. With the passing of Paul Young(y) and Robert Palmer there are very few left (Paul Rodgers - although rock - shares exactly the same influences as Carrack) This album is a melding of blues, motown, R&B, power pop/new wave and fifties rock mixed into a gumbo so good you would be damned if you didn't listen to it. Nick Lowe's production is superb and the hooks and melodies here are irresistable. There are no overbearing synths and the production is not glossy like the latter 80's stuff. Every song here shines brilliance but some of the stand out tracks are "I need you" and "A little unkind" Carrack is supremely underrated and this album should have catapulted his career post-Squeeze. If he comes to your town, don't miss him!

This is by far then(when it came out on lp) and still (remastered cd) , one of the Greatest albums to ever be released .Buy it , play it at your next party, and you'll see what I mean. I'll bet someone will say, who is this playing is great.Its a fun one.Its what made me a life-time fan.The typical American comment is ,Oh the guy from Mike and the Mechanics.Never given the credit he deserves. Its no wonder he doesn't cross the pond much. Satisfy My Soul is the second best( I would call this cd EAR SEX)especially If you have someone to be thankful for in this life .The only think I would not recommend are all those greatest hits he releases.Why? But the whole thing except Groovin,I do not like when folks do whole albums of other folks songs. Its not a good sign(Barry Manilow , Rod Stewart , Raul Malo, yea you.It just seems thier running out of rope. Andrew Wojcik . Hockessin , Delaware

I can't believe that I'm the first one to review this album. I recently bought this CD after owning the LP since the early 80's. This Nick Lowe produced disc has always been one of my favorites. I just assumed many power-pop fans from the 80's felt the same way and that there would be a ton of reviews here.

Let me be the first to say, don't hesitate to buy this disc! You won't be sorry!

I've had this recording, in one form or another, since the early 80's and I've listened to it more times than I can count. It's good to see Paul's still going strong. This is one of his best! Great songs and plenty of hooks.

I've owned this LP (that's a big record on vinyl to all you digital-era types) since 1982 when I saw Paul with Nick Lowe, Martin Belmont & Co. at a bar in San Antonio. What a show -- Martin Belmont's guitar solo on their cover of Paul's Ace hit How Long Has This Been Going On was one of the most amazing I've ever seen.

As for this album, Side 1 (the first 6 tracks) is quite possibly the best album side of the 1980s in any category. Every song is absolutely solid, and should have been a hit. Side 2 is not bad, either. I recently got the LP out after about 17 years in a closet and ripped it to CD to play it in my car. My 15 year old daughter loves it. The songs are pure power pop with better soul vocals than you are likely to hear today anywhere. You can't go wrong with this one.

It doesn't surprise me that this album is out of print. When it first came out, despite rave reviews across the board, it went nowhere. That's really a shame as it was one of the best albums of 1982 and deserved more attention.
Paul was languishing in Squeeze and, I guess, felt he could do better so he hooked up with Nick Lowe and they ended up producing a real gem. As the previous reviewer states, if you like Nick Lowe or Rockpile this is something you'll love. In fact, the first six songs (originally side one) are uniformly excellent, not a bad one in the bunch.
Lowe and Carrack had planned to take turns playing / producing albums as Lowe had previously done with Dave Edmunds, though Carrack played on many future Lowe albums this back and forth did not come to pass. Which is another shame, the eighties could have used more albums like Sububan Voodoo, forgotten or not.